Distributed Name Service (DNS) Management Operations Manual

Introduction to Defining DNS Names
Building and Modifying the DNS Database
4–8 31258 Tandem Computers Incorporated
Uniqueness of Names:
Parts of a DNS Name
Each DNS name consists of two parts; and no two DNS names can have identical first
part and second parts. For instance, the names CIRCUIT ON \MEMPHIS and
CIRCUIT ON \DALLAS are unique names. DNS automatically adds the second part
when you add a DNS object.
The definition node is the node where the original name was defined and where the
definition resides. The second part may contain spaces for some kinds of names.
Since the DNS subsystem perceives all names as having a set length, it adds spaces to
the end of some names to fits its criteria of how a name should look. This does not
mean, however, that you add spaces to the end of certain DNS names.
Table 4-2 shows the parts for each kind of DNS name.
Table 4-2. DNS Name Parts
Name Part 1 Part 2
ALIAS Alias name Definition node
ALIASTYPE Alias type name Spaces
COMPOSITE Composite name Definition node
COMPOSITETYPE Composite type name Spaces
DNSDOMAIN Domain name Definition node
GROUP Group name Definition node
SS Subsystem name Spaces
SSOBJECT*
(HASMANAGER ON)
Subsystem-object name Manager name
SSOBJECT*
(HASMANAGER OFF)
Subsystem-object name Spaces
SSTYPE Subsystem-object type name Subsystem name
SSMANAGER Process name Spaces
* The HASMANAGER attribute included in the SSTYPE definition determines if the
associated SSOBJECT has a manager controlling it.
More information about unique names is included under “Ambiguous Names (Error
1034)” in Section 6.
Case-Sensitive Names Because DNSCOM converts all names to uppercase letters, all names used in
DNSCOM commands are case-insensitive. However, there is an exception with the
OWNER name, which is case-sensitive. The OWNER name is specified in type name
definitions.