Network Data Representation (NDR)

Network Data Representation (NDR) is a data encoding and decoding method used in distributed systems, specifically in Remote Procedure Call (RPC) systems. NDR is part of the Open Network Computing Remote Procedure Call (ONC RPC) and the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) RPC, allowing different computers and systems to communicate by exchanging data in a standardized format. NDR facilitates data transfer between systems with different architectures, ensuring that data is correctly represented and understood on both ends.

Purpose: The primary purpose of NDR is to provide a consistent and standardized method for encoding and decoding data across different computer architectures, ensuring that data can be accurately transmitted and understood between systems.

Role: NDR plays a crucial role in distributed systems, as it enables communication and data exchange between different systems with varying architectures, byte orders (endianness), and data representation formats.

Components: NDR consists of the following components:

• Data representation: NDR specifies a standard format for representing data types such as integers, floating-point numbers, characters, and strings.
• Marshalling: This is the process of converting a system's native data representation into the standardized NDR format before transmission.
• Unmarshalling: This is the process of converting the received NDR-formatted data back into the native data representation of the receiving system.

Importance: NDR is important because it allows for seamless communication and data exchange between different computer systems, regardless of their underlying architectures or data representation formats. This interoperability is critical in distributed systems and applications that rely on the exchange of data between different components.

Benefits:

• Interoperability: NDR enables seamless communication between different computer systems, regardless of their underlying architectures or data representation formats.
• Consistency: By using a standardized data representation format, NDR ensures that data is accurately transmitted and understood between systems.

Pros:

• Simplifies communication: NDR makes it easier to exchange data between different systems by handling data encoding and decoding complexities.
• Supports heterogeneous environments: NDR enables communication between systems with different architectures, byte orders, and data representation formats.

Cons:

• Overhead: NDR introduces some additional overhead due to the marshalling and unmarshalling processes, which can impact performance.
• Complexity: Implementing NDR can be complex, as developers must ensure correct data encoding and decoding across various system architectures.

Example: A client application running on a little-endian system (e.g., an x86-based computer) needs to request data from a server running on a big-endian system (e.g., a PowerPC-based computer). By using NDR, the client and server can exchange data in a standardized format, ensuring accurate communication between the two systems, despite their different byte orders and architectures.

See Also

• IT Strategy (Information Technology Strategy)
• IT Governance
• Enterprise Architecture
• Chief Information Officer (CIO)
• IT Sourcing (Information Technology Sourcing)
• IT Operations (Information Technology Operations)
• E-Strategy