+/**
+ * A random number used to "authenticate" the afs connection.
+ *
+ * para_server picks this number by random before it forks the afs process. The
+ * command handlers know this number as well and write it to the afs socket,
+ * together with the id of the shared memory area which contains the payload of
+ * the afs command. A local process has to know this number to abuse the afs
+ * service provided by the local socket.
+ */