What is GDA?
The DCE Global Directory Agent is a process that interfaces between CDS and GDS or the Domain Name Service. The GDA is not visible to the end user. Programmers access the GDA indirectly through the XDS API. GDA administration consists simply of starting and stopping the GDA process.
At least one GDA must be present in a DCE cell in order for that cell to acquire directory service information from other DCE cells.