by Bridget Meyer, First appeared in July/August 1998 issue of Client Access/400 Expert
by Bridget Meyer, June, 1998
If you want to take advantage of a printer attached to the iSeries, but don't want to install Client Access/400 on your PC, what can you do? With OS/400 V4R2 or later, you can take advantage of file and print services without Client Access/400. With the new and exciting AS/400 Support for Windows Network Neighborhood (AS/400 NetServer), you can share iSeries Integrated File System (iSeries IFS) directories and iSeries output queues without any additional software installed on the client's personal computer. For more information about the AS/400 NetServer, see IBM's Web site at
www.as400.ibm.com/NetServer
.
The new iSeries is the simpler server, designed to get you up and running quickly. If you simply need basic file and print services, you no longer need Client Access/400 installed on every client. Instead, you can use the Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, or Windows for Workgroups operating systems. This support runs on top of TCP/IP, so TCP/IP would need to be configured on both the iSeries and the desktop clients. Once TCP/IP support is configured, the client will see the AS/400 NetServer as just another TCP/IP computer in the Windows Network Neighborhood. A simple mouse click or a DOS network (net) command request will let you access what the iSeries administrator has shared with the network.
If you still require the richer functions provided by Client Access/400, AS/400 NetServer allows you to install the Client Access/400 program across the network from the iSeries system. The Client Access/400 and AS/400 NetServer programs are separate servers and can coexist on the same iSeries systems and workstations.
All administration is performed with either iSeries Operations Navigator or AS/400 NetServer APIs. Using iSeries Operations Navigator, you can share iSeries IFS directories and output queues with the network. All the access to these shared directories and output queues complies with the Common Internet File System (CIFS) standard currently being drafted, so future interoperability will be achieved with the AS/400 NetServer support.
Figure 1.
To Communicate with AS/400 NetServer, you must configure Client for Microsoft Networks and TCP/IP in your Windows 95 Network Properties.
The Universal Naming Convention (UNC) is used to identify the AS/400 NetServer in the network. The UNC name consists of \\serverName\shareName; where serverName is the AS/400 NetServer server name and the shareName is the name of the shared resource. A share name is a unique name assigned to either an iSeries IFS directory or an output queue that enables access to the resource for remote network users and applications. Individual network commands may require the serverName and/or the shareName. Examples of network commands that AS/400 NetServer will handle include the following:
- net view — This command lists the servers in your domain.
- dir \\qas400\qca400 — This command lists the files in the directory for the qca400 share.
- net print \\qas400\printer — This command lists the spooled files in the iSeries output queue for the printer share.
- net view \\1.2.3.4 — This command lists the shares for AS/400 NetServer with this IP address. Using the IP address this way is possible from Windows 98 and Windows NT.
- net view \\qas400.tcpip.domain — This command lists the shares for AS/400 NetServer using the fully qualified TCP/IP domain. Using the fully qualified name is possible from Windows NT.
In order to communicate with AS/400 NetServer, both Client for Microsoft Networks and TCP/IP must be properly configured on the user's machine. Figure 1 shows the Network Properties dialog box you use to configure both of these components. You can reach this screen by right-clicking on the
Network Neighborhood icon and selecting
Properties from the context menu. You can also left-click on the Windows
Start button, select
Settings, then
Control Panel, and then double-click on the
Network icon.
Figure 2.
You can display your AS/400 NetServer shares by using the Windows Network Neighborhood.
Double-click on the AS/400 NetServer from the Windows Network Neighborhood to display the shared iSeries IFS directories and output queues (as seen in Figure 2). By left-clicking on
Start, then
Find, and then
Computer and typing in the name of the AS/400 NetServer you wish to find, you can also use the Windows Find feature to access the AS/400 NetServer shared iSeries IFS directories and output queues. Windows Network Neighborhood is also available through Windows Explorer, so AS/400 NetServer shares can be accessed in this way, as well.
The AS/400 NetServer shared resources are created with names that may or may not be different from the actual directory or output queue names. However, any operation you request on the shared object is really performed on the iSeries. For example, if you pause or purge a printer that is mapped to an iSeries output queue, you are pausing or purging the iSeries output queue, not the printer on the desktop client. Figure 3 contains an example of what an iSeries output queue would look like when viewed through a Windows client.
