Name Space Information

This system was put together to serve as a convenient tool for the various campus system operators to use to maintain a single computer account name space. We need this so that

1. Users don't have any question about what their account names are - they will only have one (well, two.)
2. System operators acting independently don't generate conflicting account names on their various machines.

Two account names are maintained for each campus computer user, a short set (up to 8 characters) for use on Unix and OpenVMS machines, and a long set (up to 20 characters) for use on Macintosh and Windows machines.

To use this system you must be a registered operator. To do so, contact David Mathog.

You access this system through the web using these three forms:

Single User Search (anybody)
Single User Entry/Search (operators only)
Multiple User Entry/Search (operators only)

There are also two scripts available for converting Unix passwd files and OpenVMS SYSUAF.DAT files to either raw database format or the comma delimited format required for the multiple entry form. Warning: be careful that the download is done in TEXT format or the resulting files will likely be mangled! The nawk script works on POSIX, SGI, Digital Unix, and SunOS 4.x, but Unix not being Unix always, there is no guarantee that it will work elsewhere. For the output of either script some postprocessing with an editor may be desired, for instance, to change the division from "Unclassified" to "Mathematics", and the status from "Unclassified" to "Faculty". The method used on OpenVMS systems truncates the full names to twenty characters, so you may want to go back and fix those few that are over this limit. Look inside the two procedures for examples of their use.

The single user search form is more or less self explanatory. No modifications to the database can be made, and the default is to return no more than 20 records no matter how many matches are found. If you relax that maxium be very careful what you ask for, as it is possible to formulate a query which will download several thousand records.

The single user entry/search form is also relatively straightforward. Fill out the fields, select Search, Verified Submit, or Forced Submit mode, and then submit the form.

In Search mode all filled out fields (but not the pull down lists) will be searched against the database (field OR field OR pattern_fragment OR pattern_fragment etc.), and all hits returned. The full name field will require an exact match except for case and white space (internal white space is trimmed to one space, end white space is eliminated.) If you paste the same name into the search field, then any part of the name can match any part of any record (initials are discarded.) The fields for short and long account names will only match their respective fields in the database (case insensitive.)

In Verified Submit mode the proposed short and long account names will be checked to make sure that no conflicts exist, then the record will be added to the database. No other fields are checked, so you better do search first to make sure that this user doesn't have some other account name already!

In Forced Submit mode the data is added to the database with no checking whatsoever. Normally you would only do this to add a record correcting an error in an entry or to change the status of a user.

The multiple name form is slightly harder to use. You paste in a series of lines like:

short,long,full name,division,status
public, John Q. Public,John Q. Public,Biology,Graduate Student
public, John Q. Public,John Q. Public,,
,,John Q. Public,,


The second line above gives a specific example with all fields supplied. The third line shows the Status and Division fields blank, in which case they default to Unclassified (as on the pull down menu for single users.) The fourth line shows the short and long account names also blank - this form can be used to search, but not to submit.

Search mode on the multiple entry form will pick up an exact field match on short account name, long account name, or user name fields. It will also pick up hits on the users family name that occur in any part of a record.

Verified Submit mode on the multiple entry form only reject exact matches on the short account name, long account name, or full name fields. If no conflict with those is found the name will be accepted.

In Forced Submit mode no checking for preexisting records is performed and the data is appended to the database as supplied.

The name space system will reject proposed account names that differ from an existing name only by case. The system will not under any circumstances add a record where the short account, long account, or full name fields are blank.