The non-blocking I/O feature prevents the Adapter from locking up when attempting to read or write data blocks, allowing the Adapter to continue its operation in case of any communication errors. If the read attempt fails for a configurable number of times, the Adapter exits or resets its connection to the external system, depending on its configuration. In the event of a failed write, the Adapter can resume its write operation to pick up where it previously left off until the entire message is successfully sent.
Without this feature, the Adapter might lock up when a read or write failure occurs and be unresponsive to all external messages, including requests from the user or the Enterprise Monitor (for status).