NonStop Systems Introduction

The NonStop Kernel
NonStop Systems Introduction—527825-001
6-4
Network Operations
path to the file or directory using the standard UNIX notation. For example, the notation
/dev/src/fileb means that:
•
the file named fileb is in directory src.
•
src is a subdirectory of directory dev.
•
dev is a subdirectory of the root directory.
The OSS environment has its own command interpreter, a version of the standard
UNIX Korn shell. In the OSS environment, a programmer can use most of the familiar
UNIX commands and utilities, such as:
•
vi (a text editor)
•
man (online reference pages)
•
cp (copy files)
•
ls (list information about files)
•
grep (search a file for a pattern)
•
awk (manipulate text and match patterns in a file)
and many others.
The unique features of HP’s OSS environment that set it apart from other UNIX
environments are:
•
OSS applications can access most of the services provided by the NonStop
Kernel.
•
OSS applications support most of the principles described in Section 1 (process
pairs, which provide application fault tolerance in the Guardian environment, are
not currently supported by OSS).
Like the Guardian environment, the OSS environment provides both a command
interpreter that allows you to enter commands interactively and an API that enables a
program to access system services.
The following discussion examines how the NonStop Kernel supports application and
transaction processing functions.
Network Operations
One of the most important characteristics of the NonStop Kernel is that it uses the
same mechanisms to handle network operations as it uses to handle operations in a
local system.
By contrast, most other vendors build networking software on top of existing operating
systems that were designed for local operations only. The network software enables
the computer to communicate with other computers, but it imposes a burden of
software complexity on the computer’s operating environment.