To XDN or not to XDN??

[Former Member]

I've had some ongoing fun converting a test system to use XDN instead of XDA. My saga below.....

To fix a few issues with communication between our Windows App Servers (which I would rather not have, but need for Adobe Forms) and the iSeries, it was suggested that we change from XDA to XDN. Easy enough - so I take a test environment XDN it. Get system working - Windows app server connecting everything is great.

Oh wait! now I can no longer attach to a NON-SAP iSeries partition - what?!?

Well, I guess I now need a Gateway for SAP to talk to another iSeries (which is not required with XDA). Okay, FINE!! - Lets install a GATEWAY.

Installed Gateway (well actually 2 - testing different version 6.4 and the newer 7.2) - Yeah! XDN works connecting to another iSeries.......sort of. {I have an ongoing issue with passwords & special characters, currently working with SAP to resolve}

But for the most part I FINALLY got it working.

I have been working on this off and on for about 8 mo. Since I have multiple iSeries partitions to manage, I really hate having to now admin them with the addition of the GATEWAY on each partition.

I guess my main question for this forum is have you seen benefits to using XDN from a Windows App Server perspective? Is it worth the administration time? My current environment has been working fine on XDA.

At this time I am almost ready to say - FORGET IT - and go to XDN only when required by either OS release or SAP release. I know the newer versions only support XDN.

Or should I just invest the time (and stress!) to just get the systems converted to XDN now?

Thanks for any advise.

Regards,

Mel

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hel Mel,

in your situation, with all your history and special issues with iSeries to iSeries access, I would wait as long as possible. On the other hand we converted several systems without any issues, that really work perfect with the new technology.

Especially on Windows, it is helpful, to have the new performance trace options in order to find the root cause of your performance issue (that you might not face) pretty easy.

btw: you could switch your win-appl servers to XDN and stay with iSeries on XDA ...

Hope for all of us, that as time goes by the features become even more stable and perhaps part of your missing funktionality becomes available.

thanks a lot,

Regards

Volker Gueldenpfennig, consolut international ag

http://www.consolut.com http://www.4soi.de http://www.easymarketplace.de

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Volker -

Thanks for the reply to my post. You mentioned that we could switch the windows app servers to XDN and not the iSeries. I assume this is done via profile parameters?? I've not really seen SAP documentation on this; I've only followed the iSeries docs.

Which environment would you recommend, XDN on Win-App & iSeries or the combo of XDN Windows - XDA iSeries? Any draw backs to XDN on Win-App and XDA on iSeries?

I appreciate your feedback.

Regards,

Melissa

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Melissa,

"normally", I would recommend XDN everywhere.

But, as you seem to have issues with XDN on the iSeries, I would suggest a mixed environment for you.

It is pretty easy:

Set the default profile to XDN => the iSeries will start the XDN server, that is needed for Windows. Set in all iSeries instances "back" to "XDA" and in windows you can leave the default profile or set them to "XDN" in order to make it "more visible" ...

How to setup ?

It should be done with the command:

SETDBDRV DRIVER(*XDN) USRPRF(QSECOFR) PASSWORD(<pwd>)

& Import Profiles in RZ10

=> the default profile gets changed ...

We are talking on the following parameters:

dbs/db4/driver_type = XDN // XDA // DBSLDirectDrive

dbs/db4/xdn_port = 96nn // sapxdn<SID>

dbs/db4/xdn_trace_file = XDNTrace

I do not like the "normal" setting of "DBSLDirectDrive", because I always "have to think", what is meant then ... so, I ONLY use XDN and XDA - then everything is totally clear ...

In your case:

DEFAULT:

dbs/db4/driver_type = XDN

dbs/db4/xdn_port = 96nn

dbs/db4/xdn_trace_file = XDNTrace

iSeries Instance Profiles:

dbs/db4/driver_type = XDA

Optional for Windows:

dbs/db4/driver_type = XDN

More information is available in note 1257635.

Regards

Volker Gueldenpfennig, consolut international ag

http://www.consolut.com http://www.4soi.de http://www.easymarketplace.de

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Volker-

Thanks! As always you seem to have some of the best knowledge around. Sounds like a plan. I'll start testing hopefully tomorrow.

Thanks!

Melissa B.

[former_member192743]

Hi Melissa,

We apologize for the additional effort of having to install the Gateway instances. Regarding logistics, the trade-off was between having to maintain database clients on application servers; or gateway instances on your non-SAP IBM i partitions.

Nonetheless, we have already started to consider moving the XDN server into the SAPHOSTAGENT. Although this is also an install of an SAP component on your non-SAP partitions; the SAPHOSTAGENT integrates the IBM i partition into the SAP landscape for monitoring and management by way of the SAP Solution Manger (SolMan).

If you have any suggestions or concerns about this, we would like to know.

Sincerely,

u2026 Eric