Figure 3.
AS/400 NetServer allows you to access iSeries printer output queues through a Windows 95/98 or NT client.
In the past, Client Access exposed the iSeries IFS directories and iSeries output queues to the network; there was no concept of shares. By default, AS/400 NetServer shares only the /QCA400 directory with the users. This iSeries IFS directory contains Client Access install images and stand-alone Advanced Function Printing (AFP) and SNA Character String (SCS) printer drivers. This setup provides more control over what is shared with the network, with additional directories shared by the administrator as needed. AS/400 NetServer shares may be hidden from the network by ending the share name with a dollar sign ($). When a share ends with a dollar sign ($), it will not show up in Windows Network Neighborhood, and it will not show up in the list of shares. However, when the share is mapped to a network drive, Windows will show the share name, including the ending $ sign, in Windows Explorer.
You can also hide the AS/400 NetServer from the network by setting the browsing interval to zero. When the browsing interval is set to zero, the iSeries no longer announces itself and its services to the network, so the AS/400 NetServer icon will no longer show up in the Network Neighborhood. Although AS/400 NetServer is hidden from the Network Neighborhood, you may still take advantage of the file and print services by left-clicking on
Start, then
Find, and then
Computer. You can also use the AS/400 NetServer UNC name.
Shares for directories may be added with either read-only or read/write access, giving the administrator additional security choices for those users connecting through AS/400 NetServer. For example, a directory named PUBLIC could be shared with read/write access, but the iSeries directory authority for group PUBLIC would have read-only access. This configuration would ensure that users cannot make alterations to the directory. Of course, you will want to give the administrator full access to the directory.
With AS/400 NetServer, desktop clients can take advantage of the file and print services of the iSeries without even having an iSeries user profile. Guest support allows you to take advantage of iSeries IFS directories (including databases, stream files, and CD-ROMs) and iSeries output queues without the additional administration of an individual user profile for each user. Of course, users acting as guests should not be able to access anything that requires secure support or special access. However, the guest support feature does allow instant file and print services access to an entire network.
Client Access/400 has richer functionality than AS/400 NetServer. Client Access/400 provides support for iSeries terminal emulation, ODBC, and data transfer (which provides ASCII-to-EBCDIC translation) capabilities. The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, which is an XOpen Standard and has been adopted by both Windows and AS/400 NetServer, does not handle ASCII-to-EBCDIC file data conversion. Client Access/400 does ASCII-to-EBCDIC conversion of the file data on the fly, which the AS/400 NetServer does not support until V4R4 of OS/400.
The administration of the AS/400 NetServer can be accomplished via iSeries APIs; the same administration options are available through iSeries Operations Navigator, which uses a GUI. You may use the AS
/400 System API Reference as a guide when implementing AS/400 NetServer administration through your CL, COBOL, RPG, C, and C++ programs. With Client Access/400 V3R1M3 and beyond, you can access AS/400 NetServer configuration through the following path inside the iSeries Operations Navigator:
- V3R1M3 — iSeries Network->iSeries System->Network->Servers->Netserver
- V3R2M0 — iSeries Network->iSeries System->Network->Servers-TCP/IP>AS/400 NetServer
You reach this screen by highlighting
AS/400 NetServer in Operations Navigator, right-clicking and selecting
Properties from the context menu. The Server name is the name used on the network to access iSeries resources; this is different than the iSeries system name listed in the iSeries network attributes. The AS/400 NetServer server name is defaulted to Q plus the system name, qas400, but does not change when the system name changes, so be sure to verify the correctness of this name. The domain should match the domain (workgroup) configured for the PCs in the network that will take advantage of AS/400 NetServer.
Figure 4.
shows the AS/400 NetServer properties accessed through iSeries Operations Navigator.
AS/400 NetServer configuration changes can only be carried out if the user has *IOSYSCFG (System Configuration) authority. Changes will not take effect until the AS/400 NetServer is restarted. Extra authority, namely *SECADM (Security Administrator), is needed if the guest user profile is changed. Remember that the AS/400 NetServer guest user profile is a untrusted user and
must have no special authority when configured. The guest user profile allows iSeries file and print sharing by users who otherwise would not require an iSeries user profile.
