DFU/38 data entry applications can be created and used with DDM to work with remote files in the same manner as with local files.
If a remote file is on an iSeries™ server or System/38™, most DFU/38 functions are performed with the remote file as though it is a local file. When creating or changing a DFU/38 application and the remote file is a logical file, the following consideration applies: either DDM files referring to each remote based-on file must exist on the source server, and the DDM file and library names must match those of the remote based-on files; or, alternatively, physical files with the same file and library names and the same record formats as the remote based-on files must exist on the source server. Because only the record formats are needed from the physical files, they need not contain data. Using this alternative, if the record formats of the remote based-on files are changed, the record formats on the source server must also be changed so that the record formats match.
However, DFU/38 does not support non-iSeries or non-System/38 target systems. If you attempt to use DFU/38 with non-iSeries or non-System/38 remote files, you might experience processing problems when trying to change or delete records in such a file. Although an iSeries server does not prevent any user from creating and using such an application, the default field descriptions created on the source iSeries server for the non-iSeries or non-System/38 remote file would probably be too general to be useful. (These files appear to be physical files with one member, whose member name is the same as the file name. The file has one record format and within that format: one field for the entire record, if it is a nonkeyed file; two fields for keyed files, one for the key and one for the remainder of the record; or more than two fields for keyed files with separate key fields.)
All the DFU/38 commands can be used in applications that access local files or DDM files. And, wherever a local database file name can be specified on any of the DFU command parameters, a DDM file can also be specified, as long as any other limitations are met.
A DDM file name can be specified in the SRCFILE parameter of the Create DFU Application (CRTDFUAPP) or Retrieve DFU Source (RTVDFUSRC) command, but only if the target server is an iSeries server or a System/38 and if the target file is a source physical file.