Guardian Application Conversion Guide

Glossary
Glossary–4 096047 Tandem Computers Incorporated
another subsystem from performing a command, the calling subsystem reports this
error by nesting error lists in its own response.
node. A system of one or more processor modules. Typically, a node is linked with
other nodes to form a network.
node name. The portion of the file name that identifies the system through which the
file can be accessed.
object file. A file generated by a compiler or Binder that contains machine instructions
and other information needed to construct the executable code spaces and initial data
for a process. The file may be a complete program that is ready for immediate
execution, or it may be incomplete and require binding with other object files before
execution.
object-file attributes. Flags in an object file that specify characteristics about the file or
about its running as a process.
PFS. See “process file segment (PFS).”
physical memory. The semiconductor memory that is part of every processor module.
PID. See “CPU, PIN.”
PIN. See “process identification number (PIN).”
process. An instance of execution of a program.
process descriptor. A process identifier returned by a system procedure call. It always
contains the node name and sequence number as well as the process name or CPU,
PIN designation. Contrast with “D-series process file name” and “C-series process file
name.”
process file name. See “D-series process file name” and “C-series process file name.”
process file segment (PFS). An extended data segment that is automatically allocated to
every process and contains operating system data structures, file-system data
structures, and memory-management data structures.
process handle. A D-series 20-byte data structure that identifies a named or unnamed
process in the network. A process handle identifies an individual process; thus, each
process of a process pair has a unique process handle.
process ID. A C-series 4-word process identifier. A process ID contains a central
processing unit (CPU) number, process identification number (PIN), creation
timestamp or process name, and system number (optional). It is sometimes called a
creation timestamp process ID (CRTPID).
process identification number (PIN). An unsigned integer that identifies a process in a
processor module. Internally, a PIN is used as an index to the process control block
(PCB) table.
process name. A name that is assigned to a process when the process is created. A
process name uniquely identifies a process (or process pair) in a system.