OSI/MHS P7 Application Programmatic Interface (P7 API) Manual

Glossary
OSI/MHS P7 Application Programmatic Interface (P7 API) Manual—424825-001
Glossary-2
archive queue
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.
attribute position. In the GPI, the position of an attribute in an object.
attribute syntax. The form of an attribute value. It may be string, Boolean, enumeration,
integer, or object.
attribute type. In general, an element defining the form or range of a value.
In the GPI, a name suggesting the kind of information a value represents: for instance,
MH-T-COUNTRY-NAME. See also attribute syntax.