Naming service database updating technique

Claim 1

A naming service for use in a plurality of client nodes and a plurality of server nodes interconnected by a communications link, said naming service comprising: A. a database of entries each containing information needed for responding to name service requests from said client nodes; B. a clerk means in each of said client nodes for transmitting service request messages to initiate selected operations, said service request messages including database update request messages for causing entries of said database to be updated; C. a name server means in each of at least two of said server nodes, each of said name server means including: i. transaction agent means for receiving said service request messages from said clerk means; ii. database means containing at least a portion but not all of said database entries; iii. update means for updating said entries in response to said database update request messages if said database means contains the entries to be updated; iv. update transfer means connected to said communications link for transferring database update requests and database updates over said communications link from said name server means in one server node to other server nodes containing name server means, regardless of whether the database means in the one server node contains the entries to be updated; and v. control means connected to said transaction agent means, said database means, and said update transfer means for enabling said update transfer means and said database means to engage in an update operation cooperatively with another server node containing name server means in response to a database update request message received by said transaction agent means.