No two LUs in an SNA network can have the same name. When you connect independent SNA networks, however, there might be some duplicate names among these networks. To provide the unique LU names required for SNA sessions but still allow each network to have independent resource names, interconnection provides for name translation between networks. Logical unit names are translated from names known in one network to names known in the network of the session partner to avoid duplicate names.

Network-qualified names provide an option to name translation and enable you to have resources by the same name in different networks without requiring you to use name translation.

If you are not using network-qualified names, you can use name translation, which allows each LU to have two names: a real name by which it is known in its own network and an alias name by which it is known in another network. For example, an LU in NETA is known by its real name LUA1A3 in NETA, and an LU in NETB is also known by its real name LUA1A3 in NETB. If NETA is connected to NETB, a name duplication conflict develops. The alias name translation facility enables LUA1A3 in NETA to be identified by an alias name in NETB (for example, BBA1A3). By using this procedure, you can maintain name uniqueness within a network and adhere to SNA naming requirements.

The NetView® alias name translation facility uses installation-defined translation tables. The tables are a one-to-one mapping of the alias LU name to the real LU name and their corresponding networks. This technique differs somewhat from that used for maintaining alias addresses across a network boundary. That is, an exact one-to-one mapping is defined by an installation using the translation tables. However, terminal users and network operators do not normally know an LU by its network subarea and element address. Instead, it is known by its unique name in the network. If the alias name (by which an LU is known) is able to change dynamically with each session, network operations might be very difficult, and network security might be affected. The NetView translation tables therefore predefine the relationship between an alias name and a real name.