SSL provides for Peer Authentication. Though peer authentication is possible, authentication of the client is seldom used in practice when connecting to public e-commerce web sites. Once authentication is complete, confidentiality is assured over the session by the use of symmetric encryption in the interests of better performance.
The following answers were all incorrect:
“Peer identification” is incorrect. The desired attribute is assurance of the identity of the communicating parties provided by authentication and NOT identification. Identification is only who you claim to be. Authentication is proving who you claim to be.
“Server authentication” is incorrect. While server authentication only is common practice, the protocol provides for peer authentication (i.e., authentication of both client and server). This answer was not complete.
“Name resolution” is incorrect. Name resolution is commonly provided by the Domain Name System (DNS) not SSL.
Reference(s) used for this question: CBK, pp. 496 -497.