Communications Programming Concepts

List of RPC Programming References

The list includes:

Subroutines and Macros

The list of subroutines and macros is arranged by function:

Authenticating Remote Procedure Calls

RPC provides these subroutines and macros for creating and destroying authentication information:

authnone_create	Creates null authentication information.
authunix_create	Creates an authentication handle with operating system permissions.
authunix_create_default	Sets the authentication to the default.
authdes_create	Enables the use of DES from the client side.
authdes_getucred	Maps a DES credential into a UNIX credential.
auth_destroy	Destroys authentication information.

Managing the Client

RPC provides subroutines and macros for the following client management tasks:

Creating an RPC Client for a Remote Program

clntraw_create	Creates a sample RPC client handle for simulation.
clnttcp_create	Creates a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) client transport handle.
clntudp_create	Creates a User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol (UDP/IP) client transport handle.
clnt_create	Creates a generic client transport handle.

Changing or Retrieving Client Information

clnt_control

Changes or retrieves information about a client object.

Destroying a Client RPC Handle

clnt_destroy

Destroys a client's RPC handle.

Broadcasting a Remote Procedure Call

clnt_broadcast

Broadcasts a remote procedure call to all network hosts.

Calling a Remote Procedure

callrpc	Calls the remote procedure on the machine associated with the host parameter.
clnt_call	Calls the remote procedure associated with the clnt parameter.

Freeing Memory Allocated by RPC and XDR

clnt_freeres

Frees memory allocated by RPC and XDR.

Handling Client Errors

clnt_pcreateerror	Identifies why a client RPC handle was not created.
clnt_perrno	Specifies the condition of the stat parameter.
clnt_perror	Determines why a remote procedure call failed.
clnt_geterr	Copies error information from a client transport handle.
clnt_spcreateerror	Identifies why a client RPC handle was not created.
clnt_sperrno	Specifies the condition of the stat parameter.
clnt_sperror	Indicates why a remote procedure call failed.

Managing the Server

RPC provides subroutines and macros for the following server management tasks:

Creating an RPC Service Transport Handle

svcraw_create	Creates a sample RPC service handle for simulation.
svctcp_create	Creates a TCP/IP service transport handle.
svcudp_create	Creates a UDP/IP service transport handle.
svcfd_create	Creates a service on any open file descriptor.

Destroying an RPC Service Transport Handle

svc_destroy

Destroys a service transport handle.

Registering and Unregistering RPC Procedures and Handles

registerrpc	Registers a procedure with the RPC service.
xprt_register	Registers an RPC service transport handle.
xprt_unregister	Removes an RPC service transport handle.
svc_register	Maps a remote procedure.
svc_unregister	Removes mappings between procedures and objects.

Handling an RPC Request

svc_run	Signals a wait for the arrival of RPC requests.
svc_getreqset	Services an RPC request.
svc_getargs	Decodes the arguments of an RPC request.
svc_sendreply	Sends back the results of a remote procedure call.
svc_freeargs	Frees data allocated by the RPC and XDR system.
svc_getcaller	Gets the network address of the caller of a procedure.

Handling Server Errors

svcerr_auth	Indicates that the remote procedure call cannot be completed due to an authentication error.
svcerr_decode	Indicates that the parameters of a request cannot be decoded.
svcerr_noproc	Indicates that the remote procedure call cannot be completed because the program cannot support the requested procedure.
svcerr_noprog	Indicates that the remote procedure call cannot be completed because the program is not registered.
svcerr_progvers	Indicates that the remote procedure call cannot be completed because the program version is not registered.
svcerr_systemerr	Indicates that the remote procedure call cannot be completed due to an error not covered by any protocol.
svcerr_weakauth	Indicates that the remote procedure call cannot be completed due to insufficient authentication security parameters.

Using RPC Utilities

host2netname	Converts a host name to a network name.
netname2host	Converts a network name to a host name.
netname2user	Converts a network name to a user ID.
user2netname	Converts a user ID to a network name.
getnetname	Installs the network name of the caller in the array.
get_myaddress	Gets the user's IP address.
getrpcent, getrpcbyname, getrpcbynumber, setrpcent, or endrpcent	Accesses the /etc/rpc file.
rtime	Returns the remote time in the timeval structure.

Using DES Interface to the keyserv Daemon

key_decryptsession	Decrypts a server network name and a DES key.
key_encryptsession	Encrypts a server network name and a DES key.
key_gendes	Requests a secure conversation key from the keyserv daemon.
key_setsecret	Sets the key for the user ID of the calling process.

Interfacing to the portmap Daemon

pmap_getmaps	Returns a list of the current RPC port mappings.
pmap_getport	Requests the port number on which a service waits.
pmap_rmtcall	Instructs the portmap daemon to make an RPC.
pmap_set	Maps an RPC to a port.
pmap_unset	Destroys the mapping between the RPC and the port.
xdr_pmap	Describes parameters for portmap procedures.
xdr_pmaplist	Describes a list of port mappings externally.

Describing and Encoding Remote Procedure Calls

RPC provides subroutines for describing and encoding RPC call and reply messages, authentication, and port mappings:

xdr_accepted_reply	Encodes RPC reply messages.
xdr_authunix_parms	Describes UNIX-style credentials.
xdr_callhdr	Describes RPC call header messages.
xdr_callmsg	Describes RPC call messages.
xdr_opaque_auth	Describes RPC authentication messages.
xdr_rejected_reply	Describes RPC message rejection replies.
xdr_replymsg	Describes RPC message replies.

Examples