OSI/MHS Configuration and Management Manual

OSI/MHS Configuration and Management Manual—424827-003
Glossary-2
Application Layer. Layer 7 of the OSI Reference Model. This layer provides the interface
between user programs (application processes) and the OSI network. Layer 7
includes the standards for services such as file transfer, electronic mail, and terminal
access.
archive queue. A queue to which you can move an object from the input queue during a
finish-transfer-in operation requested of the GPI. Typically, undecodable
communications are placed on the archive queue for future examination using
diagnostic procedures. See also communication.
ASE (application service element). A set of functions in the Application Layer that supports
either a large range of applications or a particular type of application, such as file
transfer or transaction processing.
ASN.1 (Abstract Syntax Notation One). A data description language for expressing
abstract syntaxes in OSI. See also abstract syntax and BER.
association. In OSI, a connection between Application Layer entities. See also connection.
In the P7 API, the relationship established between a local user agent and OSI/MHS
when an MS bind request is accepted.
association database. A database, within the OSI/MHS subsystem, that contains
information about MTAs, including information about active associations. Each MTA
object represents an adjacent MTA.
attach. An operation performed by an application using OSI/AS or OSI/TS, in the
Application Layer, Presentation Layer, or Session Layer, to indicate that the application
is willing to receive an incoming connect request or association request from a remote
application.
attribute. In general, a characteristic of some entity.
In X.400, an information item that describes an X.400 user and can also identify a
location for that user. An O/R name consists of a list of attributes. See also O/R
name.
In the GPI, a fundamental unit of information. It has a type (name), a syntax, and one
or more values. Attributes are grouped to form objects; for example, a message object
includes originator, priority, and country-name attributes See also object.
In DSM, a characteristic of an entity. For example, two attributes of a communications
line might be its baud rate and its retry count. In a token-oriented interface based on
SPI, an attribute of an object is usually expressed as either a simple token or a field
within an extensible structured token.
attribute descriptor. The data structure used to represent attributes in the GPI.