12 OpenSLP Administration
Internet Express provides the OpenSLP server and Application Program Interfaces based on the SLP Version 2 standard protocol. The Service Location Protocol (SLP) provides client/server applications with the means to discover and select system services on the network.
This chapter provides the following information:
•An overview of OpenSLP (Section : OpenSLP Overview).
•A listing of OpenSLP configuration files and examples (Section : Configuration Files and Examples).
•Instructions for configuring OpenSLP (Section : Configuring OpenSLP).
•Instructions for running the OpenSLP example configuration (Section : Running the Example Configuration).
•Considerations for using the SLP Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) (Section : Considerations for Using SLP APIs).
•Links to OpenSLP online documentation (Section : Documentation).
OpenSLP Overview
Internet Express kit provides the OpenSLP server and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) based on the SLP Version 2 standard protocol (RFC 2608).
Using OpenSLP, connection to services is based on a request for a type of service (for example, printing) and a set of service provider attributes (for example, printer configuration). Under the SLP framework, software agents process protocol messages that define service discovery and service connection operations. A User Agent issues a service request on behalf of an application. A call is multicast to Service Agents, one or more of which advertise the requested service and return a URL indicating location of a service provider. Services can include printers, Web servers, file systems, databases, fax machines, and so on.
OpenSLP provides an alternative to the static configuration of network services and allows users and applications to dynamically query services available on the network and to select the appropriate service without having to know the network host name.
Configuration Files and Examples
When you install the IAESLP subset, the following files and examples are installed on the operating system.
File/Example | Description |
libslp.so | The SLP library. The file is 114KB and is installed in /usr/shlib with the |
| appropriate ownership and protection. |
slpd | The SLP daemon. The file is 196KB and is installed in /usr/sbin with the |
| appropriate ownership and protection. |
keytool | The public/private key generation utility. The file is 29KB and is installed in |
| /usr/sbin with the appropriate ownership and protection. |
slp.h | The SLP header file. The file is 59KB and is installed in /usr/include with |
| the appropriate ownership and protection. |
slp.conf | The SLP configuration file. This file is installed in /etc with the appropriate |
| ownership and protection. |
slp.reg | The SLP registration file. This file is installed in /etc with the appropriate |
| ownership and protection. |
OpenSLP Overview 207
