HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Definitions (O-R)
object code Machine executable instructions. Object code is
the result of source code compilation.
octal The base eight numbering system, in which digits 0
through 7 are used. One octal digit can be
represented by three binary digits. Octal numbers
are preceded by a percent sign (for example, %775).
offline state The condition of a device when it is not available
to the system, for example, not under the direct
control of the CPU.
$OLDPASS Temporary file created automatically when compiling
is complete. It is used to hold compiled code.
This is a system-defined file and only one may
exist during a single job or session. This file
results when the $NEWPASS file closes.
online state The condition of a device when it is available to
the system. An online device allows the user to
interact with the system.
open The act of obtaining access to a resource.
OPEN state The state of a file when it is being accessed by a
user program or MPE/iX. An OPEN input spoolfile
occurs when data is being collected from the input
device (usually a terminal or tape drive). An OPEN
output spoolfile is the disk file being created by
the output spooler.
Open Systems A seven-layer network architecture model developed
Interconnection by the International Standards Organization (ISO).
(OSI) In the OSI model, transmission and communication
tasks are assigned to logically distinct modules
called layers. Each layer communicates with the
layer directly above and below it, and through the
layers below it to its peer in the remote computer.
The OSI model defines the seven layers as the
following: 1. physical, 2. data link, 3.
network, 4. transport, 5. session, 6.
presentation, 7. application.
operating system The software that operates the computer. It
consists of programs such as basic file and I/O
manipulators. All subsystems run upon the
operating system.
operator command MPE/iX commands executed at the system console by
the system operator. Operator commands may be
distributed to specific users at the operator's
discretion with the ALLOW, ASSOCIATE, and
JOBSECURITY commands.
OPERATOR.SYS The user and account that MPE/iX automatically logs
on to at the console when the system is started.
OPERATOR.SYS may or may not be assigned special
capabilities. Unlike the system supervisor (who is
assigned OP capability), or the system manager (who
is assigned SM capability), there is no mnemonic
that entitles the operator to execute a special
subset of commands. The operator's power and
responsibilities derive solely from control of the
system console and any capabilities assigned to it
by the account manager of the SYS account.
optimizing compiler A sophisticated compiler that intelligently
translates high-level language programs to object
code by removing inefficiencies and unnecessary
instructions. With an optimizing compiler, a
program generally runs faster and uses less memory.
optional parameter A parameter that is not required when entering a
command or calling an intrinsic. In reference
manuals, optional parameters are surrounded by
square brackets ([ ]).
original equipment A manufacturer of equipment that may be marketed by
manufacturer (OEM) another manufacturer.
outclass priority A value in the range of 1 to 13 used to determine
if a job's error listing prints. If the outclass
priority is higher than the system outfence, the
error listing will print.
outfence The system outfence is a number in the range of 1
(lowest priority) to 14 (highest priority), used to
control access to the system printer. If a job
does not have an output priority higher than the
system outfence (default 7), it does not print.
output Data transferred from internal to secondary
(external) storage in a computer. Also, the
process of transferring information from the
computer to a peripheral device.
output priority A number in the range of 1 (lowest priority) to 13
(highest priority) assigned to an output spoolfile
either by the system (a default value) or by a
user. If the output priority is higher than the
system outfence, the job's output prints.
overflow To exceed the capacity of a register or buffer's
storage space. When an overflow occurs, the excess
data is lost.
overwrite To replace a disk file. If a file is saved under a
name that already exists on a disk, the new file
overwrites the old file.
owner In ALLBASE/SQL the user ID, group, or class name
that owns a table, view, module, or group.
pack A set of one or more disk platters stacked inside a
plastic cylindrical container. A pack is usually
called a disk pack. A disk pack stores data.
packet A unit of information passed between Levels II and
III (data link layer and network layer) of the Open
Systems Interconnection (OSI) model.
packet assembler/ A device that converts asynchronous character
disassembler (PAD) streams into packets that can be transmitted over a
packet-switching network.
packet switching A data communications transmission technique. Long
messages are divided into smaller packets and sent
on a dynamically allocated path to their
destination.
packet switching Refer to value added network.
network
page In MPE/iX a page is defined as a set of 2048
contiguous bytes (2KB) that is used as the basic
unit for memory mapping. All swapping is done in
multiples of pages.
parallel devices A set of backup devices to which you are able to
store information simultaneously.
parallel interface An interface type in which a separate line is used
for each data bit in a byte or word, and all of
those bits are transferred simultaneously.
parameter A value in a list of values that is passed to a
procedure. The parameter is used in calculations
or operations in the procedure.
parent process An existing process that creates a subsequent
process, thereafter known as the child process. A
parent process may create one or more child
processes.
parity In computing, the condition of a bit being odd or
even.
parity checking A form of redundancy checking during data
transmittal. An odd or even parity for a
particular receiving device is selected. The
sending device checks the value of the parity bit
to make sure it's the appropriate parity for the
receiving device. If the parity is not correct,
the sending device adds a 1 to the bit. The
receiving device then checks the parity of the
incoming data, indicates any parity errors, and
requests retransmission of data, if necessary.
