The CCSO Nameserver - An Introduction
by
Steven Dorner s-dorner@uiuc.edu
Computer and Communications Services Office
University of Illinois at Urbana
March 29, 1990
updated by
Paul Pomes paul-pomes@uiuc.edu
Computer and Communications Services Office
University of Illinois at Urbana
August 2, 1992
% ph steven dorner
name: dorner steven c
phone: 244-1765
address: 181 dcl
: CAMPUS MC 256
department: computing services office
title: res programmer
hours: 7-5, four days per week.
email to: s-dorner@uiuc.edu (dorner@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu)
What is the CCSO Nameserver?
The CCSO Nameserver could be considered a database containing information about people and things at the University of Illinois. It is designed to be extremely flexible in terms of the information it keeps and also to provide fast access to that information. Currently, most of the information in the Nameserver database comes from the University Student/Staff Directory (the printed phone book). The database also holds several additional categories of information such as the complete university course timetable for the fall, spring, and summer semesters; a guide to local restaurants; area codes for major cities and regions in the U.S.; up-to-the-hour weather condition and forecast information for many Illinois cities and larger metropolitan areas throughout the country; and special entries created on request such as organizations within departments and student clubs and groups.
Converted to portable n/troff format using the -me macros from funky Next WriteNow format (icch).
The CCSO Nameserver could also be regarded as a pair of programs: one that manages the actual data (this program is called qi, for query interpreter), and another program (or rather a group of programs - one for each computing platform on the campus network) that handles end-user requests. The programs that handle user requests are usually called ph (or ph clients), which stands for phone book. Because ph is the name of the software familiar to most end-users, many people refer to the Nameserver itself as ph or use the terms Nameserver and ph interchangeably.
Where is it?
The database for the Nameserver is installed on a VAXServer 3500 that runs the UNIX operating system (Ultrix 3.0); the name of this CCSO computer is garcon.cso.uiuc.edu with the alias ns.uiuc.edu. The program that manages the database (qi) also runs on this machine. Qi allows programs running on other computers to access the database by serving as an intermediary between them and the actual database.
The Nameserver functions on a "server-client" basis. This means that the database and query interpreter reside on a single computer (the VAXserver described above), which functions as the "server". Mainframes and desktop computers can transparently access server data over UIUCnet, the campus network, using special software designed to communicate with the server. Machines running such software (and the end-user software itself) are typically referred to as ph "clients". Ph client programs have been developed for almost all of the mainframe and desktop computing platforms and operating systems found on the UIUC campus including UNIX, VM/CMS, VMS, PC (DOS), Macintosh, Next, and X Windows. Some of these clients were developed locally, while others have been developed by programmers at other institutions.
A full-featured ph client is available on all CCSO-administered UNIX computers. A slightly less robust client can be found on the CCSO IBM mainframe VMD. Ph client software is also installed on hundreds of desktop computers and workstations on the campus network. Client software for desktop computers such as IBM PCs and Macs provides convenient access to server data without requiring a mainframe account or special knowledge of an unfamiliar operating system or text editor. For a list of ph clients and information on where to get them, see ph's on-line help for "clients".
What Services Does the Nameserver Offer?
The Nameserver can be used to find the phone numbers and addresses of University faculty, students, and staff members, just like the printed version of the Student/Staff Directory; but the Nameserver is not a mere electronic copy of the campus phone book. For one thing, it contains the electronic mail addresses for thousands of faculty, students, and staff. It also includes additional information about some individuals such as office hours, birthdays, vacation plans, facsimile numbers, etc. Information of the latter sort is usually entered manually by the owner of the entry and is, thus, available for some people in the database and not others.
The Nameserver also contains entire categories of information not found in the Student/Staff Directory; e.g., weather conditions, local restaurants, national area codes, the university course timetable, etc. For information on how to extract such information from the Nameserver, see ph's on-line help for "people", "campus_units", "weather", "areacodes", "restaurants", and "timetable".
A key thing to know about the Nameserver is that, if you use a computer that has a full-featured ph client installed on it, you can change the information the Nameserver keeps about you. For example, if your office address or phone number changes in the middle of the year, you can put your correct address and phone number in the Nameserver immediately so that people can use ph to find up-to-date information about you.
Another very important function of the Nameserver is electronic mail forwarding. If you tell the Nameserver where you read your electronic mail by recording this information in your "email" field, then anyone wishing to send mail to you can send the mail to alias@uiuc.edu, where alias is your Nameserver alias (a unique name by which the Nameserver knows you, generally formed by your first initial, a hyphen, and your full last name). If someone doesn't know your Nameserver alias, s/he can send mail to your-name@uiuc.edu, and the Nameserver will try to find you. In either case, the Nameserver will send your mail to the address listed in the "email" field of your nameserver entry. For example, you can send mail to Steven Dorner (author of the UNIX ph program) using the address: s-dorner@uiuc.edu ("s-dorner" is Steve's Nameserver alias), or steven-dorner@uiuc.edu (Steve's real-life name). Either way, the mail will be forwarded by the Nameserver to "dorner@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu", which is where Steve currently reads his mail. For more information on e-mail forwarding, see the ph on-line help for "e-mail".
Nameserver Restrictions and Limitations
There are some things the Nameserver is not meant to do. One thing that should be mentioned right away is that the Nameserver can't be used to generate mailing lists for junk mail. The server is designed so that queries that generate more than 25 responses are refused. So, you don't have to worry about getting junk mail because you appear in the Nameserver's database.
Also, the Namserver cannot be used to notify the University about changes of address, phone number, and/or other personal or official information about yourself. Although you can change this kind of information in your Nameserver entry, such changes are not automatically sent to your department, the Office of Admissions and Records, Payroll, or anywhere else. You must notify these offices individually by filling out the appropriate paperwork.