Abstract
Naming in distributed systems is modelled as a string translation problem. Viewing names as strings and name resolution mechanisms as syntax directed translators provides a formal handle on the loosely understood concepts associated with naming: we give precise definitions for such informal terminology as name spaces, addresses, routes, source-routing, and implicit-routing; we identify the properties of naming systems, including under what conditions they support unique names, relative names, absolute names, and synonyms; and we discuss how the basic elements of the model can be implemented by name servers.
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This work supported in part by National Science Foundation Grants MCS-8219178 and DCR-8609396
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Comer, D.E., Peterson, L.L. Understanding naming in distributed systems. Distrib Comput 3, 51–60 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01558663
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01558663