In addition to the AS/400 NetServer properties, you can also add AS/400 NetServer shares, both file and print, from the AS/400 NetServer icon in Operations Navigator. A special option to include the AS/400 NetServer print share recommended printer driver (as shown in Figure 5) is included for each print share, because the hardest part of printing is to match the client printer driver type with the actual printer type.
Be sure that the local PC client is configured with either Domain Name System (DNS), Windows Internet Name Service (WINS), or an LMHOSTS file so that your client is able to resolve the AS/400 NetServer server name to an IP address.If you are using a DNS or WINS server, it will need to be updated with an AS/400 NetServer entry.
- DNS — Add AS/400 NetServer server name as second name ( alias) for the iSeries system.
- WINS — If a WINS server exists on the network, it may provide the computer name-to-IP address resolution service.
- LMHOSTS file — This static configuration file can be configured to find computers, but these files may be difficult to administer in a larger network.
Figure 5.
You can also add print shares to your AS/400 NetServer configuration. A seperate option allows you to add file shares.
AS/400 NetServer uses TCP/IP to participate in the Windows Network Neighborhood since there is no native NetBIOS stack on the iSeries. This adds some complexity to the networking process used to make the AS/400 NetServer appear in the Windows Network Neighborhood. The Windows implementation of Network Neighborhood was originally designed to operate directly on top of the NetBIOS protocol which forwards computer announcement messages across routers. Think of an announcement message containing text such as "I'm here in the network and I have services available". However, when using TCP/IP for AS/400 NetServer, or other TCP/IP based systems, these announcement messages are usually not forwarded across routers, by design, to reduce network traffic. Unfortunately, depending on the complexity of your network topology, this may result in your AS/400 NetServer not showing up in the neighborhood. There are several possible solutions, some listed here, that avoid the loss of this information. But, In any case, the AS/400 NetServer and client PCs should be configured for the same domain (workgroup).
- Contain your domain in a single subnet. This way announcements do not have to be forwarded to another subnet.
- Use the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) for your network computer name - TCP/IP address resolution strategy. WINS was created specifically for network topoligies like this.
- Configure TCP/IP routers such that broadcast datagrams are forwarded across subnets in the same way they are forwarded for NetBIOS.
You may rest assured that the
Start/Find/Computer button sequence on your Windows desktop will work in all situations (as shown in Figure 6), regardless of whether or not you implement one of the solutions listed.
Figure 6.
You can use Window's Find feature to locate AS/400 NetServer on the network in the same way you would find a file or folder on your PC.
The AS/400 NetServer uses the services of the iSeries Network Print Server (NPS) to handle all print requests. Because of this fact, the Network Print Server must be active to process AS/400 NetServer print requests. Use the Start Host Server (STRHOSTSVR *NETPRT) command to start the server.
While there are many options available to you, if you want to get up and running with just the basic AS/400 NetServer support, you can follow stese simple steps.
- Ensure TCP/IP is configured and active.
- Verify the correctness of the AS/400 NetServer server and domain names using iSeries Operations Navigator.
- Verify that AS/400 NetServer is active.
- Verify that the Network Print Server is active.
- Administrator must share resources with the network as needed.
- Ensure that you have TCP/IP and Clients for Microsoft Networks configured.
- Verify that you can resolve the IP address of AS/400 NetServer using DNS, WINS, or PC's local LMHOSTS file.
- Enjoy.
By using AS/400 NetServer, you can give your users desktop file and print services without burdening them with Client Acces/400's large footprint. It is very simple to get up and running with AS/400 NetServer, just a few easy steps. Troubleshooting is also simple. Use the more detailed information at http
://www.as400.ibm.com/NetServer to make the most of your AS/400 NetServer support. You'll find a setup document, command-line API mini-guide, tips and techniques, presentations, and other support documents.
Remember that Client Access/400 is still available for richer functions such as ODBC, terminal emulation, and ASCII-to-EBCDIC conversion (needed for OS/400 releases prior to V4R4). Client Access/400 and AS/400 NetServer can coexist, so users can take advantage of both.
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