Networking

This section provides information necessary to administer Reality networking on both UNIX and Windows. It describes:

• The different kinds of Reality routing entry.

• The network security features available in Reality.

• The procedures for setting up Remote Logon, Remote File Access, Interprocess Communication, Network Printing and Network Logon.

• PLId formats for Location-Based Security.

• Details of log files and network error messages.

• The Windows version of the network administration utility, netadmin.

Introduction

Reality provides the following networking facilities:

• Remote Logon. This allows the use of an account on another Reality database.
• Remote File Access. This allows files in accounts on other databases to be accessed (listed, copied, edited and so on) as if they were held in the local account.
• Interprocess Communication. This allows communication between processes on the same host and between local and remote processes. It is provided via DataBasic and 'C' program interfaces.
• Network Printing. This allows Reality users to despool print jobs to a printer which is connected via a network.
• Network Logon. This allows users to log on terminals, connected via a network, to a Reality database.
• Remote Spooling. This directs print jobs generated on a local Reality database to the spooler on another Reality database, or vice versa.
• Remote Printing (UNIX only). Allows print jobs to be directed from the UNIX environment to a Reality spooler.

Types of Network

UNIX

The standard networking facilities are supported between one Reality database and another. The two hosts must be able to connect via a network – the network may be a Local Area Network (LAN), an X.25 network or, with the use intermediate gateways, any combination of these.

LAN

Both hosts must be fitted with LAN controllers. A LAN connection may use TCP/IP or OSI (either full network or null network).

X.25

Both hosts must be fitted with X.25 controllers.

Windows

The standard networking facilities are supported between Reality databases on Windows hosts, and remote Reality and RealityX databases. Only the TCP/IP protocol is supported. If you need to connect via OSI or X.25, you must connect via a UNIX gateway.

Session Manager

The Session Manager is a dedicated background process which accepts incoming connections for the local host and maintains event and session logs which are used to record significant events and errors during the processing of incoming/outgoing connections. The Session Manager also carries out security checking.

• On UNIX, the session manager uses routing information held in the host file /etc/ROUTE-FILE. See the topics Session Manager and Network Security in the UNIX-Connect System Administration section for details.
• On Windows, the session manager uses routing information held in the Registry. The Network Administration Utility, netadmin, allows you to specify session manager options.

TCP/IP Ports

By default, Reality uses the following TCP/IP ports:

23 Telnet session manager (Windows only).

1400 Unix-Connect Telnet LBS (UNIX only).

1777 GUI Administration Server.

1203 Reality session manager (DDA).

1900 UNIX-Connect character circuit to a printer.

2001 Failsafe authentication.

2002 GUI Administration Server configuration.

3000 Reality Perl server.

3080 Reality mini web server.

3995 Java Web Start.

52001 Reality remote tape server.

If your users access your network through a firewall, you will need to enable one or more of these ports.