> Yes, this is an example of how one could write an InterBase client
> application and have it connect over the internet from anywhere...
> (except through a stingy firewall...)

Exactly - this is one of the changes that IB needs, the ability to
define
the IP port used by the client to allow defined routing through a
firewall.
For the moment I have to be satisfied with moving over to my NT based
firewall to to try out such apps.


--------

Perhaps I misunderstand the issue here (and please inform me!).

InterBase has the ability to communicate over any port -- but it's
certainly isn't well documented.

Client side:
Connection string "server:/database.gdb" is converted into
"server/gds_db:/database.gdb". gds_db is looked up on the
client
side as (4050? I honestly can't remember!).

If the client changes the connection string to
server/protocol#:/database.gdb" -- then it uses that protocol #.
You can either put a symbolic name here (which is looked up on
the
client again) or a decimal number.


Server Side:
If the server is started with switch -p <number> it listens on
that
port number instead of the default gds_db port number.


Now -- with things like the guardian, I bet the server side parts are
not easily available -- but with the open source that can be fixed.

Likely you'ld also want the ability for the server to listen on more
than one port -- another relatively easy change.

(Aside: This was one of the standard ways of debugging a new server
while letting the old server still run on the machine -- so long as
the two servers work on different files they are quite happy -- or, at
least they used to be -- I haven't debugged that way in a while)

Dave


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