USER AND SERVER CONFIGURATION

Coordinating dialup ISP connections between servers
When two geographically distant servers are both connected to the Internet, they can use the Internet connection to replicate databases or route mail. When both servers have constant connections to the Internet, scheduling these tasks is easy. But if either server's Internet connection is intermittent, for example, if one server uses a dialup connection to an ISP, it can be difficult to schedule tasks to coincide with times when both servers are available.

To automate the coordination of dialup schedules, Domino lets you create an AutoDialer connection. An AutoDialer connection provides a link between two Connection documents: one document that controls when a source server initiates the given replication or mail routing task; and one document that controls when the destination server dials up an ISP to establish an Internet connection. An AutoDialer task on both servers tracks the task schedule set in the source server's Connection document and prompts the destination server to come online in time to receive requests from the calling server.

The source server uses the destination server's IP address to establish the connection. Because this requires a stable IP address, the destination server's ISP must provide static IP addresses; that is, it must assign the server the same IP address every time the server connects to the ISP.

AutoDialer connections honor the timeout settings specified for the modem communication port. If a connection is idle for the amount of time specified, Domino closes the connection.

Example of using an AutoDialer connection

Two remote servers, Jupiter and Pluto, share a common Domino Directory and must replicate once a day with each other. Jupiter, a powerful server with a direct connection to the Internet, is located at company headquarters in New York. Pluto, a much less powerful computer, located at a branch office in San Francisco, connects to the Internet by dialing up a local ISP number. To enable Jupiter to assume the greater share of the workload, the administrator chooses to have it serve as the source server and initiate the replication. Because a direct dialup connection between the servers would require a costly long-distance call, the administrator decides to connect the servers over the Internet to perform the replication.

To enable replication, the administrator creates an AutoDialer connection for the two server by doing the following:

1. Creates a Pluto-to-ISP Network Dialup connection document that provides information on how to connect the destination server, Pluto, to the ISP, using a local phone number. In the Pluto-to-ISP connection document, the administrator then does the following:

2. Creates a Jupiter-to-Pluto LAN connection document that provides information on how the source server, Jupiter, connects to Pluto. In the Jupiter-to-Pluto LAN connection document, the administrator then does the following: 3. After saving both documents, the Domino Directory must be replicated so that both servers are aware of the change. The administrator on Pluto dials the server into the ISP and then issues the replicate command from the server console to replicate the Domino Directory between the two servers.

4. The administrator on Pluto then adds the AutoDialer task to the ServerTasks item in the NOTES.INI file to start the AutoDialer task on Pluto.

Domino then searches the available Connection documents to locate any that have the AutoDialer connection name "PlanetReplication." After it finds the matching documents, Domino calculates when Pluto must dial up its ISP to answer the replication request from Jupiter, and sets this schedule in the Pluto-to-ISP connection document. In this example, because Pluto is in the time zone GMT -08:00, it must dial up the ISP at 6:57 AM local time to come online three minutes before Jupiter, in the time zone GMT -05:00, initiates replication at 10:00 AM local time.

At 6:57 AM the AutoDialer on Pluto requests the dialup information from the Pluto-to-ISP connection document and dials the ISP. Three minutes later, Jupiter sends a replication request over the Internet to Pluto.

Using AutoDialer with Notes Direct Dialup connections

Although AutoDialer is intended primarily for use in coordinating connections over the Internet between two servers, you can also use AutoDialer to enable a remote Domino server to dial directly into another Domino server, or into a passthru server.

For more information, see the topic Coordinating Notes Direct Dialup connections between servers.

To set up an AutoDialer connection

1. Create a Network Dialup connection document that defines how the destination server for the scheduled task connects to its ISP.

2. On the Replication/Routing tab of the Connection document you created in Step 1, complete the following fields in the AutoDialer section:
FieldDescription
AutoDialer TaskSelect Enabled
AutoDialer connection nameSpecifies a name for this AutoDialer connection. Enter any unique name, for example, InternetReplication. It's best to use a name that's short and descriptive.

The name you enter in this field must also appear in the AutoDialer connection name field in the Connection document that provides the schedule for this task (see Step 5).

Connect remote server to networkSpecifies how many minutes before a scheduled action that this server will dial up to connect to the Internet. To ensure availability, specify a time value that enables the server to be online several minutes before the start of the scheduled action.
3. Click Save & Close.

4. Create a LAN Connection document that defines how the source server for the scheduled task connects to the destination server.

5. Enter the following information in the Connection document you created in Step 4 and the click Save & Close:
TabFieldDescription
BasicsOptional network addressEnter the IP address of the destination server.
Replication/RoutingUse AutoDialer to connect remote server to networkSelect Enabled.
AutoDialer connection nameThe AutoDialer connection name specified in the Network Dialup connection document you created in Step 2, for example, InternetReplication.
ScheduleScheduleSelect Enabled
Connect at timesSpecify the time to replicate with or route mail to the destination server. Enter a specific time only, for example, 10:00 AM, not a time range.
Repeat intervalLeave this field blank. Domino does not support repeat intervals for AutoDialer connections.
Days of weekSpecify the days when the calling server attempts to make this connection.
6. Connect the destination server (the dialing server) to the Internet by having it dial up the ISP.

7. From the server console of the destination server, enter the command:


8. Add the AutoDialer task to the ServerTasks item in the NOTES.INI file to start the AutoDialer task on Pluto.

See also