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DCE 1.1: Directory Services
Copyright © 1997 The Open Group

Name Service Independent Interface (NSI)

This chapter describes the Name Service Independent Interface (NSI), which is the low-level RPC-based naming interface that is fully specified in the DCE Remote Procedure Call specification. This interface utilises the Cell Directory Service (CDS) specified in Part 4.

Interface Functions

The tables in this section summarise the NSI interface functions.

Function Description
rpc_ns_binding_export () Exports server binding information to a name service entry.
rpc_ns_binding_import_begin () Creates an import context for importing bindings from a name service.
rpc_ns_binding_import_done () Deletes a name service import context.
rpc_ns_binding_import_next () Returns a binding handle for a compatible server from a name service.
rpc_ns_binding_inq_entry_name () Returns the name of the entry in the name service database from which the binding information referenced by a server binding handle came.
rpc_ns_binding_lookup_begin () Creates a look-up context for importing bindings from a name service.
rpc_ns_binding_lookup_done () Deletes a name service look-up context.
rpc_ns_binding_lookup_next () Returns a vector of compatible binding handles from a name service.
rpc_ns_binding_select () Returns a binding handle from a vector of compatible server binding handles.
rpc_ns_binding_unexport () Removes binding information from an entry in a name service database.
rpc_ns_import_ctx_add_eval () Adds an evaluation routine to an import context.

Table: NSI Binding Operations

Applications use the NSI binding operations to export and import bindings to and from name service server entries. This group includes two suites of *_begin(), *_next() and *_done() routines, which applications can use to import bindings.

Function Description
rpc_ns_entry_expand_name () Expands the name of a name service entry.
rpc_ns_entry_inq_resolution () Resolves the cell namespace components of a name and returns partial results.
rpc_ns_entry_object_inq_begin () Creates an inquiry context for viewing the objects stored in an entry in a name service database.
rpc_ns_entry_object_inq_done () Deletes a name service object inquiry context.
rpc_ns_entry_object_inq_next () Returns an object stored in an entry in a name service database.

Table: NSI Entry Operations

Applications use the NSI entry operations to return information about name service entries of various types.

Function Description
rpc_ns_group_delete () Deletes a group attribute.
rpc_ns_group_mbr_add () Adds an entry name to a group; if necessary, creates the entry.
rpc_ns_group_mbr_inq_begin () Creates an inquiry context for viewing group members.
rpc_ns_group_mbr_inq_done () Deletes the inquiry context for a group.
rpc_ns_group_mbr_inq_next () Returns a member name from a group.
rpc_ns_group_mbr_remove () Removes an entry name from a group.

Table: NSI Group Operations

Applications use the NSI group operations to manipulate name service group entries.

Function Description
rpc_ns_mgmt_binding_unexport () Removes multiple binding handles, or object UUIDs, from an entry in a name service database.
rpc_ns_mgmt_entry_create () Creates an entry in a name service database.
rpc_ns_mgmt_entry_delete () Deletes an entry from a name service database.
rpc_ns_mgmt_entry_inq_if_ids () Returns the list of interfaces exported to an entry in a name service database.
rpc_ns_mgmt_free_codesets () Frees a code sets array that has been allocated in memory.
rpc_ns_mgmt_handle_set_exp_age () Sets a handle's expiration age for cached copies of name service data.
rpc_ns_mgmt_inq_exp_age () Returns an application's global expiration age for cached copies of name service data.
rpc_ns_mgmt_read_codesets () Reads the code sets attribute associated with a server entry in the name service database.
rpc_ns_mgmt_remove_attribute () Removes an attribute from a server entry in the name server database.
rpc_ns_mgmt_set_attribute () Adds an attribute to a server entry in the name server database.
rpc_ns_mgmt_set_exp_age () Modifies the application's global expiration age for cached copies of name service data.

Table: NSI Management Operations

The NSI management operations carry out operations typically done by name service management applications or only infrequently done by most applications.

Function Description
rpc_ns_profile_delete () Deletes a profile attribute.
rpc_ns_profile_elt_add () Adds an element to a profile; if necessary, creates the entry.
rpc_ns_profile_elt_inq_begin () Creates an inquiry context for viewing the elements in a profile.
rpc_ns_profile_elt_inq_done () Deletes the inquiry context for a profile.
rpc_ns_profile_elt_inq_next () Returns an element from a profile.
rpc_ns_profile_elt_remove () Removes an element from a profile.

Table: NSI Profile Operations

Applications use the NSI profile operations to manipulate name service profile entries.


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