Connection profiles

Point-to-Point connection profiles define a set of parameters and resources for specific Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connections. You can start profiles that use these parameter settings to dial-out (originate) or to listen for (receive) PPP connections.

You can use the following two types of profiles to define a set of characteristics for a PPP connection or set of connections:

• Originator connection profiles are point-to-point connections that originate from the local system and are received by a remote system. You can configure outbound connections using this object.

• Receiver connection profiles are point-to-point connections that originate from a remote system and are received by the local system. You can configure inbound connections using this object.

A connection profile specifies how a PPP connection works. The information in a connection profile answers these questions:

• What type of connection protocol do you use? (PPP or Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP))

• Does your system contact the other computer by dialing out (originator)? Does your system wait to receive a call from the other system (receiver)?

• What communications line does the connection use?

• How should your system determine which IP address to use?

• How should your system authenticate another system? Where should your system store the authentication information?

The connection profile is the logical representation of the following connection details:

• Line and profile type

• Multilink settings

• Remote telephone numbers and dialing options

• Authentication

• TCP/IP settings: IP addresses and routing, and IP filtering

• Work management and connection customization

• Domain name servers

The system stores this configuration information in a connection profile. This information provides the necessary context for your system to establish a PPP connection with another system. A connection profile contains the following information:

• The protocol type. You can choose between PPP and SLIP. IBM suggests that you use PPP whenever possible.

• The mode selection. The mode selection specifies the connection type and the operating mode for this connection profile.

  Connection type. This specifies the type of line your connections rest on and whether they are dial (originator) or answer (receiver). You can select among these connection types:

  • Switched line

  • Leased (dedicated) line

  • Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) (virtual line)

  • Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) (virtual line)

  PPPoE is only supported for originator connection profiles.

• Operation mode. The available operating mode depends on the type of connection.

  Table 1. Available operating modes for originator connection profiles

  Connection type	Available operating modes
  Switched line	Dial Dial-on-demand (dial only) Dial-on-demand (answer enabled dedicated peer) Dial on demand (Remote peer enabled)
  Leased line	Initiator
  L2TP	Initiator Multi-hop initiator Remote dial
  PPP over Ethernet	Initiator

  Table 2. Available operating modes for receiver connection profiles

  Connection type	Available operating modes
  Switched line	Answer
  Leased line	Terminator
  L2TP	Terminator (Network server)

• Link configuration. This specifies the type of line service that this connection uses.

  These choices depend on the type of mode selection that you choose. For a switched line and leased line you can choose any of these:

  • Single line

  • Line pool

  For all other connection types (Leased, L2TP, PPPoE), the line service selection is single line only.

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