Client/Server operation

The computers on the CS/AIX network are of two types: servers and clients. A server contains a CS/AIX node and its associated connectivity components; a client does not contain these connectivity components, but accesses them on the server by means of the network. Servers are AIX computers; clients can be running AIX, Linux, or Windows. (An AIX or Linux computer can be either a server or a client, but not both; you cannot install both the server and the client on the same computer.) Servers and clients communicate across the network using Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) Sockets.

Each CS/AIX network, referred to as a domain, is identified by a domain name. This name is specified during the installation of each CS/AIX computer (server or client), so that all computers in a single CS/AIX network have the same domain name. To install two separate CS/AIX domains on the same physical network, you simply use two different domain names to identify the domain in which each computer belongs. A single CS/AIX domain can correspond to a TCP/IP subnet, can be part of a TCP/IP subnet (so that there are two or more separate CS/AIX domains in the same subnet), or can span multiple subnets.

Each server maintains information about its own node configuration in a node configuration file. You can use the CS/AIX administration tools or the NOF API to examine the node's configuration. This can be done either from this server or from any other computer in the domain, as long as the SNA software is running (whether or not the node is started). You can also use the CS/AIX administration tools or the NOF API on this server or on any other server to modify the node's configuration or to start or stop resources on the node.

Information about the configuration of domain resources for the complete CS/AIX network is held in a domain configuration file. If you have more than one server on the network, CS/AIX ensures that this information is consistent across all servers.