Specifications

Glossary 101
single sign-on An authentication strategy that relieves users from entering a name
and password separately for every network service. Mac OS X Server uses Kerberos to
enable single sign-on.
SLP DA Service Location Protocol Directory Agent. A protocol that registers services
available on a network and gives users easy access to them. When a service is added to
the network, the service uses SLP to register itself on the network. SLP/DA uses a
centralized repository for registered network services.
SMB/CIFS Server Message Block/Common Internet File System. A protocol that allows
client computers to access files and network services. It can be used over TCP/IP, the
Internet, and other network protocols. Windows services use SMB/CIFS to provide
access to servers, printers, and other network resources.
TCP Transmission Control Protocol. A method used along with the Internet Protocol
(IP) to send data in the form of message units between computers over the Internet. IP
takes care of handling the actual delivery of the data, and TCP takes care of keeping
track of the individual units of data (called packets) into which a message is divided for
efficient routing through the Internet.
ticket, Kerberos A temporary credential that proves a Kerberos client’s identity to a
service.
Transmission Control Protocol See TCP.
UDP User Datagram Protocol. A communications method that uses the Internet
Protocol (IP) to send a data unit (called a datagram) from one computer to another in a
network. Network applications that have very small data units to exchange may use
UDP rather than TCP.
UID User ID. A number that uniquely identifies a user within a file system. Mac OS X
computers use the UID to keep track of a user’s directory and file ownership.
URL Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a computer, file, or resource that can be
accessed on a local network or the Internet. The URL is made up of the name of the
protocol needed to access the resource, a domain name that identifies a specific
computer on the Internet, and a hierarchical description of a file location on the
computer.
User Datagram Protocol See UDP.
user ID See UID.
user name The long name for a user, sometimes referred to as the user’s “real” name.
See also short name.