Open System Services Installation Guide (H06.16+, J06.05+)

Glossary
A7CINFO file A configuration file distributed with OSS products that contains information about the contents
of all PAX (archive) files of an OSS DSV.
administrator 1. For an HP NonStop™ system, the person responsible for the installation and configuration of
a software subsystem on a NonStop node. Contrast with operator.
2. For an IBM system, the person responsible for the day-to-day monitoring and maintenance
tasks associated with a software subsystem on an IBM node.
3. For a UNIX system, the owner of /dev/console. The administrator is responsible for the
installation and configuration of all hardware and software within a node.
block special file In the OSS environment, a device that is treated as a file for which all input or output must occur
in blocks of data. Traditionally, such files are disk or tape devices. Block special files provide
access to a device in a manner that hides the hardware characteristics of the device. Contrast
with character special file.
character special
file
In the OSS environment, a device that is treated as a file for which all input or output must occur
in character bytes. Traditionally, such files are interactive terminals, and the ISO/IEC IS
9945-1:1990 standard defines only the access to such terminal files. Contrast with block special
file.
See also terminal.
cluster 1. A collection of servers, or nodes, that can function either independently or collectively as a
processing unit.
See also storage pool.
2. A term used to describe a system in a Fiber Optic Extension (FOX) ring. More specifically, a
FOX cluster is a collection of processors and I/O devices functioning as a logical group. In FOX
nomenclature, the term is synonymous with system or node.
creation pool The set of disk volumes currently used for new file creation for a fileset. The creation pool is
defined by the storage-pool file for the fileset and is a subset of the storage pool for the fileset.
device A computer peripheral or an object that appears to the application as such.
See also terminal.
directory A type of OSS special file that contains directory entries, which associate names with files. No
two directory entries in the same directory have the same name.
directory entry In the OSS file system, an object that associates a filename with a file. Several directory entries
can associate names with the same file.
See also link.
directory tree A hierarchy of directories. In the OSS environment, directories are connected to each other in a
branching hierarchical fashion such that only one path exists between any two directories (if no
backtracking occurs).
Distributed Systems Management/Software Configuration Manager (DSM/SCM)
A graphical user interface (GUI)-based program that installs new software and creates a new
NonStop operating system. DSM/SCM creates a new software revision and activates the new
software on the target system.
DSM/SCM See Distributed Systems Management/Software Configuration Manager (DSM/SCM).
EDIT file In the Guardian file system, an unstructured file with file code 101. An EDIT file can be processed
by either the EDIT or PS Text Edit (TEDIT) editor. An EDIT file typically contains source program
or script code, documentation, or program output. OSS functions can open an EDIT file only for
reading.
Expand network The operating system network that extends the concept of fault-tolerant operation to networks of
geographically distributed NonStop S-series systems. If the network is properly designed,
communication paths are constantly available even if a single line failure or component failure
occurs.
Expand node A system in an Expand network.
See also node.
FIFO A type of OSS special file that is always read and written in a first-in, first-out manner.
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