Glossary

abort
A method of terminating a transaction so that all protected resources, such as database records, have the same value they had at the beginning of the transaction.

abstract data type
A description of a collection of similar data, such as for a purchase order. The use of an abstract data type enables programmers to write code that describes what can be done with data, without concern about the specific form in which the data is represented.

abstract model
A simplified representation of something more complex. The creation of an abstract model of an activity or a thing makes it easier to understand what is being modeled.

access control
Optional security that you might need to access a remote computer.

activate
To move an entity (computer, server, etc.) from an inactive state to an active state; to boot.

activation
The process of preparing an object to execute operations. For example, stored data might be copied into the implementation's memory to allow execution of methods on the stored data.

activation key
Data that you must enter into an installed file to make a particular feature or product work.

ADE
See applications development environment.

administrative API
An application programming interface that uses the TUXEDO ATMI for the purpose of configuring and controlling an application.

administrative domain
That portion of an application that is actively administered at run time by a BBL process. This does not include workstations or host processors.

allocation
The assignment of various types of programs and record categories for system storage locations, such as main storage or disk storage.

AP
See application program.

API
See application programming interface.

applet
An interactive Java program that can be run via a Web page displayed by a Java-capable browser. The applet enhances the Web page's display or enables the user to complete some specific task.

application
1) The collection of servers, services, and associated resource managers defined by a single UBBCONFIG or TUXCONFIG configuration file. 2) The software and permanent resources (databases, files, etc.) used to computerize a business function; in TUXEDO software, it is defined by a MIB. 3) A collection of programs that perform a function. For example, a payroll application is made up of a collection of programs that calculate the amount of money to pay employees, print paychecks, and so on.

application entity
A set of software components that make up a distributed transaction processing application on one computer system.

application framework
The software that provides the infrastructure that makes it possible for sets of applications or other software components to work together.

application program (AP)
A single instance of a user program that performs one or more specific tasks. An AP defines transaction boundaries and accesses resources within those boundaries; it interacts with other system components using interfaces specified in the X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing model. An AP is a single thread of control involved in at most one global transaction at any time.

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.

applications development environment (ADE)
A set of tools (often presented or accessed via a GUI) to help programmers build applications.

application to transaction monitor interface (ATMI)
A UNIX international standard interface that TUXEDO application programs can use to start and commit global transactions, send and receive messages, maintain corrections, manage typed buffers, and perform similar tasks. The ATMI interface is supported by all TUXEDO based systems and is the basis of the X/Open TX and XATMI interfaces.

ASN
See abstract syntax name.

asynchronous process
A process that executes independently of another process. When a request is processed asynchronously, the client application continues to perform other operations while it waits for the service request to be filled.

asynchronous request
A request that lets the client do other work while the request is being processed, enhancing parallelism within an application.

ATMI
See application to transaction monitor interface.

attribute
An element of information associated with an object or its method.

authenticate
To reliably determine a user's or processor's identity, often using a password or series of passwords. Once authenticated, an identity can be mapped against the authorization tables of services and objects. This mapping generally takes place in the access control list.

authentication
A method consisting of application passwords and security services that is used to verify users and allow users to join applications.

authorize
To grant a user or process permission or access to objects or services. This involves mapping a user's authenticated ID which allows access to the service or object.

autoinstall
A method of creating and installing terminal definitions dynamically as terminals log on, and deleting them at logoff.

availability
Features of transaction processing systems that contribute to the smooth, continued systems operation in the presence of failures.

back-end transaction
In synchronous transaction-to-transaction communication, a transaction that is started by a front-end transaction.

backout
The process of restoring to a previous state all or part of a system. The process of removing all the updates against the protected resources such as files and databases performed by an application program that has terminated abnormally. Backout can be done dynamically in the case of an application abend, or during restart.

backup
The act of a resource manager in using a log to restore resources to some predetermined state by applying log entries sequentially to the resource until the desired state has been achieved.

batch
To process asynchronously many jobs as a single group.

batch processing
1) Type of data processing in which a number of input items are grouped for processing serially with a minimum of operator intervention and no end-user interaction. 2) Serial processing of computer programs. 3) Pertaining to the technique of executing a set of computer programs so that each is completed before the next program of the set is started.

BBL
See bulletin board liaison.

