1.1 Glossary

This document uses the following terms:

activation: In the DCOM protocol, a mechanism by which a client provides the CLSID of an object class and obtains an object, either from that object class or a class factory that is able to create such objects. For more information, see [MS-DCOM].

class identifier (CLSID): A GUID that identifies a software component; for instance, a DCOM object class or a COM class.

client: A computer on which the remote procedure call (RPC) client is executing.

computer name: The DNS or NetBIOS name.

conglomeration: A collection of event classes and subscriptions together with independent configuration data that is conceptually shared by the both the event classes and subscriptions. A conglomeration is identified by a conglomeration identifier.

event: A discrete unit of historical data that an application exposes that can be relevant to other applications. An example of an event would be a particular user logging on to the computer.

event class: A collection of historical data grouped together using criteria specified by the publishing application.

event interface: A collection of event methods. An event class contains one or more event interfaces.

event method: A method called by the publisher-subscriber framework when the publisher application generates an event.

filtering criteria: A set of rules specified by a subscriber as part of a subscription to define the type of historical data it wants to receive.

globally unique identifier (GUID): A term used interchangeably with universally unique identifier (UUID) in Microsoft protocol technical documents (TDs). Interchanging the usage of these terms does not imply or require a specific algorithm or mechanism to generate the value. Specifically, the use of this term does not imply or require that the algorithms described in [RFC4122] or [C706] have to be used for generating the GUID. See also universally unique identifier (UUID).

GUID_NULL: A GUID that has the value "{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}".

interface pointer: A pointer to an interface that is implemented by an [MS-DCOM] object.

object: In the DCOM protocol, a software entity that implements one or more object remote protocol (ORPC) interfaces and which is uniquely identified, within the scope of an object exporter, by an object identifier (OID). For more information, see [MS-DCOM].

object class: In the DCOM protocol, a category of objects identified by a CLSID, members of which can be obtained through activation of the CLSID. An object class is typically associated with a common set of interfaces that are implemented by all objects in the object class.

opnum: An operation number or numeric identifier that is used to identify a specific remote procedure call (RPC) method or a method in an interface. For more information, see [C706] section 12.5.2.12 or [MS-RPCE].

partition: A container for a specific configuration of a COM+ object class.

partition identifier: A GUID that identifies a partition.

path: When referring to a file path on a file system, a hierarchical sequence of folders. When referring to a connection to a storage device, a connection through which a machine can communicate with the storage device.

persistent subscription: A subscription in which the subscriber supplies the data necessary to obtain an object that will receive historical data.

publisher: An application that needs to publish historical data that could be of interest to other applications.

publisher-subscriber framework: An application framework that allows applications to expose historical data to other applications that might receive this data.

remote procedure call (RPC): A communication protocol used primarily between client and server. The term has three definitions that are often used interchangeably: a runtime environment providing for communication facilities between computers (the RPC runtime); a set of request-and-response message exchanges between computers (the RPC exchange); and the single message from an RPC exchange (the RPC message).  For more information, see [C706].

security identifier (SID): An identifier for security principals that is used to identify an account or a group. Conceptually, the SID is composed of an account authority portion (typically a domain) and a smaller integer representing an identity relative to the account authority, termed the relative identifier (RID). The SID format is specified in [MS-DTYP] section 2.4.2; a string representation of SIDs is specified in [MS-DTYP] section 2.4.2 and [MS-AZOD] section 1.1.1.2.

security principal: A unique entity that is identifiable through cryptographic means by at least one key. It frequently corresponds to a human user, but also can be a service that offers a resource to other security principals. Also referred to as principal.

server: A computer on which the remote procedure call (RPC) server is executing.

subscriber: An application that needs to receive events that are published by another application.

subscription: A registration performed by a subscriber to specify a requirement to receive events, future messages, or historical data.

transient subscription: A subscription in which the subscriber supplies the object that will receive historical data.

type library: A type collection which defines an event class in terms of its event interfaces. A type library is specified by using a type library file.

type library file: A path name that identifies a type library.

Universal Naming Convention (UNC): A string format that specifies the location of a resource. For more information, see [MS-DTYP] section 2.2.57.

universally unique identifier (UUID): A 128-bit value. UUIDs can be used for multiple purposes, from tagging objects with an extremely short lifetime, to reliably identifying very persistent objects in cross-process communication such as client and server interfaces, manager entry-point vectors, and RPC objects. UUIDs are highly likely to be unique. UUIDs are also known as globally unique identifiers (GUIDs) and these terms are used interchangeably in the Microsoft protocol technical documents (TDs). Interchanging the usage of these terms does not imply or require a specific algorithm or mechanism to generate the UUID. Specifically, the use of this term does not imply or require that the algorithms described in [RFC4122] or [C706] has to be used for generating the UUID.

MAY, SHOULD, MUST, SHOULD NOT, MUST NOT: These terms (in all caps) are used as defined in [RFC2119]. All statements of optional behavior use either MAY, SHOULD, or SHOULD NOT.