Apple Mac OS X Server (version 10.2.3 or later) - Manual (Page 583)

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C H A P T E R
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SLP DA Service
Service Location Protocol Directory Agent (SLP DA) provides structure to the services (or
resources) available on a network and gives users easy access to them. Anything that can be
accessed using a URL—including file servers, WebDAV servers, NFS servers, printers, and
personal Web servers—can be a network service.
When a service is added to your network, it uses SLP to “register” itself—or make its
presence known and identify the service it provides—on the network. You don’t have to
configure the service manually. When a client computer needs to locate a network service, it
uses SLP to look for that type of service. All registered services that match the client
computer’s request are displayed to the user, who can then choose which one to use.
SLP Directory Agent (DA) is an improvement on basic SLP, storing registered network
services in a central repository. You can set up a directory agent to keep track of services for
one or more scopes (groups of services). When a client computer looks for network services,
the directory agent for the scope in which the client computer is located responds with a list
of available services. Because a computer only needs to look locally for services, network
traffic is kept to a minimum and users can connect to network services more quickly.
SLP DA Considerations
Normally, SLP service sends requests to all SLP services on a network, which can substantially
increase network traffic. If you have a large network, SLP communications can slow network
performance and increase the amount of time users must wait to locate network services.
You can improve SLP performance by setting up SLP DA service. You should also consider
setting up more than one directory agent, so client computers can contact the directory
agent closest to them for services, and services can be registered with more than one
directory agent.
Before You Begin
Before you set up SLP DA service, read these overview steps to learn about defining scopes
and making sure of client and router compatibility.
LL0395.Book Page 583 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 11:44 AM