Netmap Node Field Definitions

The following table describes the fields used in creating a netmap node entry.

The fields that you use depend on the platform upon which the node is defined.

Important: Depending on the version of Connect:Direct®, there are limitations within IBM® Sterling Control Center related to the FASP protocol.
Field Description Valid Values
API Max Connects Maximum number of concurrent API connections permitted for the local node. A numeric value in the range of 1–256.
APPC Mode The session type of APPC mode. APPC Mode.
Alt Comm Outbound Alternative communication address (communication path) used for outbound Processes. This parameter provides the alternative addresses for a remote node with multiple NIC cards. When the local node is the PNODE, the alternative addresses are tried (starting with the first IP address listed) if an initial attempt fails. After a connection is established, if the connection is later lost, attempts to reestablish it through retry use the same address as the initial connection.

When the local node is the SNODE, the alternative addresses are used in the netmap check.

Note: Do not use this parameter in a Sterling Connect:Direct for Microsoft Windows outbound Process if the SNODE is Sterling Connect:Direct/ Plex.
Fully qualified host name or IP address and port number.

A comma separates the list of alternative communication paths as shown in this example:

salmon;9400, 10.20.40.65;9500

The list is processed from left to right.

Alternate Comminfo Support for establishing netmap-checked sessions with high-availability (especially load balancing) systems with multiple IP addresses, such as Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex for z/OS. Use this parameter to list all IP addresses or host names that are part of the multiple IP address environment.

For Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex, include the address of each Sterling Connect:Direct/Server with a different IP address from the Sterling Connect:Direct/Plex Manager.

If a remote node has more than one outgoing IP address (as in a load balancing environment), specify outgoing addresses of all possible remote nodes in the Alternate Comminfo field. The outgoing IP addresses are then contained in the local node netmap entry for that remote node. Doing so lets netmap checking succeed when the remote node connects to the local node using any of the possible outgoing IP addresses.

Hostname1/IP address, Hostname2/IP address, Hostname3/IP address
Host name
Host name associated with the IP address. For example:
  • hops—a computer on the local domain
  • hops.csg.stercomm.com—the fully qualified host name
  • nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn or nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn
    —the IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) of a computer running Sterling Connect:Direct
Buffer Size The buffer size for transmitting data to and from a Sterling Connect:Direct for UNIX node. This value overrides the value in the initialization parameters file. A numeric value in the range of 256–65536.

The default value is 65535.

Communication Path Transport and protocol information about the available communication paths and their attributes. Each communication path definition specifies a default communication mode.
Conn Retry Exhaust Action Action to take after the specified numbers of short and long-term attempts have been made.
hold
Statuses of Processes in the Hold queue are changed to Held in Error after all additional attempts are made. The default value.
delete
Processes are deleted from the TCQ.
Contact Name The name of the Sterling Connect:Direct administrator or operator for the node. A one- to 49-character (alphanumeric) string.
Contact Phone The phone number of the administrator or operator for the node. Do not use blanks in this string. A one- to 39-character (alphanumeric) string.
Default Class The default session class used to start session managers. A Process runs on the specified class or any higher session class. This value overrides the equivalent value for this node in the initialization parameters. A numeric value from 1 to the value of maximum concurrent local node connections (sess.pnode.max). The default value is 1. The value cannot be greater than the maximum number of local sessions with primary control.
Description A description of the node entry. A 1- to 127-character (alphanumeric) string
FASP Bandwidth Indicates how much bandwidth each FASP-enabled IBM Connect:Direct transfer can use. This setting can be overridden by the remote node record or process parameters, but cannot exceed the bandwidth specified in the license. The default value is as stipulated in the FASP license. The default value can be changed, but it cannot exceed the bandwidth specified in the license. You can use KB, MB or GB designators. If no designator is specified, bits are assumed.
FASP Enabled Indicates whether FASP is enabled for IBM Connect:Direct transfers. Yes|No
FASP File Size Threshold The threshold that restricts small files from being sent by an IBM Connect:Direct server that uses FASP. If the file size is less than the threshold, the file is sent by a TCP or IP address. A numeric value in KB, MB, or GB that is greater than or equal to 10 MB. The default is 1G.
FASP Policy The FASP policy being used for an IBM Connect:Direct transfer.
Fixed
FASP attempts to transfer at the specified target rate, regardless of the actual network capacity. This policy transfers at a constant rate and finishes in a guaranteed amount of time.
High
FASP monitors the network and adjusts the transfer rate to fully utilize the available bandwidth up to the maximum rate. When congestion occurs, a FASP session with high policy transfers at a rate twice as fast as a session with fair policy.
Fair
FASP monitors the network and adjusts the transfer rate to fully utilize the available bandwidth up to the maximum rate. When congestion occurs, FASP shares bandwidth with other traffic fairly by transferring at an even rate.
Low
Similar to fair mode, the low policy uses the available bandwidth with up to the maximum rate, but much less aggressive when sharing bandwidth with other network traffic. When congestion builds up, the transfer rate is decreased to the minimum rate, until other traffic retreats.
LU62 Profile Name The profile name to identify the name of an SNA configuration profile for the remote connection. A profile name, up to 8 characters.
LU62 writex wait If you are using SNA on an IBM AIX operating system, use this parameter to identify how long to wait before retrying the connection. Numeric value in seconds.

