computer science

Name resolution (computer systems)

Name resolution (computer systems) is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Name resolution (computer systems) rather than just read about it. In short: In computer systems, name resolution refers to the retrieval of the underlying numeric values corresponding to computer hostnames, account user names, group names, and other named entities. Computer operating systems commonly employ multiple key/value lists that associate easily remembered names with integer numbers used to identify users, groups, other computers, hardware devices, and other entities.

Key takeaways

Name resolution (computer systems) belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Name resolution (computer systems) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Name resolution (computer systems) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computer systems, name resolution refers to the retrieval of the underlying numeric values corresponding to computer hostnames, account user names, group names, and other named entities. Computer operating systems commonly employ multiple key/value lists that associate easily remembered names with integer numbers used to identify users, groups, other computers, hardware devices, and other entities. In that context, name resolution refers to the retrieval of numeric values given the associated names, while reverse name resolution refers to the opposite process of finding name(s) associated with specified numeric values:

In computer networking, it refers to processes used to obtain the assigned IP addresses needed to communicate with devices whose host or domain names are known. Examples include the Domain Name System (DNS), Network Information Service and Multicast DNS (mDNS). IP addresses for devices on the local segment can in turn be resolved to MAC addresses by invoking the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). Unix operating systems associate both an alphanumeric name and a user or group ID with each user account or defined group of user names. The GNU C Library provides various operating system facilities that shell commands and other applications can call to resolve such names to the corresponding addresses or IDs, and vice versa. Some Linux distributions use an nsswitch.conf file to specify the order in which multiple resolution services are used to effect such lookups.

See also Name server Multicast DNS Name Service Switch Identity resolution Naming collision

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Name resolution (computer systems)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Name resolution (computer systems) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Name resolution (computer systems) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Name resolution (computer systems) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Name resolution (computer systems)

In research: Name resolution (computer systems) appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Name resolution (computer systems) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Name resolution (computer systems) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer libraries, Computing stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Name resolution (computer systems) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Name resolution (computer systems) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Name resolution (computer systems) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Name resolution (computer systems) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Name resolution (computer systems) in simple terms?

Why does Name resolution (computer systems) matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Name resolution (computer systems)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Name resolution (computer systems).