Determining Async Connections

The number of async connections you use for GroupWise depends on the amount of message traffic that passes through the connection. It also depends on your available hardware. You must arrange for a serial port and a modem plugged into an analog phone line for each connection. Keep in mind that each connection can be used by several GroupWise client users in Remote mode or by several MTAs when connecting domains. If message traffic to and from remote sites is heavy, you can increase the number of connections (up to 32) or the number of Async Gateways that you install.

Selecting a Serial Port Configuration

After you determine the number of connections you need, you must arrange for a serial port and a modem plugged into an analog phone line for each connection. If one or two serial ports are adequate for your GroupWise message traffic, you can use the existing serial ports on the server. If message traffic is heavy, you may need to increase the number of connections. The Async Gateway supports 4-, 8-, 16- and 32-port communication through a multiport serial expansion board or multiple, daisy-chained boards.

Gathering Modem Information

In order to attach a modem to a serial port, you need to know the following information about the serial port and the modem:

• Serial Port Name: The name of the serial port as specified by the device driver (for example, com1).

• Modem Name: The name of the modem definition for your particular modem. If your system does not have an appropriate modem definition for your modem, see Creating a Modem Definition.

• Baud Rate: The transmission speed of an asynchronous modem measured at the port to which it is connected.

• Flow Control: The communication method between the modem and the port. The Async Gateway uses the standard value CTS/RTS. The modem raises the CTS (Clear to Send) signal when it is ready to receive data. The serial port raises the RTS (Request to Send) signal when it is ready to receive data.

• Character Length: The number of bits in a byte, typically 8.

• Parity Bit: A method of checking that data has been transmitted accurately. You do not need to use a parity bit for the Async Gateway unless you are connecting to a system that does not support an 8-bit data path.

• Stop Bit: A bit that indicates that a byte has just been transmitted. Every byte of data is preceded by a start bit and followed by a stop bit. You can use the standard 1 stop bit for the Async Gateway unless you are connecting to a system that uses 2 stop bits.

Gathering I/O Port Driver Information for NetWare

If you are installing the NetWare^® Async Gateway, some additional information must be determined:

• Hardware Type: If you load only one communication port driver, you do not need to define a hardware type. If you load multiple port drivers, each driver must be identified by a unique name referred to as a hardware type. The driver must be AIO compliant.

  When two or more multiple IO boards are installed, list the hardware number assigned by Novell to the AIO-compliant driver you have installed. For more information, including driver names, their hardware type (number), and the number of ports they support, see Asynchronous Input/Output Drivers.

• Board Number: If you load only one communication port driver, you do not need to define a port number. If you load multiple drivers or add ports, you need a unique board number for each port definition.

  When two or more multiple IO boards are installed, you must provide a memory address (usually d0000) and a unique port address when you load its driver.

  You can obtain this information when you include these parameters on the command line during loading. The load program displays the board number that it assigns to the IO board. Use this board number for all the ports you configure for this board. This information is also available in the Readme file or printed documentation for the IO expansion board.

• Port Number: If you load only one communication port driver, you do not need to define a port number. If you load a single multiport communication driver (such as aioicomx.nlm), the first port should be defined as 0. Subsequent ports that you define increase incrementally by 1. Assign one port per modem. Some drivers auto-detect the next available port when they are loaded, and others do not, so you might have to keep track of the next available port.

If you cannot obtain the hardware type or board number from loading the IO board driver, you can use aioterm.nlm to obtain it.

Determining Where to Install the Async Gateway Administrator Snap-In to ConsoleOne

Async Gateway administration is performed through ConsoleOne^®, version 1.3.6 or later. If necessary, this can be downloaded from Novell download site.

When you install the Async Gateway, the Gateway Administrator snap-in files are copied to a ConsoleOne location that you specify. The Gateway Administrator snap-in files extend the functionality of ConsoleOne to let you administer the Async Gateway.

You should install the Gateway Administrator snap-in files wherever the GroupWise Administrator snap-in files are already installed. Different Gateway Administrator files are installed depending on whether you are using the GroupWise 6.5 or 7.x version of the GroupWise Administrator snap-ins. You can check the GroupWise Administrator snap-in version in ConsoleOne. Click Help > About Snap-Ins > GroupWise Administration.

You can install the Gateway Administrator snap-in files to additional locations after you have installed the gateway.

Selecting a Domain for the Async Gateway

The Async Gateway can be installed in a primary or secondary domain. A domain can contain one or more Async Gateways, if necessary, to handle a large volume of message traffic.

If a specific domain in your GroupWise system contains many GroupWise Windows client users that work in Remote mode, or if users on a specific domain generate many messages that must be sent through an Async Gateway, you could install the gateway, or gateways, in that domain. This minimizes delivery time for those users.

If users on all domains generate about the same number of messages sent through the Async Gateway, install the gateway in a central domain to minimize message delivery time for all users throughout the GroupWise system by minimizing the number of domain hops the MTA must make.

If you plan to install multiple Async Gateways, you might want to install all the Async Gateways in a central domain that can be accessed directly by all other domains in the system. This arrangement makes it easier to maintain and administer the gateways.

