SecureSponsor Disables SNA 3.0 Win 3.x Password Change Feature

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The SNA Server 3.0 client and server software support the ability to encrypt client-server data that flows over the network, if the administrator has configured encryption for the user or group within the SNA Server Manager program. This encryption only affects SNA application data, unless the SecureSponsor registry parameter is set to YES or ON (upper case) on the SNA Server in the following registry key:

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/SnaBase/Parameters
   SecureSponsor: REG_SZ: YES    (or "ON")
				

This causes the server's SnaBase service to implement encryption of all "sponsor connection" data. The "sponsor connection" is a special service connection where the following messages flow:

• the SNA Server sends "service table" messages to the client, listing the SNA Servers running in the SNA subdomain.
• the SNA Server sends "dynamic load requests" to start invokable APPC or CPIC transaction programs which may be configured to run on the client machine.
• the SNA client sends "RPC" requests to the server, to determine which servers support the resources being requested by the client application (such as 3270, LUA and APPC LU names).
• the SNA client sends logging information to the SNA Server to record in the Windows NT application event log.

If sponsor connection encryption is enabled, the SNA Server Windows 3.x client software no longer supports the ability to update the Windows NT user password, if the password expires.