BEA Jolt
A BEA product that provides a Java client API that extends BEA TUXEDO capabilities, enabling businesses to easily create, deploy, and maintain secure systems that operate over the Internet.

BEA TUXEDO
A robust middleware engine for developing and deploying business-critical client/server applications. It handles distributed transaction processing, application messaging, and the full complement of services necessary to build and run enterprise-wide applications.

bitmap
In temporary storage, a control block used by intrapartition transient data to show the VSAM control intervals that have been used and are available. It is updated whenever a control interval or track is assigned to or release from a destination.

broadcast
To send the same message to every node on a network.

broker
A system-level entity whose role is to maintain subscriptions and to cause subscribers' actions to occur when events are posted.

buffer
1) Input or output data as it exists inside a local TUXEDO region. 2) An abstract name for a message type. TUXEDO software provides seven predefined types for message communication: CARRAY, FML, STRING, VIEW, XCTYPE, X_COMMON, and X_OCTET. These buffer types are transparently encoded and decoded across networks of heterogeneous machines. Applications can define additional buffer types. 3) A set of main memory pages used to cache currently and recently used disk pages.

bulletin board
1) A collection of shared data structures designed to keep track of a running TUXEDO Transaction Manager application. It contains information about servers, services, clients, and transactions pertaining to a Transaction Manager application. The bulletin board is replicated on each logical native (non-foreign) machine in the application. 2) A distributed, partially replicated, memory data structure used to maintain information for name serving, transaction management, and run time in BEA TUXEDO.

bulletin board liaison (BBL)
1) A TUXEDO administrative process that is responsible for maintaining a copy of the bulletin board on a particular processor. When the system is running, one BBL process runs continuously on each logical machine in the application. 2) A Transaction Manager administrative process responsible for maintaining a copy of the bulletin board on a particular processor. When the system is running, one BBL process runs continuously on each logical machine in the application.

business-event middleware
Middleware that integrates applications by providing program-to-program connection, communication, and data transfer through a publish-and-subscribe communications paradigm.

byte
A sequence of eight adjacent bits that are operated on as a unit.

cache
A subset containing copies of the frequently accessed parts of a larger memory.

call
An instruction in COBOL, assembler language, C/370, or PL/I format that is used by an application program to request services.

CARRAY buffer
A data structure that is an array of characters any of which can be the null character. Array interpretation is entirely application dependent.

catalog
See message catalog.

class
For Jolt, a template for an object containing variables and methods representing behavior and attributes. Class can inherit public and protected variables and methods from other classes.

class library
A set of object-oriented client programming tools. These tools can be used in a Java program or Web page-embeddable Java applet.

client
Software that asks a server to perform a task. In client/server terminology, a client application typically contains the user interface, and the server application typically stores and manipulates the data.

client naming
A TUXEDO feature that enables client programs to carry both user names and client name values.

client program
A process that generates service requests handled by TUXEDO software and receives responses to those requests from TUXEDO software.

client/server
A programming model in which application programs are structured as clients or servers. A client program is an application program that requests services to be performed. A server program is an entity that dispatches service routines to satisfy requests from client programs. A service routine is an application program module that performs one or more specific functions on behalf of client programs.

client/server computing
The use of clients and servers to achieve distributed processing. Client/server computing can be configured in a two-tier or a three-tier structure. A two-tier configuration consists of only the client and the server. A three-tier configuration includes a client, a server, and an intermediate level that acts as a router or a broker.

client/server model
A model used in distributed systems where one host acts as a system server, and the other host acts as a client.

command-line interface
A style of user interface that allows user interaction by entering command strings at a system prompt.

commit
1) Complete a transaction so that changes are recorded and stable. Protected resources are released. 2) The declaration or process of making a transaction's updates and messages visible to other transactions. When a transaction commits, all its effects become public and durable. After commitment, the effects of a transaction cannot be reversed automatically.

component
Part of an application or a package of distributed objects.

concurrent
Pertaining to the occurrence of two or more activities within a given interval of time. Concurrent processes can alternately use shared common resources.

configuration
The set of hardware, hardware options, software, and software setup on a computer or on a network.

configure
To customize hardware and software for a computer or for a network.

constructor
A special method for creating and initializing new instances of classes. Constructors initialize the new object and its variables, create any other objects that the object needs, and perform any other operations needed by the object to initialize itself.

