Rendezvous Tools
Background
In Mac OS X 10.2, Apple introduced an adaptation of an increasingly
popular technology, known as "Zero Config". Apple's implementation
of this technology is appropriately known as "Rendezvous".
In theory, a zero config (zeroconf) network would require absolutely
no network configuration. It should auto-discover other devices on your
network and potentially also set themselves up ready for use.
How does it work?
Rendezvous works by using a special kind of DNS responder that
broadcasts across a local network no matter how it is set up. Any Rendezvous
enabled host can 'broadcast' a service which any other Rendezvous enabled
host can see across the network. The resolution of a service happens
much like the old AppleTalk system: You choose a service type to browse
(like AFP or LaserWriter in the old Chooser) and start the browser.
You then see anyone who is broadcasting a service under the same name.
When they go offline, they disappear from the list. By performing a
'lookup' on anyone on that list Rendezvous is able to resolve their
IP address and the port that their service is running on.
An example of this is the "Connect to Server" facility in
Mac OS X. This uses Rendezvous to look for other AFP (File Sharing)
hosts.
Anyone can use Rendezvous in their applications for either integration
with existing services, or creation of new, purpose-built ones. The
Rendezvous tools in Net Tool Box allow you to broadcast a test service,
browse any service on your network and lookup the IP, Port and rendezvous
message from any host.
How do I use it?
 Rendezvous
Browser
To browse your network for existing Rendezvous services,
you must use a "Rendezvous Browser". You will find this
in the "Rendezvous"
menu on the toolbar. Before you start, you must choose a service
to browse. You can either manually type a service name (which must
be in the format of "servicetype.protocol." e.g. "_http._tcp.")
or you can choose one from the presets list (the drop down menu next
to the "Service Type" field). Once the service details
are entered, click "Start". The Rendezvous browser will
then start probing your network for type-matched services being
broadcast by other machines. When one is found, it will be added
to the list, when one goes offline, or is no longer visible by the
browser, it will be removed from the list. Double clicking on a
service in the list will open a
"Lookup" window and should automatically perform a lookup
on the service.
 Rendezvous
Lookup
Once you know a service's name, type and domain properties, you can
perform a 'Lookup' on it to give you the real IP address and port number
of the originating machine. Some services also broadcast a "Message"
value which is used in some applications for an auxiliary purpose.
The easiest way to perform a lookup on a service is to double click
on one in a Rendezvous Browser window, as explained above, however if
you know the exact credentials of the service, you can manually type
them into a "Rendezvous Lookup" window (available in the "Rendezvous"
toolbar menu), or choose a preset from the drop-down menu next to the
"Service Type" field. Once you have entered the details click
"Lookup" and the relevant values should appear. If the lookup
doesn't happen within a few seconds, click "Stop" and check
the details.
 Rendezvous
Browser
You may find that at some point you want to broadcast a service manually,
possibly because a server application you use does not yet support Rendezvous,
or maybe you are testing your 'client' software and do not have the
server-side resources to do so. In this case you can use the "Rendezvous
Broadcaster" tool to simulate the behavior of a Rendezvous enabled
server application.
To start, open a "Broadcaster" window from the "Rendezvous"
toolbar menu and enter the desired properties of your service. Again,
you can choose a preset from the drop-down menu if you already have
it in your presets list. Once your details are all entered correctly,
click the "Register" button. This will start broadcasting
your service across your network. To stop broadcasting, click "Close".
You can test your service with any supporting client software, or alternatively
the Net Tool Box "Rendezvous Browser" tool.
A good example would be the "_http._tcp." example which ships
already in the presets. By broadcasting this service, you can see it
under the "Rendezvous" menu in Safari and other enabled Web
Browsers. You can even try it on a different machine on your network.
Note: Rendezvous Presets
Net Tool Box comes with a "Presets" facility for Rendezvous.
By default there are a few well-known services for you to try, however
you can add your own to the list and modify them whenever you like.
To access the Rendezvous Presets, choose "Edit Presets" from
the drop-down menu on any of the Rendezvous tools.
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