Table of Contents History

B.2 Overview of DCE Technology Components

DCE consists of the following components:

• DCE Threads: supports multithreading within a single process.
• DCE RPC: consists of both a development tool and a runtime library. When using its compatibility features, DCE RPC is compatible with the NCS Version 1.5.1. However, future enhancements to DCE RPC will cause their incompatibility.
• DCE Directory Service: provides a central repository for information about resources in the distributed environment.
• DCE Distributed Time Service (DTS): makes sure the clocks in the distributed systems are synchronized.
• DCE Security Service: provides the security functions based on the M.I.T. Kerberos Version 5.
• DCE Distributed File Service (DFS): provides an advanced file system based on the Andrew File System (AFS, a distributed file system originally developed by IBM and Carnegie-Mellon University, now marketed by Transarc Corporation).
• DCE Diskless Support Service: allows a diskless system to operate in a DCE environment.

The current DCE is at Version 1.1 which was released to developers in November 1994. Among the new features provided are:

• Enhanced administrator functions: These include a common user interface across all DCE components allowing remote startup, administration and shutdown of DCE services. Also included are enhanced diagnostic messages that will assist the troubleshooter in the heterogeneous networks in which DCE is implemented.
• Improved security: Systems that are not based on RPC are now able to use DCE security. In addition, auditing procedures, password and pre-authentication functions have been improved.
• National language support: DCE messages can be presented in the local language and RPC applications can be set up to convert data to the local language.
• Performance improvements: The Interface Definition Language (IDL) now produces more efficient and streamlined code. RPC has also been enhanced and optimized.
• NFS/DFS gateway: Allows NFS access through the gateway to DFS.

Version 1.2 is scheduled to start testing in the summer of 1995. It is expected to include new administrative and interoperability features as well as the addition of scalability and network management functions.

For more details, please refer to the OSF publications listed in Bibliography.

Table of Contents Implementations