conversation
A dialogue over a connection.

conversation communication
A communication method in which client programs and service routines exchange messages back and forth.

conversational server
A server whose services conduct conversations with requesters.

database management system (DBMS)
A program or set of programs that let users structure and manipulate the data in the tables of a database. A DBMS ensures privacy, recovery, and integrity of data in a multi-user environment.

data-dependent routing
1) Routing that directs a request to be processed by a particular group based on the value in a data field of the message. 2) A mechanism in BEA TUXEDO in which a service request is mapped to a specific server group based on a value contained in a designated field in the data buffer.

data independence
The ability to request data by a high-level data-management method without concern as to how the data is stored or retrieved.

DBMS
See database management system.

distributed transaction
A transaction involving multiple transaction managers. In a distributed transaction environment, a client application may send requests to several servers resulting in resource updates at multiple resource managers. To complete the transaction, the transaction manager for each participant (client, servers, and resource managers) must be polled to coordinate the commit process for each participant within its domain.

distributed transaction processing (DTP)
A form of processing in which multiple application programs update multiple resources (such as databases) in a coordinated manner. Programs and resources can reside on one or more computers access a network.

DLL
See dynamic link libraries.

domain
A collection of systems involved in administratively autonomous applications. The BEA TUXEDO domains component allows for interapplication or interdomain calls and transactions to occur.

DTP
See distributed transaction processing.

dynamic link libraries (DLL)
A collection of functions grouped into a load module that is dynamically linked with an executable program at run time for a Windows or OS/2 application.

electronic commerce
The process of completing a business cycle from product introduction, pricing, delivery, and acceptance, through an electronic exchange of assets.

encryption
A process used to scramble access codes to secure data from forgery or to prevent unauthorized access.

environmental variable
A string of specific values that controls a certain attribute of an application. Environment variables are made available to the application as it begins.

event
The occurrence of a condition, state change, or the availability of some information, that is of interest to one or more modules.

exception
An abnormal condition, such as an I/O error encountered in processing or data set or a file, or using any resource.

field
1) In a record, a specified area used for a particular category of data. 2) An area within a segment that is the smallest referable unit of data. 3) Any designated portion of a segment. 4) A way of addressing a single item of data in a database table. A field is also an area of a window where data displays.

field manipulation language (FML)
An interface for maintaining buffers with field/value pairs.

field table
A file that consists of FML field names and their identifiers. The field table enables users to refer to fields by logical names rather than by system field identifiers.

FML
See field manipulation language.

FML buffer
A buffer of self-describing data items accessed through the field manipulation language API.

framework
The software environment tailored to the needs of a specific application domain. Frameworks include a collection of software components that programmers use to build applications for the domain the framework addresses. Frameworks can contain specialized APIs, services, and tools, which reduce the knowledge a user or programmer needs to have to accomplish a specific task.

front-end transaction
Synchronous transaction-to-transaction communication, the transaction that acquires the session to a remote system and initiates a transaction on a system.

gateway
1) A U 6000. 2) For TUXEDO, any communication mechanism between different environments (for example, between native and foreign nodes).

group
A collection of servers or services on a machine, optionally associated with a resource manager. A group is an administrative unit used for booting, shut down, and migrating of servers and services.

handlers
A request that originates on a remote computer. Handlers are registered in the local TUXEDO bulletin board as client programs.

hierarchical database
A database organized in the form of a tree structure that predetermines the access paths to data stored in the database. DL/I, IMS, and SQL/DS are hierarchical database managers.

hierarchy
In a database, a tree of segments beginning with the root and proceeding downward to dependent segment types. No segment type can be dependent on more than one other segment type.

host
A computer that is attached to a network and provides services other than acting as a communication switch.

host computer
The primary or controlling computer in a data communication system.

hypertext markup language (HTML)
The language used for writing pages for the World Wide Web.

information hiding
A software design technique in which a piece of code contains only the information it needs to do its job.

infrastructure
A common underlying computing base. The infrastructure is a set of components (fundamental services) that support another higher-level set of components in a given system. The higher-level components are typically more directly associated with providing the specific function of the overall system.

inheritance
In object-oriented programming, the ability to pass along the capabilities and behaviors of one object to another object. When an object inherits behavior from a single interface, it is called single inheritance. When an object inherits behavior from more than one interface, it is called multiple inheritance.

