VMS Help DCE_RPC, API Runtime Intro, Frequently Used Routine Parameters, name  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

   Used as an input/output parameter.

   When used as an input parameter, the value of this  parameter
   depends on the syntax selected in the name_syntax parameter.  If
   it is allowed by the called routine, the value NULL specifies
   that the routine uses the name specified in the RPC_DEFAULT_ENTRY
   environment variable.  Specifying NULL also has the called routine
   use the name syntax that the environment variable
   RPC_DEFAULT_ENTRY_SYNTAX specifies.

   For a name_syntax value of rpc_c_ns_syntax_dce, use the DCE naming
   rules to specify parameter name.

   As an output parameter, returns an entry in the name service
   database in the form of a character string that includes a
   terminating null character.  The value of this parameter depends
   on the syntax selected in name_syntax.

   For a name_syntax value of rpc_c_ns_syntax_dce, name is returned
   using the DCE naming syntax.

   The DCE RPC runtime allocates memory for the returned string.  The
   application is responsible for calling the rpc_string_free() routine
   to deallocate the string.

   If an application does not want a returned name string, the
   application usually specifies NULL for this parameter.  The one
   exception is routine rpc_ns_entry_expand_name(); it always
   returns a name string.