NonStop System Glossary

file identifier
In the Guardian environment, the portion of a filename following the subvolume name. In the Open
System Services (OSS) environment, a file identifier is a portion of the internal information used to
identify a file in the OSS file system (an inode number). The two identifiers are not comparable.
file link count
The total number of directory entries for an Open System Services (OSS) file within an Expand
node.
file mode
For an Open System Services (OSS) process, a field in the stat structure for a specific file that
describes the type and characteristics of the file and contains the access permission bits for the
file.
file mode creation mask
A mask associated with an Open System Services (OSS) process and used when the process
creates a file. Bits set in this mask are cleared in the access permission bits for the file.
file name
A string of characters that uniquely identifies a file.
In the PC environment, file names for disk files normally have at least two parts (the disk name and
the file name); for example, B:MYFILE.
In the Guardian environment, disk file names include an Expand node name, volume name,
subvolume name, and file identifier; for example, \NODE.$DISK.SUBVOL.MYFILE.
In the Open System Services (OSS) environment, a file is identified by a pathname; for example,
/usr/john/workfile. See also filename.
file other class
The property of an Open System Services (OSS) file indicating access permissions for a process
related to the user ID and group ID of the process. A process is in the file other class of a file if
both:
• The process is not a member of the file owner class for the file.
• The process is not a member of the file group class for the file.
file owner class
The property of an Open System Services (OSS) file indicating access permissions for a process
related to the user ID of the process. A process is in the file owner class of a file if the process has
an effective user ID that is the same as the user ID (owner) associated with the file.
file permission bits
Information about an Open System Services (OSS) file that is used, along with other information,
to determine whether a process or user has read, write, or execute/search permission to that file.
The bits are divided into three parts: owner, group, and other. Each part is used with the
corresponding file class of processes.
file serial number
A number that uniquely identifies a file within its file system.
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