AIX Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)

Distribute the POWER

Contents

• Highlights
• Feature/Benefit
• AIX DCE at a glance

Highlights

AIX DCE Version 1.3:

• Is a high performance implementation of DCE Version 1.0.3 from Open Software Foundation^(r) (OSF).
• Provides a comprehensive, integrated set of services that supports transparent communications and resource sharing across heterogeneous networks.
• Allows design and implementation of secure distributed applications that match business needs.
• Includes support for the Enhanced Distributed File System (EDFS), the distributed data sharing component of DCE.
• Can participate in a High Avail- ability Cluster Multi-Processing/ 6000 (HACMP/6000(tm)) standby takeover if required.
• Provides a user data masking feature for non-US customers.
• Enhances system management by including:
  • Central administration with AIX System Management Interface Tool (SMIT); and
  • A new DCE Manager product for monitoring the entire distributed environment.

Open, distributed computing for the 1990s

DCE is the foundation for distributed, client/server computing in the open enterprise for the 1990s. With DCE, you have access to enterprisewide data and hardware. Even better, you can develop distributed applications in a network-independent manner without having to develop generic functions like RPC, security, naming, and time services.

So, if your business needs programs like distributed decision support, process control, office productivity tools, program distribution and on- line transaction processing (OLTP) systems, DCE is your solution.

Best of all, DCE allows you to exploit the unique power and flexibility of RS/6000 workstations and servers to run a broad range of distributed applications. And, DCE builds on the commercial strength of AIX(tm), an enhanced version of the UNIX^(r) operating system primed with features like real-time support, system management tools, and superb file and volume capabilities.

The following components comprise AIX DCE:

• AIX DCE Base Services, which provides threads, remote procedure call, cell directory, security clients, time services, basic distributed file system services, and administrative tools.
• AIX DCE Cell Directory Server, which provides a highly available, efficient naming service for all network objects.
• AIX DCE Security Server, which provides data encryption using a trusted, third-party model and a two-step process of authentication and authorization, based on Kerberos(tm) Version 5. Security replication is supported.
• AIX DCE Enhanced Distributed File System (EDFS), which extends the basic distributed file system services by providing replication, cloning and file set aggregation.
• AIX DCE Threads, which provides a separate packaging of DCE user threads that programmers can use to exploit inherent parallelism in a distributed environment (support for threads is also offered in the base services).
• AIX DCE Global Directory Services, which provides a distributed, replicated directory service that can be used as the higher level directory service to allow multiple DCE cells to share directory location information (any user application can also use the CCITT X.500/ISO 9594 industry standard APIs).

In addition, the DCE for AIX family now provides advanced monitoring of the DCE environment through the DCE Manager for AIX and an NFS to DFS authenticating gateway (both separately orderable products).

DCE at work

Here are some of the ways you can put DCE to work for you:

• Establish a coherent, standards- based, open computing environment where all users can transparently share files, communications, applications and other resources -- even if they are working on workstations and operating systems from different vendors.
• Provide access to information wherever it is stored without exposing the network's complexity to the end user, system administrator or application developer.
• Prevent fraudulent access, maintain the user registry database, and generally ensure the integrity and privacy of files and applications across your heterogeneous network.
• Access remote files in a convenient, timely fashion -- regardless of the size of your network, geographic location or hardware type.
• Establish an open, distributed OLTP environment with Encina for AIX and CICS/6000(tm) -- each allowing you to develop and run business applications on RS/6000 workstations.

Why RISC System/6000?

Here are some of the reasons why IBM's RS/6000 stands out as the best solution for your technical and commercial computing needs:

IBM's innovative POWER Architecture (tm), combined with a 32-bit Micro Channel^(r) bus, for extraordinary processing power and floating-point capability.

Impressive benchmarks, from 8.8 double-precision Linpack MFLOPS[1] in the POWERstation/POWERserver 230 to 38.1 MFLOPS in the POWERserver 980B. This makes RS/6000 the perfect choice for numeric-intensive jobs and complex graphics applications.

Support for thousands of technical and commercial applications that gives you the flexibility to run everything from engineering design packages to business accounting in multiuser environments.

Interoperability with most IBM and non-IBM systems, a must in today's multivendor environments. DCE has been tested for interoperability with DCE on other IBM platforms, such as OS/2^(r), and on other vendors' offerings.

World-class service and support, available with every RS/6000 POWERstation and POWERserver.

