OSI/FTAM Programming Reference Manual

Conformance and Interoperability
HP NonStop OSI/FTAM Programming Reference Manual—528611-001
2-2
Basic Characteristics of FTAM Implementations
conformant to the ISO specification. For example, two systems cannot interoperate
when each supports only an initiator, or when a document type supported by an
initiator is not included among the document types supported by the responder.
The NonStop FTAM product has been tested to conform with the standards and
profiles mentioned in Conformance on page 2-1. It has also been tested to interoperate
with a number of other vendors according to the NISTIR 4435 document, “FTAM
Interoperability Tests,” which most vendors use as a basis for writing FTAM
interoperability tests.
When evaluating interoperability between NonStop FTAM and another FTAM
implementation, consider the following aspects in which FTAM implementations can
vary. The NonStop FTAM manual set provides you with the information about the
NonStop FTAM implementation that you need to determine whether another
implementation can interoperate with the NonStop FTAM product. You can find more
information about the following interoperability considerations in the sections or
manuals noted.
Basic Characteristics of FTAM Implementations
To determine whether another FTAM implementation can interoperate with NonStop
FTAM, you must first consider the following basic characteristics of the two
implementations.
Roles of Initiator and Responder
Initiator and responder roles must be compatible to interoperate successfully. For two
implementations to interoperate, there must be an initiator and a responder that can
send and receive data between the two. For more information on the NonStop FTAM
initiator, see Section 3, NonStop FTAM Initiator.
Roles of Sender and Receiver
The sender is the entity that sends data. The receiver is the entity receiving data. In
NonStop FTAM, both the initiator and the responder have sender and receiver
capabilities. For example, an initiator sending a read request is the receiver, and an
initiator sending a write request is the sender.
Service Classes Supported
The service classes supported are defined in terms of combinations of functional units.
At least one common service class must be supported for two implementations to
interoperate. NonStop FTAM supports four service classes: file transfer, file
management, file transfer and management, and file access. For a complete
description of these service classes, see the OSI/FTAM Programming Guide.