instance
A term used in object-oriented systems to indicate that something is a specific occurrence of a more general case. For example, you are a specific instance of the general concept of a person.

instance variables
The definition of the attributes of an object.

integration
The ability of applications to share information or to process independently by requesting services and satisfying service requests. In a well-integrated system, all of the parts have a purpose, and the parts combine effectively to achieve the purpose of the overall system.

interaction model
A description of how the clients and servers in a distributed application or application framework work with each other.

interface inheritance
See inheritance.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
An international organization whose membership includes standards and research groups from various nations. ISO establishes standards for computer network communications and many other technologies.

internationalization
A mechanism that allows customization of a system's text messages and date formats into an application's language and format of choice.

Internet
The world's largest network, the Internet is based on the TCP/IP protocol suite and is universally accessible.

intranet
A set of internal company or group-specific networks protected by firewalls and connected by IP routers. An intranet appears to its users as a single network.

interoperability
The ability to exchange requests between entities. Objects interoperate if the methods that apply to one object can request services of another object.

ISO
See International Organization for Standardization.

Java
An object-oriented programming language modeled after C++ designed to be small, simple and portable across platforms and operating systems.

Java Developer's Kit (JDK)
A package of software for Java developers that includes the Java interpreter, Java classes, and Java development tools: compiler, debugger, disassembler, appletviewer, stub file generator, and documentation generator.

JDK
See Java Developer's Kit.

Jolt
See BEA Jolt.

Jolt Repository
Contains definitions of BEA TUXEDO application services used to test new and existing BEA TUXEDO application services independently of the client applications.

Jolt Repository Server (JREPSVR)
Retrieves Jolt service definitions from the Jolt Repository and returns the service definitions to the JSH.

Jolt Server
Performs the following functions: establishes network connections to clients, translates Jolt messages, multiplexes multiple clients into a single process, submits and retrieves requests to and from TUXEDO based applications running on a TUXEDO server.

Jolt Server Handler (JSH)
Manages network connectivity by making services requests from the Jolt Repository and translating TUXEDO buffer data into the Jolt buffer.

Jolt Server Listener (JSL)
Handles the work of client connection, tracking client messages and session handoff.

JREPSVR
See Jolt Repository Server.

JSH
See Jolt Server Handler.

JSL
See Jolt Server Listener.

journaling
The recording of information onto any journal (including the system log) for possible subsequent processing by the user. The primary purpose of journaling is to enable forward recovery of the data sets. A data set can be reconstructed by applying transactions in the journal against a previous version of the data set. Journaling can be used for any other user-defined purpose, such as auditing, accounting, or performance analysis.

keyword
1) A symbol that identifies a parameter. 2) A part of a command operand that consists of a specific character string.

LAN
See local area network.

listener
See workstation listener.

LMID
See logical machine.

load balancing
The ability of the system to ensure maximum application throughput by automatically finding the most available server for a request, then sending the request to that server or the server's queue, for processing.

local area network (LAN)
A high-speed network that spans a limited distance, such as a building or a cluster of buildings. LANs can be connected to wide area networks (WANs) with bridge devices.

local system
In a multisystem environment, the system on which an application program is executing. A local application can process data from databases located on either the same (local) system or another (remote) system.

local transaction
A local resource manager transaction that is active on behalf of a global transaction.

log file
A message file that describe events that occur during an operation. Log files are updated frequently during an operation and are useful for tracing system operation and errors.

logical machine (LMID)
A processing element used in a transaction manager application and given a logical name in the configuration file.

makefile
A file, referenced by the make command, that tells the make command how to create each of the files needed to generate a complete program. The makefile contains a list of source files, object files, and dependency information.

message catalog
A file or storage area containing program messages, command prompts, and responses to prompts for a particular native language, territory, and codeset.

method
1) The object-oriented programming term for a function or procedure. 2) A function defined inside classes that operate on instances of those classes.

middleware
A set of services for building distributed client/server applications, such as services for locating other programs in the network, establishing communication with those programs, and passing information between applications. Middleware services can also be used to resolve disparities between different computing platforms and to provide a uniform authorization model in multivendor and multioperating system networks.

modeling
A design technique used in developing architecture, simulations, and computer systems.

