MPE/iX Glossary of Terms and Acronyms (32650-90887)

Chapter 1 19
Glossary of Terms
compound item A named group of identically defined, adjacent items within the same
data entry; an array. A compound item is subdivided into subitems.
compression The process of translating data into a more compact form so that it can be
transmitted more economically or efficiently.
computer A device that accepts information, processes it, and supplies an output. A
computer usually contains memory, a control unit, arithmetic and logical
units, and a means for input and output.
concurrent directories A decentralized system directory scheme. Each disk attached to
the system contains its own directory of the files on that disk. This
provides faster file access by eliminating the physical or logical
serialization of a centralized directory.
configuration 1. The way in which computer and peripheral devices are programmed to
interact with each other.
2. The layout of the computer system, including MPE table, memory, and
buffer sizes. The configuration tells which peripheral devices are
connected to the computer and how they can be accessed. The system is
configured by the system supervisor, who works with the
Hewlett-Packard applications engineer (AE).
connect time The amount of time, in minutes, that a user, group, or account has used
the CPU for a session or job. It is determined by executing the MPE
REPORT command.
console A terminal given unique status by the operating system. The operator uses
the console to monitor and manage jobs, sessions and resources, respond to
requests, and communicate with other user terminals. It is used to boot
the system and receive system loader error messages, system error
messages, and system status messages.
console boot path Used to determine if the system can autoboot without operator
intervention. See boot path.
console command A command that is executable only from the system console at the =
prompt (generated by pressing
CTRL and the A key on the console
keyboard). Console commands cannot be distributed to MPE users, since
CTRL A has no meaning on a standard terminal. The logical console,
however, can be moved to a standard terminal.
console logging A system logging event. It records console commands in the system log
file.
console message A message sent to the system console by the system, an application, or
a user.
constant A fixed value (as opposed to a variable which is a symbol for a changing
valuex).
continuation character An ampersand (&) character entered as the last character of a
command line. A continuation character tells the command interpreter
that the command is longer than one line and is continuing onto a second
or more subsequent lines.