Glossary

access rights

The permissions assigned to classes of NIS+ principals that determine what operations they can perform on NIS+ objects: read, modify, create, or destroy.

application-level name service

Application-level name services are incorporated in applications offering services such as files, mail, and printing. Application-level name services are bound below enterprise-level name services. The enterprise-level name services provide contexts in which contexts of application-level name services can be bound.

atomic name

An FNS (XFN) term referring to the smallest indivisible component of a name as defined by the naming convention.

attribute

In FNS (XFN), each named object is associated with a set of zero or more attributes. Each attribute in the set has a unique attribute identifier, an attribute syntax, and a set of zero or more distinct attribute values.

authentication

The determination of whether an NIS+ server can identify the sender of a request for access to the NIS+ namespace. Authenticated requests are divided into the authorization categories of owner, group, and world. Unauthenticated requests--the sender is unidentified, are placed in the Nobody category.

binding

In FNS (XFN), the association of an atomic name with an object reference. For simplicity, an object reference and the object it refers to are used interchangeably in this guide.

BNF

An FNS (XFN) acronym referring to a Backus-Naur Form.

cache manager

The program that manages the local caches of NIS+ clients (NIS_SHARED_DIRCACHE), which are used to store location information about the NIS+ servers that support the directories most frequently used by those clients, including transport addresses, authentication information, and a time-to-live value.

child domain

See domain.

checkpointing

The process of writing changes to NIS+ data that are stored in server memory and recorded in the transaction log to the NIS+ tables stored on disk. In other words, updating the NIS+ tables with recent changes to the NIS+ data set.

client

(1) In NIS+, the client is a principal (machine or user) requesting an NIS+ service from an NIS+ server.

(2) In the client-server model for file systems, the client is a machine that remotely accesses resources of a compute server, such as compute power and large memory capacity.

(3) In the client-server model, the client is an application that accesses services from a "server process." In this model, the client and the server can run on the same machine or on separate machines.

client-server model

A common way to describe network services and the model user processes (programs) of those services. Examples include the name-server/name-resolver paradigm of the Domain Name System (DNS) and file-server/file-client relationships such as NFS and diskless hosts. See also client.

cold-start file

The NIS+ file given to a client when it is initialized that contains sufficient information so that the client can begin to contact the master server in its home domain.

composite name

In FNS (XFN), a name that spans multiple naming systems. It consists of an ordered list of zero or more components. Each component is a name from the namespace of a single naming system. Composite name resolution is the process of resolving a name that spans multiple naming systems.

compound name

In FNS (XFN), a sequence of atomic names composed according to the naming convention of a naming system.

context

In FNS (XFN), an object whose state is a set of bindings with distinct atomic names. Every context has an associated naming convention. A context provides a lookup (resolution) operation, which returns the reference, and may provide operations such as binding names, unbinding names, and listing bound names.

credentials

The authentication information about an NIS+ principal that the client software sends along with each request to an NIS+ server. This information verifies the identity of a user or machine.

data encrypting key

A key used to encipher and decipher data intended for programs that perform encryption. Contrast with key encrypting key.

data encryption standard (DES)

A commonly used, highly sophisticated algorithm developed by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards for encrypting and decrypting data. See also SUN-DES-1.

decimal dotted notation

The syntactic representation for a 32-bit integer that consists of four 8-bit numbers written in base 10 with periods (dots) separating them. Used to represent IP addresses in the Internet as in: 192.67.67.20.

DES

See data encryption standard (DES).

directory

(1) An NIS+ directory is a container for NIS+ objects such as NIS+ tables, groups, or subdirectories

(2) In UNIX, a container for files and subdirectories.

directory cache

A local file used to store data associated with directory objects.


	Glossary access rights The permissions assigned to classes of NIS+ principals that determine what operations they can perform on NIS+ objects: read, modify, create, or destroy. application-level name service Application-level name services are incorporated in applications offering services such as files, mail, and printing. Application-level name services are bound below enterprise-level name services. The enterprise-level name services provide contexts in which contexts of application-level name services can be bound. atomic name An FNS (XFN) term referring to the smallest indivisible component of a name as defined by the naming convention. attribute In FNS (XFN), each named object is associated with a set of zero or more attributes. Each attribute in the set has a unique attribute identifier, an attribute syntax, and a set of zero or more distinct attribute values. authentication The determination of whether an NIS+ server can identify the sender of a request for access to the NIS+ namespace. Authenticated requests are divided into the authorization categories of owner, group, and world. Unauthenticated requests--the sender is unidentified, are placed in the Nobody category. binding In FNS (XFN), the association of an atomic name with an object reference. For simplicity, an object reference and the object it refers to are used interchangeably in this guide. BNF An FNS (XFN) acronym referring to a Backus-Naur Form. cache manager The program that manages the local caches of NIS+ clients (`NIS_SHARED_DIRCACHE`), which are used to store location information about the NIS+ servers that support the directories most frequently used by those clients, including transport addresses, authentication information, and a time-to-live value. child domain See domain. checkpointing The process of writing changes to NIS+ data that are stored in server memory and recorded in the transaction log to the NIS+ tables stored on disk. In other words, updating the NIS+ tables with recent changes to the NIS+ data set. client (1) In NIS+, the client is a principal (machine or user) requesting an NIS+ service from an NIS+ server. (2) In the client-server model for file systems, the client is a machine that remotely accesses resources of a compute server, such as compute power and large memory capacity. (3) In the client-server model, the client is an application that accesses services from a "server process." In this model, the client and the server can run on the same machine or on separate machines. client-server model A common way to describe network services and the model user processes (programs) of those services. Examples include the name-server/name-resolver paradigm of the Domain Name System (DNS) and file-server/file-client relationships such as NFS and diskless hosts. See also client. cold-start file The NIS+ file given to a client when it is initialized that contains sufficient information so that the client can begin to contact the master server in its home domain. composite name In FNS (XFN), a name that spans multiple naming systems. It consists of an ordered list of zero or more components. Each component is a name from the namespace of a single naming system. Composite name resolution is the process of resolving a name that spans multiple naming systems. compound name In FNS (XFN), a sequence of atomic names composed according to the naming convention of a naming system. context In FNS (XFN), an object whose state is a set of bindings with distinct atomic names. Every context has an associated naming convention. A context provides a lookup (resolution) operation, which returns the reference, and may provide operations such as binding names, unbinding names, and listing bound names. credentials The authentication information about an NIS+ principal that the client software sends along with each request to an NIS+ server. This information verifies the identity of a user or machine. data encrypting key A key used to encipher and decipher data intended for programs that perform encryption. Contrast with key encrypting key. data encryption standard (DES) A commonly used, highly sophisticated algorithm developed by the U.S. National Bureau of Standards for encrypting and decrypting data. See also SUN-DES-1. decimal dotted notation The syntactic representation for a 32-bit integer that consists of four 8-bit numbers written in base 10 with periods (dots) separating them. Used to represent IP addresses in the Internet as in: 192.67.67.20. DES See data encryption standard (DES). directory (1) An NIS+ directory is a container for NIS+ objects such as NIS+ tables, groups, or subdirectories (2) In UNIX, a container for files and subdirectories. directory cache A local file used to store data associated with directory objects.