Parity checking detects the loss, or unwanted
inclusion, of an odd number of bits.
parser A routine that subdivides an instruction, command,
or programming statement into components that the
computer system can more easily understand and use.
partitioning data See subdividing data.
Pascal A computer language that is used for many types of
applications. It is a very flexible language that
is useful when different structures of data types
are needed.
password A string of ASCII characters required for a user to
log on to a particular group or account. Passwords
are associated with users, groups, and accounts.
patch A piece of software code that corrects a defect.
path The course within a computer that a message takes,
typically through software protocol handlers.
performance tuning Essentially is a matter of locating a bottleneck
and then eliminating or reducing it.
peripheral A hardware device attached to and controlled by a
computer, such as a terminal, a tape or disk drive,
or a printer.
permanent file A disk file that continues to exist even after a
job or session logs off. To delete the permanent
file, it must be erased from the system with the
PURGE command or with the FCLOSE intrinsic.
permanent space Disk space reserved for use by permanent structures
such as files, the label table, or the free space
map.
personal computer A portable microcomputer usually sold with software
(PC) packages useful in word processing, financial
management, storing lists, and other general usage
business/personal activities.
physical layer Layer one of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
network model. The physical layer transmits the
electrical signals over the link.
physical record One or more logical records, treated as a unit when
transmitted to or from devices. The number of
logical records contained in a single block is
determined by the blocking factor, specified when
the file is first created with the BUILD command or
the FOPEN intrinsic.
physical unit (PU) In systems network architecture (SNA), the
component that manages and monitors the resources
of a node.
pipelining A computer design technique that gives an effective
execution rate of one instruction per cycle.
Pipelining exploits the fact that it is not
necessary to wait until one instruction has
completed before the next can begin. Fetch,
execute, and load/store instructions can be
executed on a three-stage pipeline.
pixel A contraction for picture element. Any of the tiny
elements that form a digitized picture such as on a
CRT screen. Each pixel represents the degree of
brightness assigned to a point in the picture.
platter A single disk coated with magnetic material. One
or more platters are mounted on a central spindle,
and together they form a disk pack. Information
may be recorded on one or both sides of each
platter within the pack.
pointer The address of a piece of data or a data structure
used by the programmer in data manipulation.
point-to-point A network in which communication travels from one
network node (point) to another by a unique, unshared
physical link. The opposite of broadcast bus
network.
polling In electronic mail or data communications, the
systematic calling of terminals to determine if
messages are waiting to be transmitted or if the
terminal is ready to accept messages.
port An outlet from the computer used to connect the
computer to peripheral devices. A cable runs
between the outlet and the device.
positional One or more terms, appearing in a specific order on
parameters the command line, that modify the intent or effect
of the command. If a positional parameter is
omitted, the user must supply a comma in its place.
power down To turn the system power off.
power up To turn the system power on.
Precision Refer to Hewlett-Packard Precision Architecture.
Architecture
preprocessor A component of the ALLBASE/SQL relational interface
that converts code containing SQL commands into
code compatible with the source code language.
presentation layer Layer six of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
network model. Presentation layer tasks include
manipulation of user data such as text compression
and encryptions.
preventive The regular housecleaning chores performed to keep
maintenance (PM) the system from suffering performance degradation
and to prevent problems from developing on the
system.
primary boot path The primary boot path is used to boot the system
from disk resident software. See boot path.
printed circuit An I/O interface card. Refer to device adapter.
assembly (PCA)
priority request The use of the optional parameter ;HIPRI in the
HELLO and JOB commands. This capability, granted
to system supervisors and system managers, allows a
job to be dispatched or a session to be initiated,
overriding the current jobfence or execution limit.
private branch An installed telephone exchange at a given site. A
exchange (PBX) PBX may be upgraded to handle computer data
traffic.
private volumes See removable packs (MPE V/E only).
privileged mode A capability assigned to accounts, groups, or users
capability (PM allowing unrestricted memory access, access to
capability) privileged CPU instructions, and the ability to
call privileged procedures. This capability
overrides MPE/iX safeguards.
process The unique execution of a program or procedure by a
particular user at a particular time. If several
users execute the same program, each is a separate
process. Similarly, if the same user runs several
programs, each execution is also considered a
distinct process.
process control A main-memory resident table containing status
block (PCB) information for each process running on the system
such as monitor memory management, dispatching, the
stack number, what extra segments a process is
using and their location, whether the process is
waiting for a resource or waiting for a response
from another process, and other information.
