MSRPC
Encyclopedia
Microsoft RPC is a modified version of DCE/RPC
. Additions include support for Unicode
strings, implicit handles, inheritance of interfaces (which are extensively used in DCOM
), and complex calculations in the variable-length string and structure paradigms already present in DCE/RPC.
, with very little effort. For example, the Windows Server domain
s protocols are entirely MSRPC based, as is Microsoft's DNS
administrative tool. Microsoft Exchange Server
5.5's administrative front-ends are all MSRPC client/server applications, and its MAPI was made more secure by "proxying" MAPI over a set of simple MSRPC functions that enable encryption at the MSRPC layer without involving the MAPI protocol.
1.2 reference implementation from the Open Software Foundation
, but has been copyrighted by Microsoft. DCE/RPC was originally commissioned by the Open Software Foundation, an industry consortium to set vendor- and technology-neutral open standards for computing infrastructure. None of the Unix
vendors (now represented by the Open Group), wanted to use the complex DCE or such components as DCE/RPC at the time.
The Microsoft proprietary technology, Distributed Component Object Model
(DCOM) is for software components distributed across several networked computers to communicate with each other. The "D" was added to COM because of extensive use of DCE/RPC. DCOM, which originally was called "Network OLE", extends Microsoft's COM, and provides the communication substrate under Microsoft's COM+ application server infrastructure. It has been deprecated in favor of Microsoft .NET Framework
. Microsoft donated DCOM
to the Open Group.
The technology used by Microsoft in MSRPC is now deprecated and replaced by MPI
DCE/RPC
DCE/RPC, short for "Distributed Computing Environment / Remote Procedure Calls", is the remote procedure call system developed for the Distributed Computing Environment...
. Additions include support for Unicode
Unicode
Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
strings, implicit handles, inheritance of interfaces (which are extensively used in DCOM
Distributed component object model
Distributed Component Object Model is a proprietary Microsoft technology for communication among software components distributed across networked computers. DCOM, which originally was called "Network OLE", extends Microsoft's COM, and provides the communication substrate under Microsoft's COM+...
), and complex calculations in the variable-length string and structure paradigms already present in DCE/RPC.
Example
The DCE 1.0 reference implementation only allows such constructs as "size_is(len)", or possibly "size_is(len-1)". MSRPC allows much more complex constructs such as "size_is(len / 2 - 1)" and even "length_is ((max & ~0x7) + 0x7)", a common expression in DCOM IDL files.Use
MSRPC was used by Microsoft to seamlessly create a client/server model in Windows NTWindows NT
Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. It was a powerful high-level-language-based, processor-independent, multiprocessing, multiuser operating system with features comparable to Unix. It was intended to complement...
, with very little effort. For example, the Windows Server domain
Windows Server domain
A Windows domain is a collection of security principals that share a central directory database. This central database contains the user accounts and security information for...
s protocols are entirely MSRPC based, as is Microsoft's DNS
Domain name system
The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
administrative tool. Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is the server side of a client–server, collaborative application product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure products...
5.5's administrative front-ends are all MSRPC client/server applications, and its MAPI was made more secure by "proxying" MAPI over a set of simple MSRPC functions that enable encryption at the MSRPC layer without involving the MAPI protocol.
History
MSRPC is derived from the Distributed Computing EnvironmentDistributed Computing Environment
The Distributed Computing Environment is a software system developed in the early 1990s by a consortium that included Apollo Computer , IBM, Digital Equipment Corporation, and others. The DCE supplies a framework and toolkit for developing client/server applications...
1.2 reference implementation from the Open Software Foundation
Open Software Foundation
The Open Software Foundation was a not-for-profit organization founded in 1988 under the U.S. National Cooperative Research Act of 1984 to create an open standard for an implementation of the UNIX operating system.-History:...
, but has been copyrighted by Microsoft. DCE/RPC was originally commissioned by the Open Software Foundation, an industry consortium to set vendor- and technology-neutral open standards for computing infrastructure. None of the Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
vendors (now represented by the Open Group), wanted to use the complex DCE or such components as DCE/RPC at the time.
The Microsoft proprietary technology, Distributed Component Object Model
Distributed component object model
Distributed Component Object Model is a proprietary Microsoft technology for communication among software components distributed across networked computers. DCOM, which originally was called "Network OLE", extends Microsoft's COM, and provides the communication substrate under Microsoft's COM+...
(DCOM) is for software components distributed across several networked computers to communicate with each other. The "D" was added to COM because of extensive use of DCE/RPC. DCOM, which originally was called "Network OLE", extends Microsoft's COM, and provides the communication substrate under Microsoft's COM+ application server infrastructure. It has been deprecated in favor of Microsoft .NET Framework
.NET Framework
The .NET Framework is a software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large library and supports several programming languages which allows language interoperability...
. Microsoft donated DCOM
Distributed component object model
Distributed Component Object Model is a proprietary Microsoft technology for communication among software components distributed across networked computers. DCOM, which originally was called "Network OLE", extends Microsoft's COM, and provides the communication substrate under Microsoft's COM+...
to the Open Group.
The technology used by Microsoft in MSRPC is now deprecated and replaced by MPI
External links
- MSRPC at TechNet
- http://www.hsc.fr/ressources/articles/win_net_srv/chap_msrpc.html, a chapter on MSRPC from a technical article by Jean-Baptiste Marchand.