OSF DCE Administration Guide--Core Components

Chapter 18. Managing CDS Directories
If you manage a namespace in a small, slow-growth network of 25 nodes or less, you can
maintain all your names in the root directory and may not need to create additional
directories. However, if you manage a namespace in a network of more than 25 nodes,
you should consider creating at least one additional level of directories under the root.
This chapter explains how to create directory hierarchies in the cell namespace and
describes tasks related to managing directories, such as
• Creating and deleting directory replicas
• Skulking a directory
• Modifying a directory’s convergence
18.1 Creating Directories
By creating directories, you make it possible to replicate and manage groups of object
entries according to where, how often, or by whom they are used. Grouping related
object entries into separate directories also makes it easier to control access because it
allows you to take advantage of default ACL entry propagation.
CDS cell configuration creates an initial hierarchy of directories under the root so that
DCE components can fix locations within the namespace where they can create and
catalog their object entries. Among the directories created by cell configuration is the
subsys directory, beneath which Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) can create their
own directories to store the object entries that are used by their distributed applications.
Alternatively, ISVs and other users of the namespace may prefer to create a hierarchy of
directories of their own design under the root to store their information.
(See the for more information on the initial hierarchy that is established by cell
configuration.)
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