module
A set of code that contains information on a particular topic and on the topic's related interfaces. For example, code that describes a banking withdrawal operation could be stored in a module.

multiple inheritance
The ability of an object to inherit behavior from more than one interface.

multithreading
Use of a single process to execute multiple tasks in multiple threads.

mutual authentication
The process by which peers authenticate themselves to each other. In normal authentication, a server accepts a client's proof of identity, but does not authenticate itself to the client. In mutual authentication, the client proves its identity to the server and demands that the server prove its identity to the client before communication proceeds.

network
1) An interconnected group of nodes. 2) The assembly of equipment through which connections are made between data stations. 3) The communication path used to communicate with a server.

network address
A unique network identifier assigned to each network connection made. This unique identifier may either be assigned randomly by the provider requested by the process establishing the connection. The format of the network address is provider-specific.

network provider
Identifies the protocol used at the transport level and below to communicate data across a network. Network providers are typically accessed from programs through a transport interface. Examples of network providers are TCP/IP and StarLAN.

node
1) An individual computer that can communicate with other computers in a network. 2) A point on a network. 3) A computer (for example, a single instance of the UNIX operating system) that participates in a TUXEDO application.

OATMI
See Object Application Transaction Monitor Interface.

object
1) An entity on which operations are performed. An object is defined by its interface. For example, a file is an object that can be opened, closed, read, and printed. 2) A concrete instance of some class. Multiple objects that are instances of the same class have access to the same methods but often have different values for their instance variables.

Object Application Transaction Monitor Interface (OATMI)
The object-based programming API for TUXEDO.

object attribute
A technique used to model data that is associated with an object. The value of the object attribute describes the data. For example, for an object attribute named employee_badge, the value of employee_badge would be the employee's badge number, such as 1239. An object attribute can have one or two functions defined for it, depending on how it is declared: one function to retrieve (get) the value of the object attribute and one function to enter (set) the value of the object attribute.

object-oriented model
A technology that describes operations and entities in terms of interrelated objects.

object reference
An identifier that associates an object definition with an instance of the object, such as a bank account number or an employee identifier number. There are two kinds of object references: real objects and pseudo objects.

octet
1) A byte that consists of eight bits. 2) A byte composed of eight binary elements.

OLTP
See online transaction processing.

online transaction processing (OLTP)
1) A form of data processing in which users at terminals or workstations send messages to application programs, which update databases in real time. 2) The execution of units of work in an environment that appears to the user as immediate; real-time; usually having internal recoverability, history-keeping and consistency-assurance features.

open framework
A software infrastructure in which developers can easily remove and replace software components in a "plug-and-play" fashion.

open system
A system that implements specified common standards across different computer vendors. Implementing open systems standards for communication allows computers from different vendors to communicated with each other.

operation
An action that can be performed by or on an object. Operations must be associated with an object. For example, you can perform several operations on a file object, including opening, closing, reading, and printing.

packages
In Java, a way of grouping together related classes and interfaces. Groups of classes can be made available only if they are needed and conflicts between class names and different groups of classes can be eliminated.

platform
The combination of hardware, operating system, and windowing system that supports an application.

port
The value of the port is the host name of the Jolt Server.

profile
A set of information about a client or a user. The profile provides information the server might require to recognize the client or the user.

property
A characteristic identified with a context object. Each property consists of a name and a string value associated with that name.

queued transaction processing
Processing transactions by placing incoming requests in queues that are serviced in priority order by servers. Queuing is convenient for batch transaction processing and for priority scheduling of transactions.

queues
A simple data structure for managing the time-staged delivery of requests to servers. Queued elements may be sorted in some order of priority. Clients insert items in the queue and servers remove items from the queue, as soon as possible, in batch, or periodically.

record
Input or output data as it exists outside the local or remote TUXEDO regions, or on different kinds of systems.

recovery
In transaction systems, after a failure, the ability to restore the system to the most recent committed, and therefore consistent, state. In distributed systems, recovery may involve resynchronizing several distributed components. Once recovered, processing can resume, and transactions aborted as a result of the failure can be resubmitted.

relational database
A database accessed and organized according to the relationships between data items. Relationships are expressed by means of tables that allow the accessing of items with matching attributes. The access path is determined at the time of access. SQL is an example of a relational database manager.

