Client Administration
So far, this topic has focused on server administration issues. We've seen how to control some server operations, and how to store server binding information in CDS and in the host endpoint map where clients can find it. This topic discusses the administration needs of application clients. Although client administration is very simple - there are just two related operations - it is an essential step in getting clients and servers working together.
We know that CDS is a hierarchical system of directories that stores server binding information in the form of server entries. We also know that CDS offers group entries and profile entries as a way to direct clients to appropriate servers. But how do clients know where to begin looking for a server?
As we discussed earlier in this topic, servers register interfaces and their bindings in CDS. Each interface-binding combination is registered under a server entry name. When a client makes a remote procedure call, it passes a server entry name (or a group or profile entry name) to CDS along with the UUID of an interface that offers the remote procedure. CDS uses the server entry name (or group or profile entry name) as a starting point in the search for a binding that contains an interface UUID and version matching that passed by the client. This method presumes the client has previously acquired the server entry name (or group or profile name) used by the server.
Getting clients to use an appropriate server entry name is a two step process:
1. Determine what entry name a client should use.
2. Pass the name to the client program.
Note that a client uses whatever name you supply. The client program cannot distinguish whether the name is a server entry name or group entry name or profile entry name. To the client, all of these names look and behave the same.
More:
Providing the Entry Name to Clients