sub tb_data_lnk_open 
{ 
my ($link_add); 
my ($network_addr, $port_addr); 
my ($remote_host, $remote_port); 

$link_add = $_[0]; 

#=========================================================================# 
# The input $link_add contains the IP address and port in a single # 
# separated by a - # 
#=========================================================================# 
($remote_host, $remote_port) = split( /-/, $link_add); 

#=========================================================================# 
# Create a socket. The socket is openend with TCP properties # 
#=========================================================================# 
socket(LINK_HNDL, PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, getprotobyname('tcp')); 

#=========================================================================# 
# Remote address to connect in the network format # 
#=========================================================================# 
$network_addr = inet_aton($remote_host) 
or return 0; 

$port_addr = sockaddr_in($remote_port, $network_addr); 

#=========================================================================# 
# Connect to the server which is already listening # 
#=========================================================================# 
connect(LINK_HNDL, $port_addr) 
or return 1; 

return 0; 
}