Distributed Name Service (DNS) Management Operations Manual

Glossary
31258 Tandem Computers Incorporated Glossary–9
Control Process (TCP) and user-written SCREEN-COBOL program units, and servers
grouped into server classes to perform the requested processing. ViewPoint is a
Pathway application.
programmatic command. A command issued by a program, rather than by a human
operator.
programmatic interface. A means for a program to communicate with another program.
On a Tandem system, a programmatic interface typically includes the following: a
message format, a set of message formats, or a set of procedures (such as the SPI
procedures) to build and decode messages; definitions of message elements
(commands, data types, objects, parameters, response data, errors, and so on); rules for
communication between the requester and the server; and software to receive and
respond to messages defined for the interface.
programmed operator. A management application that performs functions that might
otherwise be performed by a human operator.
read authority. Permission to read the contents of a file. This authority is required to
query the DNS database.
replication. The duplication of all or part of a database on different discs or at different
nodes in a network.
response message. An SPI message that is sent from a subsystem to an application
program in reaction to a command message. See SPI message and command message.
request, or request message. One message from a requester to a server.
requester version. The software revision level of the definition files used in the
compilation of a requester. Each subsystem has its own definitions, so the requester
version can differ in requests to different subsystems.
response. The information or confirmation supplied by a subsystem in reaction to a
command. A response is typically conveyed as one or more interprocessor messages
(response messages) from a subsystem to an application.
response message. An SPI message that is sent from a subsystem to an application
program in reaction to a command message. See SPI message and command message.
restored name definition. A name definition that was resynchronized throughout the
network, after loss and re-availability of the definition node. The user requests
restoration through the DNS RESTORE command. This command deletes copied (and
possibly altered) name definitions resulting from issuance of the DNS COPY
command, and makes the definition node’s version of the definition visible once again.
routine. A sequence of TACL commands and built-in functions that can perform
complex argument interpretation. Compare macro.
running state. The state in which some required piece of software is present, initialized,
and available to receive requests. In the case of DNS, running state is the operational
state in which all named DNS processes are currently active.
SCF. See Subsystem Control Facility.