The default value is 1.

LU62 writex attempts If you are using SNA on an IBM AIX operating system, use this parameter to identify how many times to attempt a connection. 0–2,147,483,647

The default value is 0.

Long Term Retries The number of additional attempts if a long-term connection fails. A numeric value in the range of 1–255.

The default is 10 for Microsoft Windows and 6 for UNIX.

Long Term Retry Interval The amount of time to wait between each long-term retry attempt. A 24-hour time value formatted as hh:mm:ss. A 24-hour time value formatted as hh:mm:ss. The maximum value is 23:59:59.

The default is 00:03:00, or 3 minutes, for Microsoft Windows and 00:10:00, or 10 minutes, for UNIX.

Max PNODE Sessions The maximum number of concurrent connections to this node that can be initiated. The maximum number of concurrent sessions is limited to the lesser of the values defined in the initialization parameters file and the network map definition for a node. A numeric value 0 - 255. The default is 255 for UNIX, 1 for Microsoft Windows. For a workstation version of Sterling Connect:Direct for Microsoft Windows, maximum PNODE sessions is limited to 1.
Max SNODE Sessions The maximum number of concurrent connections from this node that can be initiated. The maximum number of concurrent sessions is limited to the lesser of the values defined in the initialization parameters file and the network map definition for a node. A numeric value 0 - 255. The default is 255 for UNIX, 1 for Microsoft Windows. For a workstation version of Sterling Connect:Direct for Microsoft Windows, maximum SNODE sessions is limited to 2.
Netmap Check Enhanced security testing performed on the SNODE. For TCP/IP connections, the remote IP address of the incoming socket connection is compared to the comm.info record of the netmap.cfg file. These values must match for an Sterling Connect:Direct session to be established. The comm.info record can be the official network name, an alias name listed in the appropriate file (for example, /etc/hosts, if the system is not running NIS or DNS), or the IP address. For all connections, the remote node name must be in the netmap.cfg.
TRUE
Specifies that the security checks are made to verify that the remote node name is in the netmap.cfg file.
FALSE
Specifies that none of these security checks are made. The default value.
LOCAL
Checks the network map only for nodes that the local Sterling Connect:Direct will initiate sessions with.
REMOTE
Checks the network map only for remote nodes that will communicate with this node.
Network Name Name of the SNA network to which the remote Sterling Connect:Direct node is connected. SNA network name
Node Name A name to assign to the node entry. A one- to 16-character (alphanumeric) string
Operating System The operating system of the remote node. Open VMS | OS/390 | i5/OS | HP NonStop | UNIX | VM | VS | Windows
Outgoing Address If running in a high availability environment, this parameter enables you to specify the virtual IP address for the remote node to use for network map checking and prevents the process from failing when initiated from within a high availability environment. Specify the IP address for this value and network map checking verifies the address instead of the value set in comm.info in the SNODE network map record. IPv4 or IPv6 address
Pacing Send Count The number of send operations to perform before automatically waiting for a pacing response from the remote node. The value for this parameter has no effect on LU6.2 connections. No limit exists for the size of this value. The default is 0, which indicates no pacing of this type.
Pacing Send Delay The time to wait between send operations to the remote node. The decimal number is the number of milliseconds between the end of one packet and the beginning of the next packet. Time-based pacing does not contribute to network traffic.

