OtherServers Parameter Fails on SNA Server 2.11 SP1 Clients (161195)

SYMPTOMS

SNA Server 2.11 Service Pack 1 clients cannot connect to SNA Servers outside of their SNA subdomain, even though the OtherServers parameter is configured.

The SNA Server 3270 applet returns the following error message when this problems occurs:

No SNA Server found in domain.

The SNA Server 5250 applet returns the following error message when this problem occurs:

SNA Server has not been started. Contact System Administrator.

Primary Return Code = F004
Secondary Return Code = 010000F0

NOTE: This problem does not occur with the SNA Server 2.1 or 2.11 clients.

CAUSE

SNA Server 2.11 Service Pack 1 improved the resource location algorithm that SNA Server clients use to locate an available LU/Pool for both APPC and EIS/3270 applications. The changes made to the resource location algorithm caused a problem in which SNA Server 2.11 Service Pack 1 clients do not attempt to connect to SNA Servers configured with the OtherServers parameter. SNA Server Service Pack 1 clients only try to connect to the computer running SNA Server in the client's SNA subdomain that are returned by the Sponsor server in the Get Server List RPC response.

NOTE: This problem only occurs if the LU/Pool that is trying to be accessed by the client is explicitly configured in the emulator/application. For 3270 emulators, the LU/Pool always has to be specified, so the problem occurs consistently. For 5250/APPC applications, the problem does not occur if the Local LU Alias is left blank.

RESOLUTION

Microsoft has updated the following files to correct this problem:

Windows 3.x Client: <winroot>\system\wdmod.dll
Windows 95 Client: <snaroot>\system\snadmod.dll
Windows NT Client: <snaroot>\system\snadmod.dll

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SNA Server version 2.11 Service Pack 1. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft SNA Server 2.11 U.S. Service Pack. For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

S E R V P A C K

MORE INFORMATION

Please see one of the following references for more details on the OtherServers parameter:

Appendix C of the SNA Server Reference Guide
The Microsoft Knowledge Base
128244 SNA Server Load Balancing and Hot Backup

Please refer to the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more details on the resource location algorithm used by SNA Server 2.11 Service Pack1 clients:

138834 Improvements for EIS/3270 and APPC Resource Location