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Introducing HP Software Integration Sockets/XL
by Charlie Tuan
Corporate Computing Group
HP Software Integration Sockets (HP Sockets) is a software tool that
allows you to integrate new and existing applications in a network of
HP-UX and MPE XL platforms. HP Sockets provides flexible data transfer,
transformation, manipulation and process control. You can use HP Sockets
to connect applications on the same computer or on different computers
across a LAN. At least one copy of the companion product HP Sockets/UX
(P/N 92568A) is required with this product to form the HP Sockets domain.
FEATURES
The following list describes the features of HP Sockets:
* Comprehensive, program-to-program communication capabilities.
* High performance data translation, manipulation and record
reformatting.
* Programmatic start and stop of local and remote processes.
* Simple yet powerful application program interface (API).
* System management and administration of integration environment.
BENEFITS
The following list describes the benefits of HP Sockets:
* Provides unparalleled flexibility in software configuration.
* Has minimal impact on existing applications.
* Allows incremental integration with low entry cost.
* Builds sophisticated interfaces faster with minimal programming.
* Reduces learning curve required to write interfaces.
* Eliminates network interfacing within the application.
* Has a distributed system for high performance.
* Has distributed administration nodes to eliminate central failure
points.
* Drastically reduces maintenance and support costs for integrated
systems.
* Reduces custom code content of integrated systems.
ACCOUNT STRUCTURE
The HP Software Integration Sockets product must be installed in the
HPSKTS account. If you have an existing HPSKTS account on your system,
please rename it. During the installation, HP Software Integration
Sockets creates an account, HPSKTS, and a few groups within that account.
The product will be installed into that account.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND DEPENDENCIES
The following information describes the other requirements and
dependencies surrounding HP Sockets:
Network
HP-UX machines and MPE XL machines in the same HP Sockets domain must be
connected by the same LAN. MPE XL machines must have Network Services
(NS) software installed.
HP-UX
Before you can start up HP Sockets on MPE XL, you must already have
installed HP Sockets/UX(P/N 92568A Rev A.01.10) on at least one HP-UX
node (HP9000 Series 800, 600, 400, or 300) in the domain containing MPE
XL nodes. The HP-UX node serves as the administration node for that
domain. Refer to the HP Software Integration Sockets Installation Guide
for HP-UX (P/N 92568-90004) for information about HP Sockets installation
on HP-UX.
Software
At least one MPE XL machine must have the following software installed:
-HP C/XL language compiler
-Link Editor
If your MPE XL system is used for development of HP Sockets application
adaptors in FORTRAN, COBOL, or Pascal, you must also install compilers
for those languages.
RINs
You must configure enough Resource Identification Numbers (RIN) for your
MPE XL system. HP Sockets/XL uses 7 local RINs.
Job Limit
HP Sockets programs (including the HP Sockets Management Daemon, SMD) run
in one job. Once your network starts up, the SMD should always be
running. You may have to adjust the job limit for your MPE XL system.
Sessions
Each adaptor started with the SpStartProcess call uses one session.
Adjust the number of sessions allowed according to the number of
processes used in your HP Sockets domain. The maximum number of
processes and clones HP Sockets allows is 225 of each on one node.
File Descriptors
Each adaptor on an MPE XL node uses two message files, one for normal
messages and one for message or file notification and process stopping.
You must allow three file descriptors for each adaptor on your MPE XL
node for HP Sockets usage: one for each of the message files, and one
for the mapped file that the adaptor needs to check (by reading a flag)
whether or not HP Sockets is running.
POST INSTALLATION
In order to use HP Sockets/XL, the HP Sockets Management Daemon (SMD)
program must be running. We recommend that you start the SMD by
streaming the job file STARTSMD.PUB.HPSKTS after the network services
have been started. The job file contains the following lines:
!job startsmd,mgr.hpskts/sapphire;pri=cs
!run smd.pub.hpskts
!eoj
The passwords should be changed to the passwords you set on the HPSKTS
account and MGR user. For more information about administrating the HP
Sockets systems, please reference the HP Software Integration Sockets
System Administrator's Manual (P/N 92568-90002).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The HP Software Integration Sockets Self-Paced Tutorial (P/N 92568-90003)
introduces the basic features of HP Sockets. For a more in-depth
description of the features supported by HP Sockets, order the HP
Software Integration Sockets System Administrator's Manual (P/N
92568-90002) and the HP Software Integration Sockets Programmer's Manual
(P/N 92568-90001).