You might want to create a new domain specifically for one or more Async Gateways. This keeps Async Gateway activity separate from domains where post offices are located.

Deciding Where to Install the Async Gateway Software

The Windows Async Gateway software is automatically installed under the \domain\wpgate\async directory, regardless of whether the domain is located on NetWare or Windows. If needed, you can move the software to a different server. If the domain is located on Windows, you must use the Windows Async Gateway because Windows does not support the cross-platform connection required for the NetWare Async Gateway to access a domain located on a Windows server.

You can choose where the NetWare Async Gateway is installed. Although the Installation program allows you to specify different locations for the Async Gateway NLM^TM program, shared NLM programs, and the .ncf file, the simplest choice is to install all files to sys:\system. Installing the gateway files on the same server where the domain is located reduces network traffic, but the gateway files can be installed on a different server if necessary.

If you install the NetWare Async Gateway on a different server from where the domain is located, you must provide a username and password for the gateway to use when logging in to the server where the domain is located. The gateway requires Read, Write, Create, Erase, Modify, and File Scan rights in the domain directory.

Choosing a Gateway Name

When you install the Async Gateway, a Gateway object is created in the domain where you install the gateway. The default gateway name is Async.

When you install the Exchange Gateway, a subdirectory for the gateway software and queues is created under the domain directory. By default, the directory name is the same as the object name. If you use the default object name of Async, the gateway subdirectory is domain\wpgate\async. This is the root directory for the gateway.

Configuring the Windows Async Gateway

When you install the Windows Async Gateway, you have choices about how the Async Gateway interacts with the Windows operating system.

• Choosing between Windows Application and Windows Service
• Enabling SNMP

Determining Local Async Link Information

You need to define the following information so that other Async Gateways and GroupWise Windows client users working in Remote mode can connect to your local Async Gateway:

• Local Gateway ID: The login ID that you want remote sites to use when they log in to the local Async Gateway. You must provide this ID to the administrator of the remote Async Gateway. Your local gateway ID is the remote gateway ID that the administrator must provide when configuring the remote Async Gateway.

• Password to Access Local Gateway: The password that you want remote sites to use when they log in to the local Async Gateway using the local gateway ID. You must provide this password to the administrator of the remote site along with the local gateway ID.

• Required Serial Port (Optional): The port through which you want to force all outgoing messages from your domain. This might be useful if you are connecting to a remote domain whose modem speed should match with a similar modem of your own. Each port receives a name when it is associated with a specific modem. For more information, see Gathering Modem Information.

Gathering Remote Async Link Information

In order to connect this Async Gateway to another Async Gateway, you need to gather the following information about the other Async Gateway:

• Remote Gateway ID: The name by which the remote Async Gateway is known in its GroupWise system. You must obtain this ID from the system administrator of the remote Async Gateway that you are connecting to.

• Password to Access Remote Gateway: The password associated with the gateway ID for the Async Gateway at the remote site. You must obtain this password from the system administrator of the remote Async Gateway you are connecting to. The password is case sensitive.

• Remote Phone Number: The phone number that the modem for your Async Gateway users to call the modem for the remote Async Gateway. You must obtain this number from the system administrator of the remote Async Gateway connected to this modem. The number is necessary if your gateway initiates calls to the remote gateway. It is not necessary if the remote gateway always calls the local gateway.

Setting Up a Calling Schedule (Optional)

If needed, you can control the time frame and duration of your Async Gateway's connection to a remote site. The following aspects of the connection can be configured as needed:

• High Priority Messages Queued: The number of messages that must be in the high-priority queue before a connection is initiated.

• Medium Priority Messages Queued: The number of messages that must be in the normal-priority queue before a connection is initiated.

  Both normal and high priority messages are included in the total count. If, for example, you choose to queue 10 normal priority messages, a connection is initiated if 3 high- and 7 normal-priority messages are queued.

• Low Priority Messages Queued: The number of messages that must be in the low-priority queue before a connection is initiated.

  All low-priority, normal-priority, and high-priority messages are included in the total count. If, for example, you choose to queue 10 low-priority messages, a connection is initiated if 3 high-priority, 7 normal-priority, and 4 low-priority messages are queued.

• Minutes Between Forced Dials: The number of minutes between each attempt to connect to the remote site. This setting overrides only the message queue values set in the preceding fields; it does not override the settings of the Master Schedule described below.

  For example, if you enter 30 in this field, the gateway initiates a call after 30 minutes of inactivity have elapsed, even if there are no outgoing messages to send. You can use this option to force your gateway to poll other domains for messages.

• Retries When Calling: The number of times the gateway retries to connect to a busy phone number.

• Time Between Retries: The amount of time between dialing retries when the line is busy.

• If No Answer, Call After: The amount of time between retries if the call is not answered.

• Minimum Idle Time: The amount of time the gateway maintains an open connection when all outgoing messages have been sent or incoming messages received.

  You can use this option to force the gateway to wait for return status messages from the remote site. If you set this value to 0 (zero), the connection terminates immediately after all queued messages are sent and all incoming messages are received. Any status messages are received during the next gateway connection.

• Master Schedule: A time matrix for specifying when your Async Gateway can initiate a call to a remote gateway, and what type of message priority triggers a call.