INF: Novell NET.CFG Parameters

ID: Q89928

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

For running SQL Server on a NetWare platform, Microsoft recommends the values of several parameters to obtain optimal performance. This article discusses their need, the default values, and why they need to be changed.


MORE INFORMATION

NET.CFG is a file that contains the maximum values for various network parameters. Below are the Microsoft recommendations for the values of various parameters in this file: 


Protocol Stack SPX
        sessions 255

Named Pipes
        server sessions 255
        client sessions 50
        service threads 32

SPX is a protocol used by NetWare to manage the connections between workstations and remote stations. The Protocol Stack SPX allows the user to specify the characteristics of these connections. The session entry sets the maximum number of SPX connections that the workstation can support. In the case of a SQL Server machine, each names pipe connection uses up one SPX connection. Thus, this has to be set to a high value. The default value is 16, which is not enough. 

   Acceptable values: 8-255
   Default:           16

The Named Pipes section specifies the configuration for the named pipes protocol. The server sessions entry is the maximum number of connections a named pipes server will support with all named pipes clients. For a SQL Server, this number is the maximum number of dbprocess structures that it will support. Because each named pipe connection will use an SPX session, this entry must be less than or equal to the sessions entry in the Protocol Stack SPX section. If it is not, then the Requester will treat the SPX session number as the maximum number of named pipes server sessions allowed. The default value of 32 is just barely sufficient for even a small installation. Note that although the acceptable maximum for this entry is 255, one is used up by Novell diagnostics, which are automatically loaded. Thus, 254 sessions are available to the user. 

   Acceptable values: 2-255
   Default:           32

The client sessions entry is the maximum number of connections any one workstation will establish with all Named Pipe Servers. For a SQL Server, this entry indicates the maximum number of dbprocesses that the server machine itself, acting as a client, can open. The default value of 16 is normally enough, but to take care of occasional(and unlikely) heavy load, it is bumped up to 50. 

   Acceptable values: 3-128
   Default:           16

The service threads entry is the maximum number of threads the Named Pipes server will allocate to service requests from all clients. In the case of a SQL Server, this indicates the maximum number of simultaneous requests that will be buffered by the server, because SQL Server uses blocking pipes. The default value of 3 is too low. 

   Acceptable values: 1-32
   Default:           3 


Keywords          : kb3rdparty SSrvLAN 
Version           : 4.2
Platform          : OS/2 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: March 13, 1999