| ### background skulk time An automatic timer that guarantees a maximum lapse of time between skulks of a CDS directory, regardless of other factors, such as namespace management activities and user-initiated skulks. Every 24 hours, a CDS server checks each master replica in its clearinghouse and initiates a skulk if changes were made in a replica since the last time a skulk of that replica completed successfully. ### backup DFS: The dump of a fileset to a permanent medium such as tape. To back up also means to clone a read/write fileset, which results in a backup fileset. ### backup database DFS: A database that records the dump schedule for backups, the Backup System's Tape Coordinators, the fileset families that can be dumped, and other administrative information. ### backup database machine DFS: A server machine in a cell that houses the Backup Database. See also server machine. ### backup fileset DFS: A fileset created by cloning (copying) a read/write fileset (referred to as the source fileset). The backup version always resides on the same aggregate as its source and usually requires little disk space. It preserves the state of the read/write fileset at the time of the cloning. See also clone , read-only fileset , read/write fileset. ### backup fileset ID DFS: A unique fileset identification number (fileset ID) assigned to the backup version of a fileset. ### backup server DFS: A server process that runs on Backup Database machines (which house the Backup Database). It communicates with the Backup Database to back up and restore filesets and aggregates. ### backup system DFS: A system that allows you to copy fileset data to tape and restore it from tape if necessary. The DFS Backup System consists of the Backup Server, the Backup Database, and one or more Tape Coordinator machines. See also dump, restore. ### basename DFS: In the scout program, the DCE path name prefix common to the File Server machines to be monitored. If specified on the command line, the basename is displayed in the program's banner line. See also scout. ### Basic Encoding Rules (BER) A set of rules used to encode ASN.1 values as strings of octets. ### basic overseer server (BOS Server) DFS: A server process that runs on all DFS server machines. It monitors the other DFS server processes running on its machine; it can usually restart those that fail without requiring intervention from a human operator. ### BER See Basic Encoding Rules. ### big endian An attribute of data representation that reflects how multioctet data is stored in memory. In big endian representation, the lowest addressed octet of a multioctet data item is the most significant. See also endian, little endian. ### binary distribution machine DFS: A server machine that distributes DFS binaries to other File Server machines of its machine type (same CPU/operating system). It runs the server portion of the update server for this purpose. There is one binary distribution machine of each machine type that the cell uses as a DFS server machine. See also server machine, update server, upserver. ### binary timestamp An opaque 128-bit (16-octet) binary number that represents a DTS time value. ### binding RPC: A relationship between a client and a server involved in a remote procedure call. ### binding handle RPC: A reference to binding information that defines one possible binding (a client/server relationship). See also binding, binding handle, primitive binding handle. ### binding handle vector RPC: A data structure that contains an array of binding handles and the size of the array. See also binding handle. ### binding information RPC: Information about one or more potential bindings, including an RPC protocol sequence, a network address, an endpoint, at least one transfer syntax, and an RPC protocol version number. See also binding , endpoint , network address , RPC protocol sequence , RPC protocol, transfer syntax. ### binding management method RPC: Any of the methods for managing the binding for a remote procedure call. See also automatic binding method, implicit binding method, explicit binding method. ### blocking call A call in which a caller is suspended until a called procedure completes. ### bnode DFS: A structure that describes common characteristics of the BOS Server process. There are two types: simple and cron. Processes are created through bnodes. See also Basic OverSeer Server. ### BOS server See Basic OverSeer Server. ### broadcast Threads: To wake all threads waiting on a condition variable. See also signal. ### broadcast semantics RPC: A form of idempotent semantics that indicates that the operation is always broadcast to all host systems on the local network, rather than delivered to a specific system. An operation with broadcast semantics is implicitly idempotent. Broadcast semantics are supported only by connectionless protocols. See also at-most-once semantics , idempotent semantics, maybe semantics. ### browser A Motif-based program that lets users view the contents and structure of a cell namespace. ### butc process DFS: A process that runs on a Tape Coordinator machine to monitor the activity of a tape drive. One butc process must run for each tape drive on the machine. See also Tape Coordinator.