process group A collection of processsing its name, the operating
system returns a unique number for your use. This
number is the file identifier.
process handling A capability optionally assigned to accounts,
capability (PH groups, and users, allowing a currently executing
capability) process to create other processes. PH capability
also allows process suspension, interprocess
communication, and process deletion. Since the
proliferation of processes results in heavy system
resource usage, PH capability is typically
restricted to only a few users.
process A number assigned to a process by MPE/iX when the
identification process is created. It is used internally in the
number (PIN) process control block (PCB) table, and during
requests for system resources at the console (when
the operator responds to requests by referencing
the PIN in the REPLY command).
process local file The table containing the file descriptors for each
descriptor table process. There is one table per process.
processor-dependent An MPE/iX hardware routine to read and initialize
code (PDC) the I/O paths used for booting or rebooting the
system.
processor status Processor status words control the order of
word (PSW) instruction execution and contain various
information about the state of a process.
program A sequence of instructions that tells the computer
how to perform a specific task.
program counter (PC) A pointer in memory that points to the instruction
to be executed.
programmable A PROM chip contains programs that remain
read-only memory permanently in the computer.
(PROM)
programmatic A capability allowing a user to execute the
sessions capability STARTSESS command and to call the STARTSESS and
(PS capability) ABORTSESS intrinsics.
program-to-program A network service that allows programs residing on
communications different nodes to exchange information with one
(PTOP) another in a master/slave relationship.
prompt The character(s) displayed at the terminal screen
indicating that the system is ready for a command.
The MPE/iX command interpreter's prompt may be
changed by the user. The default value is a colon
(:). Subsystems have different prompts.
protocol A set of rules that enables two or more data
processing entities to exhange information. In
networks, protocols are the rules and conventions
that govern each layer of network architecture.
They define what functions are to be performed and
how messages are to be exchanged.
PUB group A group, created when an account is created, whose
files are usually accessible to all users within
the account.
public data network A networking service. It fulfills all
(PDN) communications needs between the host computer and
other processes and terminals.
PUB.SYS The public group of the system account. PUB.SYS is
where programs and applications available to all
users of the system reside.
purge To delete a permanent file from the system with the
PURGE command. The PURGE command is also used to
delete an account structure entry such as a user
name, group name, or an account.
query A data retrieval request.
queue A list that allows additions at one end and
deletions at the opposite end. Items in a queue
are usually processed on the first in, first out
(FIFO) principle, in that the first item entered is
the first item to be processed. For example, the
output produced by a program is generally stored on
disk in a queue until a printer becomes available.
As each output is printed the next in priority is
selected and processed.
quiet mode A session mode in which messages sent from other
jobs or sessions to a terminal are not displayed.
Users control quiet mode with the SETMSG command.
To determine who is running quietly, execute the
SHOWJOB command. Those sessions not receiving
messages are indicated by the word QUIET in the
third column of the listing. A WARN message from
the system console overrides quiet mode and should
be used for all critical communication, such as
informing the user of an impending system shutdown.
random access The direct access to data stored in a device. For
example, if a user or program requires the 17th
record in a file stored on random access media,
that record may be selected for the read/write
operation without scanning the preceding 16
records. Typical random access storage devices
include main memory and disk drives.
random access memory A part of memory that contains information that is
(RAM) temporarily stored in the computer. When the
computer is turned off, random access memory is
erased. The opposite of read-only memory.
read To request and accept input data from a source.
read-only memory The memory used for storing firmware. A ROM
(ROM) contains information that cannot be modified and is
not erased when the computer is turned off. The
opposite of random access memory.
ready state The condition of an input spoolfile when it is
available for access by the spooler program or
user. READY output spoolfiles are complete files
waiting to be printed. They may also be
manipulated with the SPOOK utility.
real time An operating system feature that enables it to
react very quickly to external and internal events
as they occur.
record A collection of fields or related data treated as a
unit, residing in a file. A contiguous group of
bytes whose structure is known by the file system.
recognizing a disk See mounting.
record width The amount of data that is transmitted to and from
a device at one time. For example, the standard
record width for terminals is 80 bytes. The record
width for disk devices is 128 words.
recursion The ability of a procedure or function to call
itself.
redo file An MPE/iX disk file containing the commands entered
by the user.
reduced instruction A computer whose architecture features a
set computer (RISC) simplified, hard-wired instruction set.
register An area in the CPU used for storage or mathematical
operations.
relation A data structure having a table-like format; also
referred to as a table in relational terminology.
relational A type of data model (offered by Hewlett-Packard as
ALLBASE/SQL that stores data in independent
two-dimensional tables, thus increasing access and
restructuring flexibility.
relative I/O (RIO) A direct file access method that allows individual
records to be deactivated. These inactive records
remain on disk, but are ignored in a logical read
operation.
relative record A number representing the position of a logical
number record in relation to the first record in the file.
