anchor.diff:    (:documentation "The verifier to use for the client request."))
   
   (defgeneric verify (client verf)
  -  (:documentation "Verify the response received from the server."))
  +  (:documentation "Verify the response received from the server. Signals an error on failure."))
   
   
   ;; default methods for auth-null flavour authentication 
  
positive.code: 				   :service :none
  				   :handle (gss-client-handle client))))
  
  ;; ---------------------------------------------------------
  
  (defun rpc-connect (host port &optional (protocol :udp))
    "Establish a connection to the rpc server."
    (ecase protocol
      (:udp 
       (usocket:socket-connect host port
  
negative.code: 			:verf verf
  			:request-id request-id
  			:timeout timeout)))
      ;; verify the response 
      (when client 
        (verify client verf)
        (setf (rpc-client-initial client) nil))
      ;; return the result 
      res))
  
  ;; FIXME: it would be nice to have some simple way of providing default values for
  