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CHAPTER 1
About Network Setup
Network Setup Architecture
13
Figure 1-2
Network Setup in Mac OS 8.5 through the present
The following key points are to be taken from Figure 1-2:
■
The Network Setup library provides a standard programming interface for
manipulating network configurations stored in the Network Setup database.
The database is designed to store network preferences reliably even if the
system crashes while preferences are being modified.
■
The Network Setup library provides automatic synchronization between the
database and legacy preference files. Synchronization allows existing
software with dependencies on the format of those files (such as third-party
Internet setup software, Apple control panels, and protocol stacks) to
continue working in the new environment.
■
Third-party developers are encouraged to migrate to the Network Setup
programming interface, but in so doing, their existing applications in the
field will not break.
■
Network Setup scripting is a bridge between the Network Setup
programming interface and AppleScript. It allows script developers to
manipulate network configurations through a standard AppleScript object
model interface.
The primary disadvantage of the current Network Setup architecture is that the
synchronization between the legacy preferences files and the Network Setup
database is a time consuming operation. Consequently, Apple intends to
Network
Setup
scripting
Legacy
control
panels
Legacy
protocol
stacks
Legacy
preferences
files
Network Setup library
Third-party
application
TCP/IP
TCP/IP
TCP/IP
TCP/IP
Protocol
Stack
TCP/IP
Protocol
Stack
TCP/IP
Protocol
Stack
Public interface
Network Setup database
Network Setup
aware applications