Overview - Characters and Naming Rules for CDS
This topic discusses the valid character sets for the DCE Directory Service names as used by CDS interfaces. It also explains some characters that have special meaning and describes some restrictions and rules regarding case matching, syntax, and size limits. It is not a comprehensive reference for CDS, GDS, and DNS, but instead gives an overview of some key points to remember about each service. For specific information on valid characters in GDS and DNS names, see the documentation for each technology.
The use of names in DCE often involves more than one directory service. For example, CDS interacts with either GDS or DNS to find names outside the local cell.
Note: Because CDS, GDS, and DNS all have their own valid character sets and syntax rules, the best way to avoid problems is to keep names short and simple, consisting of a minimal set of characters common to all three services. The recommended set is the letters A to Z, a to z, and the digits 0 to 9. In addition to making Directory Service interoperations easier, use of this subset decreases the probability that users in a heterogeneous hardware and software environment will encounter problems in creating and using names.
The following figure details the valid characters in CDS names, and the valid characters in GDS and DNS names as used by CDS interfaces:
· Characters in white boxes are valid in all three kinds of names.
· Characters in light shaded boxes are valid only in CDS and GDS names.
· Characters in dark shaded boxes are valid only in CDS names.
Valid Characters in CDS, GDS, and DNS Names
Although spaces are valid in both CDS and GDS names, a CDS simple name containing a space must be enclosed in " " (quotes) when you enter it through the CDS control program. Additional interface-specific rules are documented where they apply.