NAME

dnscp − Starts the DECdns control program
 

SYNOPSIS

/usr/bin/dnscp
 

DESCRIPTION

The DECdns control program is a command line interface with which you can manage the components of the Digital Distributed Name Service (DECdns) and the contents of a namespace. To start the control program, enter /usr/bin/dnscp.  For online help from within the control program, enter help at the dns> prompt.  To exit the control program, enter exit at the dns> prompt. 
 

DECdns Entities

 
The DECdns control program is patterned after the DECnet-Plus Network Control Language (NCL), and is based on commands targeted for specific entities. An entity is any individually manageable DECdns component or part of the namespace.  Some DECdns entities can be managed from NCL as well as from dnscp. The commands are the same from both interfaces; when dnscp receives a command targeted for an NCL entity, it passes the command on to NCL.

You can manage the following entities with either NCL or dnscp:
 

 
DNS Clerk

 
The clerk is the interface between client applications and DECdns servers.

 
DNS Clerk Known Namespace

 
Known namespaces are namespaces that a clerk has discovered and cached as a result of configuration, datagrams received on a local area network (LAN), or an explicit management command.

 
DNS Clerk Remote clearinghouse

 
Remote clearinghouses are clearinghouses that a clerk has discovered and cached. The clerk can learn about clearinghouses as a result of configuration, datagrams received on a LAN, an explicit management command, or during the process of finding a name. To the clerk, all clearinghouses are remote, even if they exist on the clerk’s own system.

 
DNS Clerk Manual Nameserver

 
A manual nameserver is a piece of information in a clerk’s cache about a server that exists across a wide area network (WAN).  Its name originates from the fact that a clerk must be informed about the server manually (a clerk automatically learns about servers only if they are on the same LAN as the clerk).

 
DNS Server

 
A server handles lookup requests from clerks and maintains the contents of the clearinghouse or clearinghouses at its node.

 
DNS Server Clearinghouse

 
The DNS Server Clearinghouse entity represents a collection of directory replicas on a DECdns server. Commands directed to this entity manage NCL attributes of the clearinghouse and perform management functions such as enabling or disabling the clearinghouse.

You can manage the following entities with dnscp only:
 

 
Child

 
Child pointers connect parent and child directories in a hierarchical namespace. They are stored in the parent directory.

 
Clearinghouse

 
A clearinghouse is a database containing a collection of directory replicas on a particular server. Commands directed to the Clearinghouse entity manage DECdns attributes of the clearinghouse (for example, its ACS).

 
Directory

 
A directory contains objects and other namespace entries that are logically stored under one name (the directory name).

 
Group

 
Groups let you assign a uniform set of access rights to several users at once.  They do this by mapping a set of names representing the group members to a single name (the group name).

 
Link

 
Soft links are pointers providing an alternate name for an object, directory, or other soft link.

 
Object

 
An object represents a resource (for example, a node, print queue, or application) that is named in the namespace.

 
Replica

 
A replica is a copy of a directory. Each copy, including the original, or master, is a replica.

 
Subtree

 
A subtree is a specific directory and its contents, or a hierarchy of directories and their contents.
 
 

Attribute Groups

 
Every DECdns entity has attributes, which are pieces or sets of data associated with that entity. Attributes fall into one of four categories:
 

IdentifiersUniquely distinguish an entity from any other entity. 

CharacteristicsReflect or affect the operational behavior of an entity. Some characteristics are static and cannot be modified; others can be modified with DECdns commands. 

CountersRecord the number of times a particular event or problem occurred since the entity was last enabled.  Counters are maintained only by clerks, servers, clearinghouses, and remote clearinghouses. 

StatusReflect the current operational state of an entity. Status attributes are maintained only for clerks, servers, and clearinghouses. 
 

Prepositional Phrases

 
Most dnscp commands accept optional prepositional phrases that can affect the destination and content of command output. Generally these phrases are  most useful with the show and directory commands.  The dnscp online help for individual commands describes prepositional phrases where their use is most appropriate. 

You may use as many prepositional phrases as you want, being sure to precede each phrase with a comma.  The following is an overview of the prepositional phrases:
 

, with attribute [relop] valueLimits a directive only to those entities whose attributes have certain values.  If you do not specify a relop (relational operator), the default is an equal sign.  Other valid relational operators are greater than (>), less than (<), greater than or equal to (>=), and less than or equal to (<=).  If you specify multiple with phrases in a command, the target entity must satisfy all of them to be selected.  This phrase works only with commands that can operate on multiple items at a time (such as show and directory commands). 
 

, to file=filenameRedirects the output to a file specified in filename.  If the file does not exist, this command creates it. 

, to extend file=filenameAppends the output to an existing file specified in filename. 

, to terminalDirects the output to the terminal.  This is the default option.