Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bgsuvax!rama
From: rama@bgsuvax.UUCP (Sub Ramakrishnan)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: How to find directory of rpc services?
Keywords: rpc, portmapper, client, server
Message-ID: <6988@bgsuvax.UUCP>
Date: 15 Feb 91 21:16:10 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Lines: 17


I have a question for those SUN rpc gurus.
Background: The portmapper daemon (on port # 111) helps clients
find server programs. Servers register their services with the
portmapper. The client call goes to port # 111; portmapper
returns the port # of the server in its reply message. 
The client can then sends rpc messages to this port #.

Question: How does a client find the "directory" of services
(service name, port # and a description) offered on a  machine.
The client knows neither the name nor the server port #.
Two ways that I don't like:
(1). The client can exhaustively poll all possible port #s.
(2)  Read /etc/services file; does'nt give you services that "come & go".
I am looking for ways to find the services at run time.
Much appreciated.
sub ramakrishnan       rama@truth.bgsu.edu    Voice: 419 372 2337