Name-to-address mapping

Name-to-address mapping is a feature that allows applications to obtain transport-specific addresses in a transport-independent manner. The administrator maintains a configuration file with records describing each transport provider available to be used by applications. Each transport provider's record contains the name of the shared library associated with that transport provider. This library contains name-to-address mapping routines specific to the transport protocol. When a new transport protocol is installed, a new entry in the configuration file is made, allowing network applications to make use of the new protocol without being changed.