I want to write a service that will run on a server. The IP address and name of the server is unknown to the clients that will be connecting to it.
When installing a client I would like to be able to find the server by sending out some kind of a beacon - so the server will then tell me it's name and IP address (and perhaps any other necessary details).
I know how to write services, clients, etc - but I have no experience with something like this. A discovery service so-to-speak.
I'm not looking for code - but perhaps someone knows where I could start looking for information, or some of the principals I would need to employ.
For example: Should I, could I send out a broadcast that the server would hear and respond to (the broadcast would contain the IP address of the "searcher" of course and the server could then respond directly.
Is this safe, is this legal? I know many IT dept. don't allow broadcasts, but what about broadcasts on your own subnet?
Thoughts?
When installing a client I would like to be able to find the server by sending out some kind of a beacon - so the server will then tell me it's name and IP address (and perhaps any other necessary details).
I know how to write services, clients, etc - but I have no experience with something like this. A discovery service so-to-speak.
I'm not looking for code - but perhaps someone knows where I could start looking for information, or some of the principals I would need to employ.
For example: Should I, could I send out a broadcast that the server would hear and respond to (the broadcast would contain the IP address of the "searcher" of course and the server could then respond directly.
Is this safe, is this legal? I know many IT dept. don't allow broadcasts, but what about broadcasts on your own subnet?
Thoughts?