CCSO Nameserver
computer network protocol
A CCSO name-server or Ph protocol was an early form of database search on the Internet. In its most common form, it was used to look up information such as telephone numbers and email addresses. Today, this service has been largely replaced by LDAP. It was used mainly in the early-to-middle 1990s. The name-server was developed by Steve Dorner at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, at the university's Computing and Communications Services Office (CCSO).
There also exists an Outlook plugin and standalone application known as OutlookPH.
Overview
The name-server directories were frequently organized in Gopher hierarchies. The tools "Ph" and "Qi" were the two components of the system: Ph was a client that queried the Qi server.
The Ph protocol was formally defined by RFC 2378 in September 1998. However, the memo issued at this time references its prior use for an unspecified period of time before this date (work on the protocol started around 1988, and it was in use from around 1991). It defines sixteen keywords that can be used on the server side to define record properties. It also defines how clients should access records on the server and what responses the server should give.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “CCSO Nameserver” as computer network protocol. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as computer network protocol. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 6, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q5009717. The first chronological checks are 1998, 1988 and 1991.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “CCSO Nameserver”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow CCSO Nameserver primary sources, CCSO Nameserver archive and CCSO research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “CCSO Nameserver”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “CCSO Nameserver” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.