DCE Host Services
Some DCE host services such as the runtime libraries are inert and require no administration once DCE has been configured on a host. But other services are active programs. One such active service is the endpoint mapper which acts as a lookup service on a host. The endpoint mapper lists server communication ports (called endpoints) in the host's endpoint map. Remote clients looking for particular servers query the endpoint mapper which returns information contained in the endpoint map. The endpoint mapper, along with other active services, are contained in a single program called the DCE Host Daemon or dced. Typically, once a host has been configured with DCE Version 1.1 software, the host booting process starts the dced process along with other daemons or processes. Occasionally however, you may need to manually start or restart this daemon.
The dced program comprises a set of DCE host services that satisfies many needs of DCE client and server applications on a host system:
· The endpoint mapper service acts as a directory of servers running on a host. Clients can acquire a registered server's communication endpoint by looking in the host endpoint map.
· A security validation service manages DCE security on the local host.
· A server configuration and execution service lets administrators remotely set servers' starting and stopping conditions, explicitly start and stop individual servers, and monitor running servers' states.
· A key management service lets administrators manage server passwords remotely.
· A hostdata service lets administrators remotely manage data stored in files on a host. Administrators will find this most useful for remotely managing a host's cell name and cell alias information.
· An attribute schema capability lets administrators add new attributes to server configuration information.
Normally, any system that hosts a DCE server (such as a DCE Cell Directory Server) or that runs a DCE-based application server or client which uses authentication, must also run the dced program.
It's obvious that if the dced program failed for some reason, it would take all of its component services down along with it, leaving the host unable to respond to client requests. Similarly, a failure of one of the component services (for example the key management service) might be caused by the dced program unexpectedly exiting for some reason. This relationship between dced and its component services is worth remembering if problems occur.
More:
Starting and Stopping DCE Host Services