cell
1. The basic unit of operation in DCE. A cell is a group of users, systems, and resources that are typically centered around a common purpose and that share common DCE services. At a minimum, a cell configuration includes one Cell Directory Server, one Security Server, and one Distributed Time Server. A cell can consist of from one system to as many as several thousand systems. Systems in the cell can be in the same geographic area (for example, on the same LAN), but geography does not necessarily determine a cell's boundaries. The boundaries of a cell are typically influenced by its purpose, as well as by security, administrative, and performance considerations. With respect to individual DCE technologies, a cell represents the following definitions.
2. CDS: A unified naming environment consisting of CDS clerks and servers.
3. DFS: An administratively independent installation of server and client machines.
4. Security: The set of principals that share their secret keys with the same Authentication Service.