OSF DCE Administration Guide--Core Components

Appendix A. Valid Characters and Naming Rules
for CDS
This appendix discusses the valid character sets for the DCE Directory Service names as
used by CDS interfaces. It also explains some characters that have special meaning and
describes some restrictions and rules regarding case matching, syntax, and size limits. It
is not a comprehensive reference for CDS, GDS, and DNS, but instead gives an overview
of some key points to remember about each service. For specific information on valid
characters in GDS and DNS names, see the documentation for each technology.
The use of names in DCE often involves more than one directory service. For example,
CDS interacts with either GDS or DNS to find names outside the local cell.
Note: Because CDS, GDS, and DNS all have their own valid character sets and
syntax rules, the best way to avoid problems is to keep names short and
simple, consisting of a minimal set of characters common to all three
services. The recommended set is the letters A to Z, a to z, and the digits 0
to 9. In addition to making directory service interoperations easier, use of
this subset decreases the probability that users in a heterogeneous
hardware and software environment will encounter problems in creating
and using names.
Figure A-1 details the valid characters in CDS names, and the valid characters in GDS
and DNS names as used by CDS interfaces:
• Characters in white boxes are valid in all three kinds of names.
• Characters in light shaded boxes are valid only in CDS and GDS names.
• Characters in dark shaded boxes are valid only in CDS names.
Figure A-1. Valid Characters in CDS, GDS, and DNS Names
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