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Glossary

A

Access Control Lists (ACL)
A Tuxedo security feature that controls client access to services by means of lists that are automatically checked each time a service is requested.

ACID Properties
The essential characteristic of transaction processing systems:
Atomicity: All changes that a transaction makes to a database are made permanent, or else are nullified.
Consistency: A successful transaction transforms a database from a previous valid state to a new valid state.
Isolation: Changes that a transaction makes to a database are not visible to other operations until the transaction completes its work.
Durability: Changes that a transaction makes to a database survive future system or media failures.

Application
A BEA TUXEDO System/T application is bounded by the environment described in a single TUXCONFIG file. In /Domain, a BEA TUXEDO System/T application can communicate with another application via a domain gateway group.

Application Domain
When used alone, the term Domain can mean a number of things. In order to avoid confusion, the term application domain is used to refer to a BEA TUXEDO application bounded by the configuration of a tmconfig file. This application domain can be restricted to a single platform, or shared memory (SHM) environment, or could be scaled across multiple machines in a multiple processor (MP) environment.

Application Programming Interface (API)
1) The verbs and environment that exist at the application level to support a particular system software product. 2) A set of code that enables a developer to initiate and complete client/server requests within an application. 3) A set of calling conventions that define how to invoke a service. A set of well-defined programming interfaces (entry points, calling parameters, and return values) by which one software program utilizes the services of another

Application Program-to-Program Communication (APPC)
An interface to LU6.2 services; provides a set of primitives to conduct conversations in LU6.2 sessions.

Application-Transaction Monitor Interface (ATMI)
The Application Programming Interface (API) to Tuxedo that includes transaction routines, message handling routines, service interface routines, and buffer management routines.

C

Client
A program designed to request information from a server.

CNOS
CNOS are service programs implemented as part of an LU6.2. The CNOS programs negotiate session limits between the two communication LU's.

Common Programming Interface for Communications (CPI-C)
An interface to LU6.2 services. It is a simpler set of primitives than the APPC interface and is intended for use in program-to-program communications.

Conversation
In this guide conversation has two meanings; the context determines which meaning is intended. In BEA TUXEDO System/T, conversation identifies a mode of communication between processes in which a connection is opened and stays open until brought down. Communication is achieved through sends and receives. This is distinguished from the request/response model in which communication is achieved through calls and replies. In SNA terms, a conversation uses a session as long as the conversation continues. In an SNA conversation, communication can be either the BEA TUXEDO System/T conversation or request/response model. Each SNA conversation is assigned a CONVID (Conversation ID) at the time it is initialized by the LU. SNA conversations can be mapped or basic:

Conversation, Mapped
Conversations that allow programmers to send and receive buffers without having to worry about the sizes of underlying request units (RUs) used for communication. The LU takes the buffer and divides it, if necessary, into appropriate Logical Records with associated length fields and data type fields. This is the style supported for applications by BEA eLink for Mainframe SNA software.

Conversation, Basic
Conversations in which logical records with appropriate type and length fields must be formatted for transmission and parsed on receipt. The service transaction programs in an LU use basic conversations to communicate.

Customer Information Control System/Extended System Architecture (CICS/ESA)
An operating environment devised by IBM that provides a foundation upon which to write customer applications programs. Several facilities useful for programming are supplied by the CICS environment, including basic mapping services (BMS), transient data queues (TD), temporary storage files (TS), memory services, etc. Customer applications are built as separate transaction programs, and are invoked as transactional tasks. CICS/ESA is a trademark of International Business Machines (IBM), Inc.

D

Distributed Program Link (DPL)
Function of CICS ISC that supports LINK requests between CICS regions, and is similar to a BEA TUXEDO request/response.

Distributed Transaction Processing (DTP)
A CICS intercommunication in which processing is distributed among transactions that communicate synchronously over intersystem or inter-region links. It is roughly equivalent to BEA TUXEDO conversations.

Domain
A domain can be another BEA TUXEDO System/T application that is independently administered, an application that is under the control of another transaction processing system, or an application in a remote CICS/ESA region. Domains can be local or remote.

Domain Gateway
A BEA TUXEDO System/T process that provides connectivity to remote BEA TUXEDO application environments, such as OSI, MVS/APPC, CICS/MVS, and IMS operating environments. BEA eLink for Mainframe OSI TP, BEA eLink SNA, and BEA eLink TCP/IP are domain gateways.

Domain Gateway Group
A Domain Gateway Group is a collection of domain gateway processes that provide communication services with other domains.

E

ESA
(ESA) Enterprise Systems Architecture is the conceptual structure and functional behavior of IBM's latest range of mainframe computers. ESA/370 is the fourth step in an evolution of which the first three steps were System/360, System/370, and System/370 extended architecture (370-XA).

F

Field Manipulation Language (FML)
A set of C language functions for defining and manipulating storage structures called field buffers. Cooperating processes can send and receive data in fielded buffers.

FML Buffer
A buffer of self-describing data items accessed through the Field Manipulation Language API.

G

Graphical Administrative Interface
A Tuxedo System component that enables an authorized user to configure and control an application through a Motif-based set of screens and icons.

I

Inbound
A generic term referring to request message direction relative to the server, or response message direction relative to the client.

