Description
The DCE host daemon is a process that provides services for the local host, and is also the server used by remote applications to access these host services. The DCE host daemon services include the following:
endpoint mapper
The endpoint mapper service maintains a database called the local endpoint map, which allows DCE clients to find servers, individual services provided
by servers, and objects managed by services on the host. The endpoint mapper service maps interfaces, object UUIDs, and protocol sequence registrations to server ports (endpoints). Servers register
their bindings with the local endpoint mapper, and the endpoint mapper service on each host uses the local endpoint map to locate a compatible server for clients that do not already know the endpoint
of a compatible server.
Host data management
The host data management service maintains local files of host data that include (among others) the host_name, cell_name, cell_aliases, and a
post_processors file. The post_processors file contains program names matched with the other host data items (UUIDs). The dced process runs the program if the
corresponding host data item is changed. There may also be host-specific data files.
Server management
The server management service maintains data that describes the startup configuration (srvrconf) and execution state (srvrexec) for each
server. It also has the functionality to start or stop particular servers, and enable or disable specific services of servers.
Security validation
The security validation service acts as the client side of the security server by assuring applications that the DCE Security daemon (secd) that the
host is using is legitimate. In addition, this service logs into the local machine when dced is invoked and automatically updates the local machine principal's keys.
Key table management
The key table management service allows for remote maintenance of server's key tables (keytab files).
The DCE host daemon must be running before any other DCE-based servers are started. Each DCE host must run only a single dced, and it must run with root privileges because it typically listens on privileged or reserved network ports. Typically, dced starts each time a host boots. (A file called /etc/rc.dce is responsible for configuration issues such as deleting the endpoint map database and starting dced.)
By default, the DCE host daemon listens on one well-known port for each RPC protocol sequence (that is, each combination of an RPC protocol and a transport protocol) supported by the host on which it is running. A prot_seq argument lets you limit the protocol sequences on which dced listens.