Network transparency in distributed systems with a directory server

Abstract

A simple system architecture with a directory server and a global working directory as supporting facilities is proposed in this thesis. The directory server is used to store global information. It is logically connected to each local system and is connected each other by a dedicated special channel. The basic functions of the directory server are proposed and designed. For resolving names and easy resource sharing, the proposed system includes two special-purpose registers: the present working directory and the global working directory. The global working directory is used for resolving names, and the function of the present working directory of the existing system (VAX/4.2 bsd) is extended to support network operation. With this system, the network transparency in the LOCUS is achieved at a low cost.