The value for this parameter has no effect on LU6.2 connections.

The format is nnn. The size of this number has no limit. The default is 0, which indicates no pacing of this type.
Parallel Sessions The maximum number of simultaneous DTF-to-DTF sessions that the local Sterling Connect:Direct node can initiate with this adjacent node. For z/OS, the range is 2–255. For Microsoft Windows and UNIX, the range is 0–255.
Partner LU Name of the partner node to be used as the remote connection endpoint for the LU-to-LU session. This field is the VTAM APPLID for host connections or partner LU name for LU 6.2 only. An 1–8 character alphanumeric string.
Proxy Attempt Enables the ID subparameter of snodeid to contain a proxy, or dummy user ID to be used for translation to a local user ID on the remote system. Using a dummy user ID improves security because neither the local system nor the remote system requires a valid user ID from the other side.
TRUE
Specifies that the remote users can specify a dummy user ID in snodeid parameter.
FALSE
Specifies that the remote users cannot specify dummy user ID in snodeid parameter. The default value.
Runstep Max Time to Wait The maximum time to wait for remote run steps to complete. Remote run steps include remote run task, run job, or submit statements. This wait time is different from the wait time specified by the tcp.max.time.to.wait parameter. Using runstep.max.time.to.wait prevents a Process from failing when a remote step takes longer to complete than specified in tcp.max.time.to.wait. The value is in seconds. The default value is 0.
Session Type The type of communications session used to connect to the remote node.

TCP/IP

For z/OS: TCP | SNA | LU62

Short Term Retries The number of additional attempts to connect if a short-term connection fails. Long-term parameters are used after the number of short-term attempts you specify has been reached. A numeric value in the range of 1–255.

The default is 10 for Microsoft Windows, 3 for UNIX.

Short Term Retry Interval The amount of time to wait between each short-term retry attempt. A 24-hour time value formatted as hh:mm:ss. The maximum value is 23:59:59. The default is 00:00:10 or 10 seconds for Microsoft Windows, 00:00:30 or 30 seconds for UNIX.
TCP CRC Turn on or off the CRC function for TCP/IP processes on the remote node. Yes | No
TCP Address The host name or IP address of the node. Alias names are not supported. A numeric value in the format nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn (IPv4) or nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn (IPv6) or the host name.
TCP API Address The host name or IP address to listen for API connections. (UNIX local.node only). A numeric value in the format nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn (IPv4) or nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn:nnnn (IPv6) or the host name.
Tip: Separate multiple TCP API addresses with commas.
TCP API Buff Size The buffer size for transmitting data to and from a Sterling Connect:Direct CLI/API. No limit exists for the size of this value.
TCP API Inactivity Timeout The maximum time a CMGR waits before exiting when it has not received a command from a client program. A numeric value in the range of 0–86399.
TCP API Port The port used to listen for API connections. (UNIX local.node only). A numeric value in the format nnnnn, where nnnnn is a positive integer from 1 to 65535.
Note: Separate multiple TCP API ports with commas.
TCP Max Time To Wait The maximum time the local node waits for a message from the remote node when using TCP/IP. When the time expires, the Process is moved to the Timer queue and Sterling Connect:Direct attempts to re-establish a session with the remote node. When set to 0, wait time is unlimited unless limited by the operating system.
Note: This parameter also applies to the UDT protocol.
The value is in seconds. The default value is 180.
TCP Mode The Sterling Connect:Direct for Microsoft Windows netmap mode.  
TCP Port The port number to use to attempt to connect to the node A numeric value in the format nnnnn, where nnnnn is a positive integer from 1 to 65535.