#### Environment Variables

DCE RPC provides predefined environment variables that a client can use for NSI operations. An environment variable is a variable that stores information, such as a name, about a particular environment. The NSI interface provides two environment variables, RPC_DEFAULT_ENTRY and RPC_DEFAULT_ENTRY_SYNTAX , which are described in the OSF DCE Application Development Reference . Used together, these environment variables identify an entry name and indicate its syntax.

When a client searches for binding information, the search starts with a specific entry name. Optionally, a client can specify this entry name as the value of the RPC_DEFAULT_ENTRY variable. A client can also specify the name syntax of the starting entry as the value of the RPC_DEFAULT_ENTRY_SYNTAX variable; the default name syntax is dce.

Note: The dce name syntax is the only syntax currently supported by CDS. However, NSI is independent of any specific directory service and depending on your vendor, may support one or more alternative directory services that use different name syntaxes.

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