reliability
The extent to which a system, or part of a system, produces the correct output on repeated trials (without unintended side effects) while meeting the performance specification.

remote
Describes a service or a computer that is available to a client over the network.

remote node
Any computer in the network other than the computer to which the user's workstation is connected.

remote procedure call (RPC)
A local procedure call that is executed in a non-local program or address space. Enables application logic to be split between a client and a server in the way that best uses available resources.

request object
The pseudo object that contains the object reference on which a client wants to operate, the operation, parameters, and result location. The request object is required for a client using dynamic invocation to invoke a method in an implementation. In dynamic invocation, the client must create the request object and use the request object to invoke a method.

request/reply communication
A method of communication in which a client program sends a request, and server program performs the task and returns a reply to the client program.

request/reply server
A server that offers request/reply services.

request/reply service
A service initiated by a request from a client program. The service routine receives a single request and provides (at most) a single reply. The request and reply are application data sent between the client program and service routine.

request/response
Communication characterized by a single request matched to a single response message. There are synchronous and asynchronous variations of request/response communication.

request/response server
A server that offers request/response services. A service of type request/response is handled like a procedure and has the following properties: it is executed until completion, it does not have any dialogue with the requester, and it sends back a return-value to the requester. For a requester, the execution of a request/response service can be synchronous or asynchronous.

resource manager (RM)
1) An interface and associated software that provides access to a collection of information and processes; for example, a database management system. Resource managers provide transaction capabilities and permanence of actions; they are the entities accessed and controlled within a global transaction. 2) A subsystem that manages some transactional objects. The resource manager typically offers services to applications or to other resource managers. A transactional database system, a transaction queue manager, a transactional session manager, and a transactional persistent programming language all act as resource managers.

response time
The elapsed time between entering an inquiry or request and receiving a response.

RM
See resource manager.

rollback
The event that ends a transaction and nullifies or undoes all changes to resources that were specified during that transaction.

RPC
See remote procedure call.

scope
To use a class to enforce a particular use for an application.

script
A set of operating system commands that execute a service.

script server
A special-purpose process that allows legacy applications with a command-line interface to be encapsulated as object implementations. The use of a script server is transparent to client applications.

security
The protection of information from unauthorized modification or disclosure and the protection of resources from unauthorized use.

security context
A shared context established by a pair of communicating processes, through which the communicating processes participate in secure communications.

security principal
An entity that is known to, and can be authenticated by, the security system.

server
1) A process that receives service requests from a requester and dispatches the service routine that acts on the request. 2) A software module that accepts requests from clients and other servers and returns responses.

server group
A collection of servers and services on a machine, often associated with a resource manager. A server group is an administrative unit used for booting, shutting down, and migrating servers and services.

server ID
An identifier for a single server. No two servers can operate at the same time with the same server ID.

service
1) An application routine available for request by a client in the system. 2) A module of application code that carries out a service request.

service code
The name associated with a service offered remotely through a tlisten process.

service request
A request that is initiated by a requester process that asks for the invocation of a service.

service routine
An application program module that performs one or more specific services on behalf of client programs. The structure of service routines (the mechanism by which they are called and terminated) is defined by the XATMI interface specification.

SHM model
A TUXEDO Transaction Manager application configuration that runs entirely on a single processing element.

single inheritance
The ability of an object to inherit behavior from only one interface.

single threading
The execution of a program to completion. Processing of one transaction is completed before another transaction is started.

socket
An endpoint of communication to which a name may be bound. The socket interface is one of two network access methods supported by NET/T, the other being TLI.

spooling
The use of disk storage as a buffer storage to reduce processing delays when transferring data between peripheral equipment and the processors of a computer.

SQL
See structured query language.

standard MIB
A MIB developed as a standard by the Internet community. Examples of the standard MIBs are MIB I and MIB II.

state
1) The situation of a conversation from the point of view of one of the participating transactions. The conversation state determines the commands that a transaction can validly issue. The state of each transaction changes dynamically in the course of conversation. 2) A description (typically in memory) of the current situation of an object.