Open, distributed, commercial power with DCE, Encina for AIX, and CICS/6000, so you can implement b usiness-criticalapplications on RS/6000 POWERstations and POWERservers.

Feature/Benefit

Client/server architecture

• Masks the physical complexity of a network from the programmer, user and administrator

Threads

• Allow you to build applications that can execute multiple tasks within a single process
• Based on POSIX(tm) 1003.4a Draft 4 standard
• Available in AIX DCE Base Services, or separately as AIX DCE Threads

Remote procedure call (RPC)

• Extends the familiar procedure call model by supporting direct calls to procedures on remote systems, enabling programmers to develop distributed applications as easily as traditional, single-system programs
• Includes a pipe mechanism to allow bulk transfer of data
• Features a compiler that converts RPCs into portable C-language source code
• Handles system vendor data representation conversions transparently

Time service

• Provides fault-tolerant clock synchronization across WANs and LANs for the sequencing, duration and scheduling of applications

Cell directory service

• Gives you a common naming service for all resources on the network, such as servers, files, disks or print queues
• Allows users to refer to a resource by the same name even if the network address changes
• Greatly increases the efficiency and speed of lookups by automatically caching the results of previous lookups

Global directory service

• Provides a global directory based on industry standards, CCITT X.500/ISO 9594:1988

Security service

• Features a user registry for user account management
• Provides trusted, third-party authentication and access control lists (ACLs) for user authorization
• Includes security replication feature for improved availability

Enhanced Distributed File System

• Builds on the fundamental features of DCE: security, threads, RPC, directory and time services
• Accesses transparently files anywhere on the network with consistency
• Improves administration through filesets
• Boosts reliability through a log-based physical file system and through the data replication feature
• Provides authenticated access from any NFS client through DCE NFS to DFS Authenticating Gateway

Administrative tools

• Allow any machine in the network to perform as an administrative console for such tasks as adding or deleting users, managing namespace entries, and manipulating access control lists (ACLs) on DCE objects
• Provide advanced monitoring of DCE environment through optical DCE Manager for AIX product

AIX DCE at a glance

Hardware requirements

All POWERstation/POWERserver models configured with a minimum of one supported display with keyboard and mouse, or on supported ASCII terminal

Memory requirements*

Recommended minimum for all DCE programs is 32MB; DCE Base Feature for clients can run at 16MB but 32MB is recommended

Fixed disk requirements** (approximate)

AIX DCE Base Services (client): 23MB + 10MB DFS client cache
AIX DCE Cell Directory Server: 25MB
AIX Security Server: 26MB
AIX DCE Enhanced Distributed File Server: 27MB
AIX InfoExplorer(tm) publications: 25MB
AIX DCE Threads: 2MB
AIX DCE Global Directory Client: 5MB
AIX DCE Global Directory Server: 3MB
AIX DCE NFS to DFS Authenticating Gateway: 23MB
AIX DCE Manager Messages: 12MB

Operating system

AIX Version 3.2.5

Packaging and installation

Can be preinstalled on system fixed-disk storage or shipped on 1/4-inch or 8mm tapes * These requirements do not take other application demands into consideration. ** Consult your IBM^(r) marketing representative for more current information, including paging space requirements.

You can also call 1 800 IBM-4FAX (1 800 426-4329), and more information will be faxed immediately to your location.

If you have access to the Internet, you can find additional information on IBM's Worldwide Web server at http://www.ibm.com

^(r)

AIX, IBM, Micro Channel, OS/2 and RISC System/6000 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

(tm)

CICS, CICS/6000, HACMP/6000, InfoExplorer, POWER Architecture, POWERserver, POWERstation and RS/6000 are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

^(r)

Open Software Foundation is a trademark of Open Software Foundation, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company, Limited. X/Open is a registered trademark of X/Open Company, Ltd.

(tm)

Encina is a trademark of Transarc Corporation. POSIX is a trademark of The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

[1]

Values shown here are the results of development-level systems. While these values should be indicative of generally available systems, no warranties or guarantees are stated or implied by IBM. IBM recommends application-oriented testing for performance predictions and offers the above commonly reported benchmarks only as an initial indicator. Additional information on these tests is available from your IBM local Branch Office or IBM AuthorizedReseller.

Linpack DP: Double Precision, n=100 results with AIX XL FORTRAN compiler with optimization. Units are megaflops(MFLOPS).

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References in this publication to IBM products or services do not imply that IBM intends to make them available outside the United States.

Photographs show engineering and design models. Changes may be incorporated in production models.

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