Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Understanding DCE is a technical and conceptual overview of OSF's Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) for programmers, technical managers, and marketing and sales people. Unlike many O'Reilly & Associates books, Understanding DCE has no hands-on programming elements. Instead, the book focuses on how DCE can be used to accomplish typical programming tasks and provides explanations to help the reader understand all the parts of DCE.Contents include:

Purpose and goals of the Distributed Computing Environment. Definition of a cell. Distributing applications using RPC. Improving program performance using threads. Protecting resources using the security service. Locating network resources using the directory (name) service. Synchronizing network time using the time service. Sharing and replicating files through the distributed file system. Design and implementation considerations in writing distributed applications. Getting started as a DCE administrator. Determining your cell's boundaries. Initial choices in configuration and administrative responsibilities. Scenarios for security policies. Considerations for breaking up or replicating services across multiple hosts. Sample DCE application. Answers to commonly asked DCE questions. Finding an external time provider. Registering a cell's DNS or X.500 address.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Ward Rosenberry is a technical writing consultant and author concentrating on distributed computing and computer networking technologies. Ward has distinguished himself writing about the Open Software Foundation's Distributed Computing Environment since 1989 when he helped write Digital Equipment Corporation's original DCE design documents. He has since co-authored two other O'Reilly books about distributed computing -- Understanding DCE and Distributing Applications Across DCE and Windows NT. He continues his close DCE involvement designing and developing DCE information both at Digital and at OSF and now operates a consulting firm, Rosenberry Associates, in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Ward graduated from the University of Lowell in 1979 with a B.A. in English. Ward, his wife Patricia Pestana, and their two children, William and John, live in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts. In addition to his contribution to the technical side of this book, Jim deserves some credit for keeping Ward alive by sending him an infusion of caffeine from Seattle's premier coffee roaster.

David Kenney is an award-winning technical author employed by Digital Equipment Corporation. He currently writes for Digital's Distributed Processing Engineering group, located in Littleton, Massachusetts. Since his arrival at DEC in 1989, David has written user documentation in support of Digital's distributed-naming software products, specifically the Cell Directory Service (CDS) and its progenitor offering, the Digital Distributed Name Service (DECdns). David graduated from Boston College in 1973 with a B.A. in English, specializing in mediaeval literature. David, his wife Lesley, and their two sons, Christopher and George, live in Ashby, Massachusetts. Gerry Fisher is a software technical-writing supervisor for Digital Equipment Corporation, in the distributed-computing area. He has been with Digital for eight years. As a technical writer, he has written documentation on the C, C++, and Pascal languages, and on the GKS and PHIGS graphical run-time libraries. Gerry graduated from Boston University in 1983 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Computer Science. Give him a sport to play or a good film to watch, and he's happy. Gerry currently divides his time between his home in Medford, Massachusetts, and the home of his loving partner, David Froais, in Boston.

Gerry Fisher is a software technical-writing supervisor for Digital Equipment Corporation, in the distributed-computing area. He has been with Digital for eight years. As a technical writer, he has written documentation on the C, C++, and Pascal languages, and on the GKS and PHIGS graphical run-time libraries. Gerry graduated from Boston University in 1983 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Computer Science. Give him a sport to play or a good film to watch, and he's happy. Gerry currently divides his time between his home in Medford, Massachusetts, and the home of his loving partner, David Froais, in Boston.