## Overview - DCE Host Services

Every DCE host must maintain certain kinds of data about itself and the servers it provides. For example, each host stores configuration data about its DCE environment, and it also stores data about servers registered and running on the host. In addition, each host needs some services to not only manage this data but also to administer the host and DCE servers. For example, a service that can start and stop specific servers has obvious value. The DCE host services consist of the following:

· Endpoint Mapper

The endpoint mapper service enables a client to find servers on a particular host and the services and objects provided by those services. This service maintains on each host an endpoint map that contains a mapping of port addresses (endpoints) to servers, the services servers provide, and the objects servers manage.

· Hostdata Management

The hostdata management service stores and controls access to such data as the host's cell name, the host name, and the cell alias names, among other things.

· Server Management

The server management service can start and stop specified servers on a host, enable or disable specific services provided by a server, and manage configuration and execution data about these servers.

· Security Validation

The security validation service maintains a login context for the host's identity of itself, maintains the host principal's keys, and ensures applications (especially login programs) that the DCE security daemon (secd) is genuine.

· Key Table Management

A server uses private keys for its security instead of human-entered passwords. The key table management service can be used to manage the keys stored in key tables on a server's host.

Of course, in a distributed environment, these data and services must be easily yet securely accessible from other hosts. The DCE host daemon (dced) is a continuously running program on each host that provides access to the host services either locally on that host or remotely from another host.