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## Overview of the NIC Resolution Process

Because NIC can process all types of network data, you must use different resolution processes for different types of data mappings to maximize the performance of the NIC configuration. Resolving data requests consumes significant resources.

Table 12 shows the resolutions that the components in the NIC configuration scenarios perform. For customized types of resolutions, contact Juniper Networks Professional Services.

Table 12: Available NIC Resolutions

Key | Value
--- | ---
Subscriber’s IP address (JUNOS routing platform) | SAE reference
Subscriber’s IP address | Subscriber’s login name
Subscriber’s IP address | SAE reference
Subscriber’s login name | SAE reference
Subscriber’s username | SAE reference
Access DN | SAE reference

## NIC Realms

Each resolution process and the resolvers that perform that process are defined by a realm—a group of resolvers that perform a series of resolution tasks to provide a mapping from a specified key to a specified data type. For example, the sample data provided for the NIC includes a realm called dn in which the resolution process takes an access subscriber’s distinguished name (DN) as the key and returns a reference to the SAE managing this subscriber as the value.

A set of hosts in a NIC can support multiple realms. Similarly, the agents in a NIC can support more than one realm. However, you can assign a resolver only to one realm.

A NIC host can support NIC resolvers for multiple realms. Consequently, you can simplify the NIC configuration and minimize the use of network resources by limiting the number of NIC hosts in your NIC configuration. NIC hosts can also handle multiple NIC resolvers in the same realm. In this case, when a NIC host receives a request, it chooses a NIC resolver as follows:

1. It identifies the NIC resolvers that are available to process the request.
2. If multiple NIC resolvers are available, it obtains a cost value associated with the resolution process from each resolver and selects the resolver that has the lowest cost value.

## Key to Value Resolution

A resolution process typically defines several transitions or roles, with each transition resolving a NIC key to a value. For example, the resolution process to identify the SAE that manages a particular subscriber based on that subscriber’s IP address involves the following roles:

1. Given the IP address, determine the IP address pool.
2. From the IP address pool, determine the VR.
3. From the VR, determine the SAE that manages that VR.

A role specifies the types of data with which it works. NIC supports a number of data types, including one that lets you add an identifier to other data types to let you specify different values for one data type.

For information about NIC data types, see NIC Data Types and Constraints as NIC Data Types .

#### Related Topics

- Managing a Resolution Request

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