Directory Services for a Nationwide Network

这项研究涉及的问题是发现， 识别和定位全国网络中的资源。 的 研究基于两个基本原则。 首先是 用户应该能够通过一组 描述资源的属性或特性。 为 例如，不必知道一个人的姓名或地址， 处理器，用户应该能够声明他或她想要 一个具有特定架构的处理器， 操作系统，支持给定的软件包，并且 可通过特定的通信协议到达。 应当 命名系统定位资源的责任， 符合这样的描述。 第二个原则是， 一个全国性的网络系统将是高度分散的。 这种权力下放的首要原因不是问题 规模的问题，甚至是自治的问题。 这种网络 预计将由一组自治系统组成，每个系统 负责管理和命名自己的 资源 例如，国家研究和教育 网络覆盖数千个自治组织。 命名 这样一个网络的系统可能是分散的 研究人员正在研究方法， 识别具有一组属性的资源， 搜索大型、高度分散的名称空间的技术。 这项工作是基于他们的经验，设计和使用两个 实验命名系统：Profile和Univers。

This research concerns the problem of discovering, identifying and locating resources in a nationwide network. The research is based on two fundamental tenets. The first is that users should be able to identify a resource with a set of attributes or properties that describe the resource. For example, rather than having to know the name or address of a processor, the user should be able to state that he or she wants a processor that has a particular architecture, runs a certain operating system, supports a given software package, and is reachable via a specific communication protocol. It should be the naming system's responsibility to locate a resource that matches such a description. The second tenet is that the naming system for a nationwide network will be highly decentralized. The primary reason for this decentralization is not the problem of scale so much as the problem of autonomy. Such a network is expected to consist of a collection of autonomous systems, each of which is responsible for managing and naming its own resources. For example, the National Research and Education Network spans thousands of autonomous organizations. The naming system for such a network probably will be decentralized proportionally.The researchers are investigating methods for identifying resources with a set of attributes, and exploring techniques for searching a large, high decentralized name space. This effort is based on their experience designing and using two experimental naming systems: Profile and Univers.