NET/MASTER Network Control Language (NCL) Programmer's Guide

1 Introduction to NCL
106160 Tandem Computers Incorporated 1–1
The NonStop NET/MASTER Network Control Language (NCL) is a structured, high-
level language supplied with NonStop NET/MASTER Management Services (MS) and
integrated with other NonStop NET/MASTER MS services.
This section introduces NCL. It explains where NCL fits in with major NonStop
NET/MASTER MS services and describes some of the operations available through
NCL.
NCL and Major
NonStop NET/MASTER
MS Services
The major NonStop NET/MASTER MS services are listed in order of their importance
in relation to NCL:
Operator Control Services (OCS)
Edit Services
User ID Management Services (UMS)
Inter-NET/MASTER Connection (INMC)
Remote Operator Control (ROC)
Inter-System Routing (ISR)
Operator Control Services
(OCS)
OCS is the NonStop NET/MASTER MS service that provides the central point of
operational control of your local Tandem system, your local NonStop NET/MASTER
MS system, and remote systems. OCS provides a command input line to enter
NonStop NET/MASTER MS commands. This includes NonStop NET/MASTER MS
commands to work with NCL.
OCS is the major location in NonStop NET/MASTER MS from which you are able to
enter NonStop NET/MASTER MS commands to execute NCL procedures. NonStop
NET/MASTER MS commands allow you to display information about NCL processes,
and to use this information to control execution.
Using NonStop NET/MASTER MS commands, you can list an NCL procedure and
display it in the OCS message display area. Using NonStop NET/MASTER MS
commands, you can perform a trial compilation on an NCL process and debug it.
Of the many types of NCL procedures that you can write, you may find it useful to
write one that is automatically executed when you choose OCS from the NonStop
NET/MASTER MS primary menu. You can use such an NCL procedure to
automatically tailor your OCS profile, define function keys, establish local equate
commands, automatically log on to remote systems, and so on.
For more information on OCS, refer to the NonStop NET/MASTER MS Operator’s Guide.
Edit Services Edit Services is the NonStop NET/MASTER MS service that provides access to the
Tandem text editor, PS Text Edit (TEDIT). Edit Services allows NCL programmers to
create and check NCL procedures and panel description files.
OCS and Edit Services are the two main NonStop NET/MASTER MS services used for
the development of NCL procedures and panel description files.
For more information on Edit Services, refer to the NonStop NET/MASTER MS
Operator’s Guide.