open_basedir restriction

[okapi]

hi pekka,

since there is a new server configuration (temporarily suspended by my ISP to keep my site running) that disallows a http://... url calling of the snippets code of EE.
For example:
<?php
include("http://www.a-visual-notebook.at/photolog/snippets.php?get=random_photos&amount=12&border=1& bordercolor=666666&hspace=3&vspace=3&viewas=image& thumbsize=microthumb");
?>

So, i will have to call the snippets code locally in the future.
But whatever i tried so far, it failed. It seems that I just can't find the right path.
i also get the following error message:

Warning: main(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(../snippets.php?get=random_photos&amount=12&border=1& bordercolor=666666&hspace=3&vspace=3&viewas=image& thumbsize=microthumb) is not within the allowed path(s):....

what does open_basedir restriction mean?
is this a server-side restriction of my ISP?

thanks for the help...

Michael