Cannot Access A Remote System From the iSeries Via the System Name
From Support
Contents |
Problem
Customer cannot access a remote system from the iSeries by using the remote system's host name.
Information
For information on IP Addresses, System Host Names and DNS Server, visit out the Understanding DNS Servers, IP Addresses and Host Names article
You can also refer to IBM's InfoCenter. There is an entire section on TCP/IP troubleshooting.
Resolution
Here are some recommended steps in the event that you do not have any idea as to why this issue is occurring. However, if you know what may be causing the issue, please feel free to skip to the relevant section.
Ping the System
The first thing to do is to try and ping the system's host name. From the iSeries command line, run the following command:
PING RMTSYS('SYSTEM_NAME')
- If this works, try your original program again.
- If this fails or your program test fails again, continue to the next option.
Ping the IP Address Directly
Take a moment to track down the IP address of the remote systems you are attempting to access. On the iSeries command line, run the following command:
PING RMTSYS('1.1.1.1')
- If this fails, there is a very good chance that the remote system is having difficulties. I would take a moment to make sure that the system is up and running, that it is on the network, and that it can see the iSeries. If not, you have some networking issues on that PC that need to be addressed.
- If this works (as expected), please continue...
Check for changes to the DNS Server
For details on DNS Servers, please use the link found in the Information section above.
The iSeries is not as network compatible as some people may like to think. If the IP Address changed for the DNS server or the network was reconfigured to add additional DNS Servers, you will need to change the settings within the "Change TCP/IP Domain" options on the iSeries to reflect these changes. It will not be able to change automatically.
On the iSeries command line, enter the following command and prompt it(F4):
CHGTCPDMN F4
Once in the "Change TCP/IP Domain" menu, locate the section near the bottom that looks like:
Domain name server:
Internet address . . . . . . . '1.1.1.1'
'1.1.1.2'
Make sure that the IP Address for your DNS Server(s) is listed here in the order that you want them checked. The top most listing will be checked first.
You should also verify that "Host name search priority" option is set to *REMOTE.
Host name search priority . . . *REMOTE
This tells the iSeries to check the DNS servers out on the network before checking its own internal DNS listings known as the "Host Table Entries" list. If this is set to *LOCAL, your process may still work successfully, but may take much longer than expected or desired.
Bypass the DNS Servers
This final option will most likely not be needed, but it is good to know in the event that you wish to setup one or more aliases for a remote system or in the event that one remote system seems to be causing more connectivity issues than others.
The final option is to setup an entry for the remote system in the "Host Table Entries" list.
On the iSeries command line, enter the following command:
CFGTCP
Once in the "Configure TCP/IP" menu:
Choose option "10. Work with TCP/IP host table entries"
This will get you into the "Work with TCP/IP Host Table Entries" menu.
If an entry for your remote system already exists, you will want to verify that the information is correct. If the Host Name is incorrect, you can edit it. However, if the IP Address is incorrect, you will need to recreate the entry completely.
To create a new entry:
- Use option one and type in the IP Address to your remote system in the blank entry given at the top of the listing.
- Press Enter to enter the secondary menu
- Enter one or more Host Names into this menu depending upon how you wish to use this entry. (NOTE: One Host Name should be enough. I recommend one that match the Host Name on the remote system.)
Once the entry is added, it is strongly recommended that set the iSeries to use the "Host Table Entries" list before using any remote DNS servers.
On the iSeries command line, enter the following command and prompt it(F4):
CHGTCPDMN F4
Verify that "Host name search priority" option is set to *LOCAL.
Host name search priority . . . *LOCAL
This tells the iSeries to check the "Host Table Entries" list before checking the DNS servers out on the network. If this is set to *REMOTE, your process may still work successfully, but may take much longer than expected or desired.
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