OSI/MHS Orientation Guide

Glossary
OSI/MHS Orientation Guide—424829-001
Glossary-24
Port Access Method (PAM)
In the P7 API, an interaction between a client program and an LO group, established
when a client program successfully calls the LOS_OPEN_ procedure. Once a session is
established, the client program can request P7 operations by calling other P7 API
procedures. A session is ended by calling the LOS_CLOSE_ procedure.
session identifier. A designator generated by the GPI when the client program establishes a
session and used by the program to indicate which session is requesting a GPI service.
Session Layer. Layer 5 in the OSI Reference Model. It allows the setup and termination of
sessions and controls communication sessions between nodes on the network.
session selector. See SSEL.
simple token. In DSM programmatic interfaces, a token consisting of a token code and a
value that is either a single elementary field, such as an integer or a character string, or a
fixed (nonextensible) structure. See also extensible structured token.
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 operating system 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