The first record is numbered either 0 or 1,
depending on the subsystem or utility being used.
RELOAD To coldload the entire HP 3000 system, including
all MPE files, the accounting structure, I/O
configuration tables, and user files from the
backup medium. A RELOAD is normally used when no
other coldload option has succeeded. MPE/iX
equivalent is the ISL INSTALL utility.
relocatable binary The smallest unit of output from a compiler. The
module (RBM) compiler determines how RBMs are separated and
their content may vary depending on the compiler
used. Data constants are stored in the RBM along
with the code and are non-modifiable.
remote database A centrally located database which users throughout
a network can access and update.
remote job entry A Hewlett-Packard program, executed with the RJE
(RJE) command. It provides an interface between the HP
3000 and other computers using the IBM 2780/3780
communications protocol. RJE makes the HP 3000
appear to be either an
IBM 2780 Data Transmission Terminal or 3780 Data
Communications Terminal to the host system, and
provides a complete multiprogramming environment.
remote mode A mode in which a terminal transmits and receives
data from a remote (or host) computer.
remote network Any network in the catenet to which the local node
does not belong.
remote node A node that is not physically located where you are
and which you communicate with using data
communication.
remote session A session on a different machine.
remote system A computer system physically separated from other
computer systems.
remote system A terminal that provides remote access to the SPU
console as a system console or terminal session.
remote terminal A terminal that is indirectly connected to the
computer, using a modem and telephone hook up.
removable disk A disk that can be removed from disk drives and
transported to another disk drive.
removable packs See private volumes.
repeater A data transmission device used to amplify a
signal.
report A display of information about accounts, groups,
and users, generated with the REPORT command. The
information, listed in columns, contains both the
current value and maximum limit for file space (in
sectors), CPU time (in seconds), and connect time
(in minutes). System managers may report on all
groups in all accounts; account managers may report
on all groups in their own account; standard users
may report on only their logon group.
report program A computer programming language designed to provide
generator (RPG) report-writing functions.
required parameter A parameter that is required when entering a
command or calling an intrinsic. In reference
manuals, required parameters are surrounded by
braces ({}).
rerouting Ability to reroute messages around inoperative
links in a network.
resolution A measure of image sharpness; it can be expressed
as a number of lines or pixels per unit length.
resource Any device or item used by a computer, for example,
I/O devices, disk files, or programs.
resource A number identifying a user-defined resource.
identification Users are normally allowed to lock only a single
number (RIN) RIN, which means they may have exclusive access to
one resource at a time, such as an I/O device, a
file, or a program.
resource sharing A network that makes elements at each node
accessible from other nodes in the network. These
elements may include disk files, printers, magnetic
tapes, terminals, and other programs.
response center An HP support agreement coverage that provides
support (RCS) telephone assistance with software usage and
problems.
restricting data A way of limiting access to data by grouping data
into volumes, volume classes, and volume sets.
restore The process of retrieving user files from tapes or
serial disk and writing them to disk. Restoring is
executed with the RESTORE command.
resume To restart execution of a procedure or program
after it has been suspended.
ring A point-to-point network topology. The ring is a
string topology with an additional link between the
end nodes. The store-and-forward delay is half
that of a string topology because the maximum
number of intervening nodes is halved. The ring
topology is suited for accessible from all nodes.
Ring networks are less vulnerable than string
networks. If any one link fails, all the nodes can
still communicate by rerouting around the failure.
The opposite of string.
rollback recovery In ALLBASE/SQL and IMAGE database management
systems, a process that ensures all completed
transactions are made permanent and that all
incomplete transactions are undone.
rollforward recovery A database process that reconstructs a
DBEnvironment (ALLBASE/SQL) or database (IMAGE)
from backups by processing completed transactions
from a log file.
route The course through the network that a message takes
from a source node to a destination node. A route
can pass through intervening nodes.
row In ALLBASE/SQL a single occurrence of one or more
columns in a table.
RS 232-C The "recommended standard" electrical interface
(American National Standards Institute
specification) for communication among computers
and peripherals, such as terminals and printers.
This standard specifies mechanical and electrical
requirements. It uses a standard interface in a
data communications network, with lettered pin
assignments for ground, data, control, and timing
circuits. The data signaling rate is from 0 to
20,000 bps in bit-serial operation, synchronous,
and asynchronous.
RS 422 A "recommended standard" for balanced voltage
digital interface circuits. It is used between
data terminal equipment (DTE) and data
circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) or as a
point-to-point interconnection of serial binary
signals between digital equipment. The data
signaling rate is up to 10 Mbit per second (Mbps).
run To execute a program.
run time The time a program is run.
save files The capability allowing users to save the files
capability (SF they create. It is assigned by default to accounts
capability)
and users.