OSI/MHS Configuration and Management Manual

OSI/MHS Configuration and Management Manual—424827-003
Glossary-19
NSAP address. The global, network-unique address of an end system’s network service
access point, through which Network Layer services are provided to local users, and
through which Transport Layer services are provided to remote systems.
null object. An object type, used in management interfaces, that occurs when a subsystem
supports exactly one object of a given type and the type of that object can be deduced
from the name. In OSI/MHS, the object type need not be specified in the VERSION or
NAMES command: the object is understood to be the MHS manager. The null object
has no inherent hierarchical relationship to any other object.
null value. A value indicating that a program has made no explicit assignment to a variable
or field. In DSM programmatic interfaces, a field in a structure has a null value if the
application has made no explicit assignment to that field after calling the SSNULL
procedure to initialize the structure.
numeric O/R address. An O/R address that identifies a user by a number. See also
mnemonic O/R address.
OBEY file. See command file.
object. In general, an entity subject to independent reference or control, and having well-
defined characteristics or behavior.
In DSM, an entity subject to independent reference and control by a subsystem: for
example, the disk volume $DATA or the data communications line $X2502. An object
typically has a name and a type known to the controlling subsystem.
In GPI, a collection of elements (called “attributes”) used for constructing messages.
See also root object, subobject, and superobject.
object identifier . In ASN.1, a set of values identifying an object in an ASN.1 abstract
syntax notation defined by the CCITT.
In the GPI, a unique identifier of a particular object generated by the GPI service when
the client program creates a new object, copies an object, or reserves an object. The
client program passes the object identifier to any GPI procedure operating on the
object. A GPI object identifier is not related to an ASN.1 object identifier.
object management. A means to operate on messages and their elements as objects.
object-name template. In DSM, a name that stands for more than one object. Such a
name includes one or more wild-card characters, such as * and ?. See also wild-card
character.
object tree. The internal form of an X.400 communication maintained by the GPI.
object type. In DSM, the category of objects to which a specific object belongs: for
example, a specific disk file might have the object type FILE, and a specific terminal