N

name service

A service that maps names to objects and stores the name/object pairs in a database. For example, the RPC name service maps a logical name to a binding handle so client applications can refer to that logical name, rather than a protocol sequence and network address. See also nsid, CDS, Locator.

Network Computing Architecture (NCA)

A collection of guidelines for distributed computing. The RPC communication protocols follow these guidelines.

Name Service Independent (NSI)

A standard for API functions that allows a distributed application to access RPC name-service database elements through various name-service providers, such as OSF-DCE Cell Directory Service or the Microsoft Locator. See also name-service interface daemon (nsid).

name-service interface daemon (nsid)

A service that provides an interface between the Microsoft Locator and the OSF-DCE Cell Directory Service name service databases for RPC name-service functions.

named pipe

A connection-oriented protocol, based on Server Message Blocks (SMBs) and NetBIOS, used for communication between a server process and one or more client processes.

NetBIOS Extended User Interface (NetBEUI)

LAN Manager's native transport protocol and network device driver. See also NetBIOS.

Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS)

A software interface between the Microsoft® MS-DOS® operating system, the I/O bus, and a local area network.

Network Data Representation (NDR)

A standard format used during network transmission that is independent of the data-type format on any particular computer architecture. Transmitted data includes information that specifies its NDR format.

network address

An address that identifies a server on a network.

non-encapsulated union

A discriminated union that is less restrictive than an encapsulated union in that the discriminant and the union are not tightly bound. If the union is a parameter, the discriminant is another parameter; if the union is a structure field, the discriminant is another structure field. The IDL keywords switch_is and switch_type identify the discriminant and its type. See also encapsulated union.

non-idempotent

In RPC, indicates that a remote procedure call cannot be executed more than once because it will return a different value or change a state.