Manpages

NAME

fns_initial_context − overview of the FNS Initial Context

DESCRIPTION

Every FNS name is interpreted relative to some context, and every FNS naming operation is performed on a context object. The FNS programming interface (XFN) provides a function that allows the client to obtain an Initial Context object. The Initial Context provides the initial pathway to other FNS contexts. FNS defines a set of bindings that the client can expect to find in this context,

FNS assumes that for every process:

1.

There is a user associated with the process when fn_ctx_handle_from_initial() is invoked. This association is based on the effective uid of the process. In the following discussion this user is denoted by U. The association of user to process may change during the life of a process but does not affect the context handle originally returned by fn_ctx_handle_from_initial().

2.

The process is running on a host when fn_ctx_handle_from_initial() is invoked. In the following discussion this host is denoted by H.

The following atomic names can appear in the Initial Context:

Except for ..., these names with an added underscore (’_’) prefix are also in the Initial Context and have the same binding as their counterpart (for example, thishost and _thishost have the same binding). In addition, org has the same binding as orgunit, and thisuser has the same binding as myself. The bindings for these names are summarized in the following table.

Some of these names may not necessarily appear in all Initial Contexts. For example, a process owned by the super-user of a machine does not have any of the user-related bindings. Or, for another example, an installation that has not set up a site namespace will not have the site-related bindings.

...

global context for resolving DNS or X.500 names. Synonym: /...

thishost

H’s host context. Synonym: _thishost

thisens

the enterprise root of H. Synonym: _thisens

thisorgunit

H’s distinguished organizational unit context. In Solaris, this is H’s NIS+ home domain. Synonym: _thisorgunit

myself

U’s user context. Synonyms: _myself, thisuser

myens

the enterprise root of U. Synonym: _myens

myorgunit

U’s distinguished organizational unit context. In Solaris, this is U’s NIS+ home domain. Synonym: _myorgunit

user

the context in which users in the same organizational unit as H are named. Synonym: _user

host

the context in which hosts in the same organizational unit as H are named. Synonym: _host

org

the root context of the organizational unit namespace in H’s enterprise. In Solaris, this corresponds to the NIS+ root domain. Synonyms: orgunit, _orgunit

site

the root context of the site namespace in H’s enterprise, if the site namespace has been configured. Synonym: _site

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Names beginning with the enterprise root

The types of objects that may be named relative to the enterprise root are user, host, service, organizational unit, file, and site. Here are some examples of names that begin with the enterprise root:
thisens/orgunit/multimedia.servers.engineering

names an organizational unit multimedia.servers.engineering in H’s enterprise.

thisens/site/northwing.floor3.admin

names the north wing site, on the third floor of the administrations building in H’s enterprise.

myens/user/hdiffie

names the user hdiffie in U’s enterprise.

myens/service/teletax

names the teletax service of U’s enterprise.

Example 2: Names beginning with organizational unit names

The types of objects that may be named relative to an organizational unit name are: user, host, service, file, and site. Here are some examples of names that begin with organizational unit names (either explicitly via org, or implicitly via thisorgunit or myorgunit), and name objects relative to organizational unit names when resolved in the Initial Context:
org/accounts_payable.finance/site/videoconference.northwing

names a conference room videoconference located in the north wing of the site associated with the organizational unit accounts_payable.finance.

org/finance/user/mjones

names a user mjones in the organizational unit
finance.

org/finance/host/inmail

names a machine inmail belonging to the organizational unit finance.

org/accounts_payable.finance/fs/pub/blue-and-whites/FY92-124

names a file pub/blue-and-whites/FY92-124 belonging to the organizational unit accounts_payable.finance.

org/accounts_payable.finance/service/calendar

names the calendar service of the organizational unit accounts_payable.finance. This might manage the meeting schedules of the organizational unit.

thisorgunit/user/cmead

names the user cmead in H’s organizational unit.

myorgunit/fs/pub/project_plans/widget.ps

names the file pub/project_plans/widget.ps exported by U’s organizational unit’s file system.

Example 3: Names beginning with site names

The types of objects that may be named relative to a site name are users, hosts, services, and files. Here are some examples of names that begin with site names via site, and name objects relative to sites when resolved in the Initial Context:
site/b5.mtv/service/printer/speedy

names a printer speedy in the b5.mtv site.

site/admin/fs/usr/dist

names a file directory usr/dist available in the site admin.

Example 4: Names beginning with user names

The types of objects that may be named relative to a user name are services and files. Here are some examples of names that begin with user names (explicitly via user or implicitly via thisuser), and name objects relative to users when resolved in the Initial Context:
user/jsmith/service/calendar

names the
calendar service of the user jsmith.

user/jsmith/fs/bin/games/riddles

names the file bin/games/riddles of the user jsmith.

thisuser/service/printer

names the printer service of U.

Example 5: Names beginning with host names

The types of objects that may be named relative to a host name are services and files. Here are some examples of names that begin with host names (explicitly via host or implicitly via thishost), and name objects relative to hosts when resolved in the Initial Context:
host/mailhop/service/mailbox

names the
mailbox service associated with the machine mailhop.

host/mailhop/fs/pub/saf/archives.91

names the directory pub/saf/archives.91 found under the root directory of the machine mailhop.

thishost/service/printer

names the printer service of H.

SEE ALSO

nis+(1), geteuid(2), fn_ctx_handle_from_initial(3XFN), xfn(3XFN), fns(5), fns_policies(5)