The DCE Directory Service provides a consistent way to locate resources such as machines and other services anywhere in a networked computing environment. The Directory Service has three main components:
· The Cell Directory Service (CDS) manages names within a cell. Each resource has a CDS entry that is unique within its local cell.
· The Global Directory Service (GDS) supports the global naming environment between cells and outside of cells. GDS is an implementation of a directory services standard known as X.500.
· The Global Directory Agent (GDA) is a "gateway" between the local and global naming environments. It supports cell interoperability by allowing CDS to access a name in another cell via either GDS or the Domain Name System (DNS), a widely used global naming environment.
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