This section details the platforms for which DP4 networking is currently supported. This page is for TCP/IP networks. Information on other network protocols can be found here.
Win32 clients using Microsoft TCP/IP are supported on all Microsoft Win32 platforms, (the Winsock version is not significant). In theory other versions of TCP/IP such as Novell's can also be used. However problems will normally only be investigated at Itim Technology Solutions if they are reproducible on the standard Microsoft Client, and we strongly recommend our customers to use the Microsoft TCP/IP protocol.
DP4 software for Windows CE has been tested on the Cassiopeia Pocket PC (made by Casio). The same files will probably work unchanged on any other MIPS based Pocket PC. ARM based software has been tested on a variety of Compaq/Hewlett Packard devices. Intel X-Scale devices are also supported as of release 4.621. Contact us if you require DP4 software on another, incompatible CE device.
Win16 client software is supported on Windows 3.x. We do not officially support running 16 bit networking software on Win32 platforms, as there are severe reliability problems with such a configuration. It does not work at all on Windows 98 (at least for TCP/IP). It may work on Windows 95 or Windows Me. It may be better to run Win32 DP4 networking and use the WIN1632W program to allow communication from the 16 bit program. Ideally the application should be converted to 32 bit. Further notes on Win16 operation can be found here.
Unix or Linux clients. We actively support Red Hat and Suse Linux clients, SCO Open Server 5, and Unixware 7.1. In the past we also supported TCP clients for a number of other versions of Unix. These are no longer being maintained, but could be brought up to date if necessary, assuming we can be given access to a suitable development and test environment. Further notes on Unix operation can be found here.
MS-DOS clients using PC TCP/IP from FTP Software Inc, on MS-DOS 6.x. Other protocols are not supported, in particular the Microsoft MS-DOS TCP/IP is not supported.
We also support connecting to TCP/IP from 4690 OS and Generic FlexOS. Details on request.
Win32 Servers. Windows NT 4 service pack 5 or 6a is recommended, or Windows 2000 or later. NT server is not required. However it is usually easier to set up DP4 TCP/IP networking on machines that are part of an NT domain.
Unix Linux Servers. As for Clients, with the addition of the RS6000 platform. tcpmgr also exists for a number of other non Intel platforms, such as the HP9000, Sun Solaris, and DG Aviion. However, these are not actively maintained as we do not currently have access to suitable equipment.
DP4 Multiple Resilience configurations limit the number of servers that a client can connect with to 99. The maximum number of named connections that can be opened simultaneously is 199.
Multiple resilienece limits individual tables on a database to a maximum of 32 servers simultaneously.
Individual implementations of TCP/IP may limit the number of connections further (the limit will be the same as for the maximum number of connections supported by a DP4 server as explained below).The maximum number of connections supported by the network manager depends on the platform. For Win32 platforms limits this value to 127 machines per server, but you can use Concentrators to allow more machines to connect to one server. Again this may be further limited by the underlying software layers. On UNIX servers the limit is the smaller of 256 and the defined value of FD_SETSIZE. This is defined in the system header files.
Itim Technology Solutions normally tests networking software with 3 or 4 clients, except after major changes when 15 to 20 clients are tested, depending on available hardware.