NBT Manual

Glossary
NBT Manual—424773-001
Glossary-16
protocol
protocol. A formal description of message formats and the rules two or more machines must
follow to exchange those messages. Protocols can describe low level details of machine-
to-machine interfaces (for example, the order in which the bits from a byte are sent
across a wire), or high-level exchanges between application programs (for example, the
way in which two programs transfer a file across the Internet). Most protocols include
both intuitive descriptions of the expected interactions as well as more formal
specifications using finite state-machine models.
Public Data Network (PDN). A network with data communications services available to any
subscriber.
Request for Comments. he name of a series of notes that contain surveys, measurements,
ideas, techniques, and observations, as well as proposed and accepted Internet protocol
standards. RFCs are edited but not referenced. They are available across the Internet.
response. In DSM use, the information or confirmation supplied (as part of a response
message) to an application by a subsystem in response to a DSM command.
response message. An SPI message sent from a subsystem to an application program in
reaction to a command message. Compare command message
or event message.
response record. In DSM programmatic interfaces, a set of response tokens usually
describing the result when a command is performed on one object. Every response
record in a response from a Compaq subsystem contains a return token; a response
record can also contain error lists that include error tokens. A response can consist of
multiple response records, spread across one or more response messages. A response
record cannot be split between two response messages. If multiple response records are
in a response message, each response record is enclosed in a data list. See also data list
.
Each response record is required to contain a return token. See also return token
.
return token. In DSM programmatic interfaces, the token that indicates whether a command
was successful and, if not, why it failed. The token code for the return token is ZSPI-
TKN-RETCODE. Its value consists of a single integer field. Compare error token
.
RFC (Request for Comments). See Request for Comments
.
SAC. See ServerNet addressable controller (SAC)
.
SCF. See Subsystem Control Facility (SCF)
.
SCP. See Subsystem Control Point (SCP)
.
sensitive command. In DSM, a command that can be issued only by a restricted set of
Guardian users, such as the owner of a subsystem process. For Compaq data
communications subsystems, the sensitive commands are those that can change the state
or configuration of objects, start or stop tracing, or change the values of statistics
counters. Compare nonsensitive command.