Glossary

name

GDS: A construct that singles out a particular directory object from all other objects. A name must be unambiguous (that is, denote just one object); however it need not be unique (that is, be the only name that unambiguously denotes the object).

name service handle

RPC: An opaque reference to the context used by the series of next operations called during a specific NSI search or inquiry.

Name Service Interface (NSI)

RPC: A part of the application programming interface of the RPC runtime. NSI routines access a name service, such as CDS, for RPC applications.

name-based authorization

Provides a server with the client's principal name. See also DCE authorization.

namespace

A complete set of CDS names (these can include directories, object entries, and soft links) that one or more CDS servers look up, manage, and share. CDS names are stored in directory replicas in clearinghouses at each server. The logical picture of a namespace is a hierarchical tree of all of those directories, with the root directory at the top, and one or more levels of directories beneath the root directory. The physical implementation of the namespace consists of directories replicated in one or more clearinghouses in the network.

naming attribute

An attribute used to form the RDN of an entry.

NCA

See Network Computing Architecture.

NDR

See Network Data Representation.

network address

RPC: An address that identifies a specific host on a network.

Network Computing Architecture (NCA)

RPC: An architecture for distributing software applications across heterogeneous collections of networks, computers, and programming environments. NCA specifies the DCE RPC architecture.

network data

RPC: Data represented in a format defined by a transfer syntax. See also transfer syntax.

Network Data Representation (NDR)

RPC: The transfer syntax defined by the NEA. See also transfer syntax.

network descriptor

RPC: The identifier of a potential network channel, such as a UNIX socket.

network protocol

A communications protocol from the Network Layer of the OSI network architecture, such as the IP.

Network Time Protocol (NTP)

Internet-recommended time standard.

network type

RPC: A type defined in an interface definition and referenced in a [represent_as] clause that is converted into a local type for manipulation by application code. See also local type.

node

A computer connected to a network.

nonspecific subordinate reference

A knowledge reference that holds information about the DSA that holds one or more unspecified subordinate entries.

NSI

See Name Service Interface.

NSI attribute

RPC: An RPC-defined attribute of a name service entry used by the DCE RPC name service interface. An NSI attribute stores one of the following: binding information, object UUIDs, a group, or a profile. See also NSI binding attribute, NSI group attribute, NSI object attribute , NSI profile attribute.

NSI binding attribute

RPC: An RPC-defined attribute (NSI attribute) of a name service entry; the binding attribute stores binding information for one or more interface identifiers offered by an RPC server and identifies the entry as an RPC server entry. See also binding information, NSI object attribute, server entry.

NSI group attribute

RPC: An RPC-defined attribute (NSI attribute) of a name service entry that stores the entry names of the members of an RPC group and identifies the entry as an RPC group. See also group.

NSI object attribute

RPC: An RPC-defined attribute (NSI attribute) of a name service entry that stores the object UUIDs of a set of RPC objects. See also object.

NSI profile attribute

RPC: An RPC-defined attribute (NSI attribute) of a name service entry that stores a collection of RPC profile elements and identifies the entry as an RPC profile. See also profile.

NTP

See Network Time Protocol.

NULL

The value of a pointer that indicates that the pointer does not point to data.

null binding handle

RPC: A binding handle containing the NULL value. See also binding handle.

Glossary