SUMMARY: fontserver: what's an alternate-server?

From: Bernt Christandl (beb@MPA-Garching.MPG.DE)
Date: Wed Jul 12 2000 - 08:39:11 CDT


Hello managers,

i've asked:

>I've found confusing things in the docs about fontserver (xfs).
>
>What are those "alternate servers" i can enter in the config-file:
>
>1.) the actual fontserver is busy and then tells from its configfile
> which other "alternate server" should be asked for fonts,
> this way trying to share the load, but the original fontserver
> is still up, running and reachable
>
>or
>
>2.) the Xserver has been told by the fontserver at startup and thus knows
> from its cache, which "alternate server" can be asked for fonts in
> the case the original fontserver can not be reached, e.g. in the
> case of a reboot or when the net is open or something like that.

and got no answers.

Nevertheless i *think* now possibility one is the correct answer,
as this is what follows from another paper i've found:

ftp://ftp.x.org/pub/R6.4/xc/doc/specs/xfs/design.ms

where under point 17.1 is stated:

"If the connection fails, the server returns the proper status and a list
of any alternate servers it may know of"

("connection failing" in this sense means that the fontserver follows its
criteria to establish a connection and in between comes over a step
which is not fulfilled.)

On the other hand it may still be possible that for different Xservers
a different behaviour for xfs connections is implemented, such as that
the NCDware-5.0.something Xserver "understands" the following syntax
to set fontpaths:

   xset fp= tcp/host-1+host2:7000

and -maybe- if NCD writes about alternate servers they speak about
these "host-1" and "host-2" servers...

With regards,

Bernt Christandl

-- 
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