OSI/MHS Gateway Programmatic Interface (GPI) Programming Guide
Glossary
OSI/MHS Gateway Programmatic Interface (GPI) Programming Guide—424822-001
Glossary-28
single-valued attribute
single-valued attribute. An attribute that has only one value.
Site Update Tape. See SUT.
SNPA (subnetwork point of attachment). A real, physical address, identifying the point of 
attachment to a subnetwork.  
softdoc. A text file in edit-file (code 101) format that is part of a software product version or 
an interim product modification (IPM) in the same subvolume. A softdoc provides 
information about new product features and sometimes contains information not 
included in product manuals. 
SPI (Subsystem Programmatic Interface). In DSM, a set of procedures and associated 
definition files used to define common message-based programmatic interfaces for 
communication between requesters and servers—for instance, in a management 
application. SPI includes procedures to build and decode specially formatted messages; 
definition files in Pascal, TAL, C, COBOL85, and TACL for inclusion in programs, 
macros, and routines using the SPI procedures; and definition files in DDL for 
programmers writing their own subsystems. 
SPI buffer. The buffer that contains an SPI message. See also SPI message. 
SPI message. In DSM programmatic interfaces, a message specially formatted by the SPI 
procedures for communication between a management application and a subsystem or 
between one subsystem and another. An SPI message consists of a collection of tokens. 
Note that an SPI message is a single block of information sent at one time, as one 
interprocess message. There are two types of SPI messages, distinguished by different 
sets of tokens in the header: command and response messages, and event messages.  
SPI procedures. In DSM, the set of Guardian 90 procedures used to build and decode buffers 
for use in system and network management and in certain other applications. These 
procedures are SSINIT, SSNULL, SSPUT, SSPUTTKN, SSGET, SSGETTKN, 
SSMOVE, and SSMOVETKN. 
SPI standard definitions. In DSM programmatic interfaces, the set of declarations available 
for use with the SPI procedures, regardless of the subsystem. There is also a set of 
subsystem-specific declarations for each subsystem, and some sets of declarations that 
apply to multiple subsystems.  See also definition and definition files, data 
communications standard definitions or EMS standard definitions. 
SQL. See NonStop SQL.
SSAP. A logical location between the Session and Presentation Layers, through which 
session services are made available to local users, and through which presentation 
services are made available to remote systems. 
SSEL (session selector). An address at the boundary between the Session and Presentation 
Layers, through which connections are established and maintained.  A single SSEL can 
service one or more connections simultaneously and can refer to one or more SSAPs.










