To help you choose the right intercommunication function, the list below gives typical requirements and the functions that meet them:
Use transaction routing.
Use function shipping. However, function shipping has higher overheads than transaction routing, so it is better to use transaction routing unless the transaction accesses data in the local system as well as data in the remote system.
Use distributed program link.
Use asynchronous processing.
Use distributed program link if possible. This requirement can be met with several function shipping requests, but DPL minimizes the data flows on the network. If DPL cannot meet the whole requirement, a mixture of DPL and function shipping is more efficient use of the network than total reliance on function shipping.
Use distributed transaction programming.