0.32: What are name services?

Distributed computing environments often employ naming and directory services to obtain shared components and resources. Naming and directory services associate names with locations, services, information, and resources. Naming services provide name-to-object mappings. Directory services provide information on objects and the search tools required to locate those objects. There are many naming and directory service implementations, and the interfaces to them vary.

The WebSphere administrative server has two naming and directory services: Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) and Location Service Daemon (LSD).

JNDI provides a common interface that is used to access the various naming and directory services. Each object has a unique JNDI name by which other objects can identify and find it.

LSD listens at a fixed port and keeps track of the namespaces in use across a network. It processes requests to locate persistent object references and redirects clients to the appropriate application server.