Information Management System (IMS)
A database manager used by CICS/ESA to allow access to data. IMS provides for the arrangement of data in an hierarchical structure and a common access approach in application programs that manipulate IMS databases.

InterSystem Communications (ISC)
Communication between separate systems by means of SNA networking facilities or by means of the application-to-application facilities. ISC links CICS systems to other systems, and may be used for communication between user applications, or to transparently execute CICS functions on a remote CICS system.

J

Job Control Language (JCL)
Control language used to describe a job and its requirements to an operating system.

L

Local Domain
A Local Domain is a part of an application (set or subset of services) that is available to other domains. A Local Domain is always represented by a Domain Gateway Group, and the terms are used interchangeably.

Local Service
A Local Service is a service of a local domain that is made available to remote domains through a Domain Gateway Group.

Logical Unit (LU)
In SNA, a port through which a user gains access to the services of a network. Also, see System Network Architecture (SNA).

LU6.2
LU6.2 is a particular SNA logical unit that identifies a specific set of services for program to program communication. Services include syncpoint, mapping of buffers into records, message confirmation, and security.

M

MODENAME
MODENAME is a configuration parameter that names a set of characteristics for a group of BEA eLink for Mainframe SNA sessions. In the CICS region, the mode is defined in VTAM and referenced in CIC and the DMCONFIG file.

mirror task
CICS/ESA task that services incoming requests that specify a mirror transaction (CSMI, CSM1, CSM2, CSM3, CSM5, CPMI, CVMI, or a user-defined mirror transaction identifier).

mirror transaction
CICS/ESA transaction that recreates a request that is function shipped from one system to another, issues the request on the second system, and passes the acquired data back to the first system.

Mirror Transaction Identifier Support
BEA eLink for Mainframe SNA feature which enables BEA TUXEDO clients to invoke host CICS/ESA programs and, conversely, CICS/ESA client programs to invoke BEA TUXEDO services. Based on the IBM CICS/ESA mirror transaction.

Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS)
An operating system for processing systems consisting of one or more mainframe processors.

O

Outbound
A generic term referring to request message direction relative to the client, or response message direction relative to the server.

P

Partitioned Data Set (PDS).
A CICS/ESA data set in direct access storage that is divided into partitions called members. A member can contain a program or data. Program libraries are held in partitioned data sets.

R

re-entrant
The attribute of a program or routine that allows the same copy of the program or routine to be used concurrently by two or more tasks.

Remote Domain
A Remote Domain is a part of an application accessed through a Domain Gateway Group. The remote domain may be another BEA TUXEDO System/T application, an application running under another TP system, or a BEA eLink for Mainframe SNA application.

Remote Service
A Remote Service is a service of a remote domain that is made available to the local application through a Domain Gateway Group.

Resource Definition Online (RDO)
The recommended method of defining resources to CICS/ESA. Resource definitions are created interactively by a CEDA transaction, or by the DFHCSDUP utility. Both methods store definition in the CICS/ESA system definition data set (CSD). At CICS initialization, CSD definitions are selectively installed as CICS system tables controlled by a user-supplied list of definitions. CEDA-defined resource definitions can be installed while CICS is active and used immediately.

S

Server
A computer or program that is dedicated to providing information in response to external requests.

Session
When two LU's bind with each other, that is, when they have successfully negotiated how they will communicate, they are said to be in session. SNA has fixed limits on the number of sessions configurable for an LU type.

Stack
Platform vendor-supplied software that provides connectivity to an SNA network.

Synchronization Level (sync level)
The level of synchronization (0, 1, or 2) established for an APPC session between intercommunicating CICS/ESA transactions. Level 0 gives no synchronization support, level 1 allows the exchange of private synchronization requests, and level 2 gives full CICS/ESA synchronization support, with backout of all updates to recoverable resources if failure occurs.

System Definition Data Set (CSD)
A VSAM KSDS cluster that contains a resource definition record for every resource defined to CICS using resource definition online (RDO).

SNA Communication Resource Manager (SNACRM)
A process that provides all of the sync-level two logic for an SNA domain gateway and directly communicates with the PU2.1 server.

SYM_DEST_NAME
A symbolic name for a combination of Partner LUNAME, MODENAME and TPNAME that uniquely identifies the destination for a conversation start-up request.

System Network Architecture (SNA)
A seven-layer networking protocol. Each layer of the protocol has a set of associated data communication services. The services of the uppermost layer are embodied in a Logical Unit (LU). Each LU type defined in SNA has its own specific set of services available to an end user for communicating. The end user may be a terminal device, or an application program. The SNA structure enables the end user to operate independently, unaffected by the specific facilities used for information exchange.

T

Transaction
1) A complete unit of work that transforms a database from one consistent state to another. In DTP, a transaction can include multiple units of work performed on one or more systems.
2) A logical construct through which applications perform work on shared resources (e.g., databases). The work done on behalf of the transaction conforms to the four ACID Properties: atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability.

Transaction Processing (TP)
A form of immediate data processing in which user requests are entered directly to the terminal and on-line programs satisfy the requests; for example, by updating database files and displaying output messages.

Typed Buffer
A buffer for message communication involving data of a specific data type.

V

Virtual Telecommunications Access Method (VTAM)
A set of programs that control communication across a network between terminals and application programs.

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Last update: May 28, 1999.