STRING buffer
A data structure that is an array of nonnull characters terminated by the null character. It is a self-describing buffer.

structured query language (SQL)
A nonprocedural language for defining and accessing relational databases. SQL has become the industry standard database language.

subclass
A class that inherits the public and protected methods of its superclass.

subroutine
A sequenced set of instructions that can be used in one or more programs and at one or more points in a program. The execution of a subroutine is usually invoked by a call.

subscriber
An application program that subscribes to an event or set of events, and declares what action should take place when an event is posted.

superclass
A class extended by another class. The public and protected methods and variables are available to the subclass.

synchronization
A coordinated commitment control process between communicating transaction that ensures that all logically related updates to recoverable resources are completed or that all are backed out.

synchronous
1) Pertaining to an event that happens, exists, or arises at precisely the same time as another event. 2) Pertaining to an operation that occurs regularly or predictable with regard to the occurrence of a specified event in another process; for example the calling of an input/output routine that receives control at a precoded location in a program.

synchronous communication
A method of transmitting data using a timing signal. With this form of communication, when one piece of software sends a message to another piece of software, the originating software must wait until the service provider completes the request before it can continue.

synchronous process
A process that cannot execute independently of other processes. When a request is processed synchronously, the client application must wait until the service provider completes the request before continuing.

synchronous request
A client request and response block that waits for a reply.

system administration
1) The preparation of an instance of a system for use in a particular setting or installation. 2) Changing the system as the installation changes. This term is often used in a way that includes system operations as well.

task
A single instance of the execution of a transaction.

TCP/IP
See Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.

terminal
1) A device, often equipped with a keyboard and some kind of a display, capable of sending and receiving information over a communication channel. 2) A point in a system or communication network at which data can either enter or leave.

thread
A lightweight process.

thread of control
The entity and all its context that is currently in control of a processor. A thread of control is an operating system process; that is, an address space, the single thread of control executing within that address space, and the required system resources. The context can include both locks the process has on shared resources and files the process has open.

three-tier client/server
An implementation of n-tier client/server.

tlisten
A network-independent listener process that runs as a daemon process and provides remote service connections for other TUXEDO Transaction Manager processes.

TM
See transaction manager.

token
An individual element in the message definition block, such as the command or the subsystem name.

TP
See transaction processing.

TP monitor
See transaction processing monitor.

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 backout
The cancellation, as a result of a transaction failure of all updates performed by a task.

transaction manager (TM)
A system software component that manages global transactions on behalf of application programs. TMs coordinate commands from application programs and communication resource managers to start and complete global transactions by communicating with all resource managers (RM) that are participating in those transactions. When RMs fail during global transactions, TMs help RMs decide whether to commit or roll back pending global transactions.

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

transaction processing monitor (TP monitor)
Name for a class of products that provides a transaction execution environment on top of conventional operating systems.

translation
The process of changing how intrinsic data types are represented in input data and output data (with respect to word length, byte ordering, and character encoding).

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
1) A network provider that is supported by the transport layer interface. 2) Communications protocol standard.

TUXCONFIG
The binary configuration file for a TUXEDO application. This file is accessed by all TUXEDO processes for all configuration information.

TUXEDO
See BEA TUXEDO.

two-phase commit (2PC)
A method of coordinating a single transaction across more than one DBMS (or other resource manager). It guarantees data integrity by ensuring that transactional updates are committed in all of the participating databases, or are fully rolled back out of all of the databases, reverting to the state prior to the start of the transaction.

two-tier client/server
An application development approach that splits an application into two parts and divides the processing between a desktop workstation and a server machine.

TX interface
The Transaction Demarcation (TX) API used by APs to call the transaction manager. APs use the TX interface to define the boundaries of global transactions and direct the completion of those transactions.

type conversion
The process of converting an application program's data buffer or record so that the data is formatted in a manner that is suitable to a target application program.

typecode object
A pseudo object used to describe the type of argument being passed across an interface. Programmers use a typecode with the dynamic invocation interface or with any other routines that use typecodes. Typecodes represent simple datatypes, such as booleans, chars, floats, octets, and strings.

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

UBBCONFIG
An ASCII application configuration file. This is the ASCII representation of the TUXCONFIG file.

VIEW buffer
A data structure similar to a C structure. As part of defining this buffer type, a view description file is created. It is a self-describing buffer. VIEW buffers are always accompanied by VIEW definitions.

VIEW definitions
Descriptions of data structures that are used for input and output in the TUXEDO environment.

virtual machine
The functional equivalent of a computer and its associated devices that is controlled by a user at a terminal.

virtual storage access method (VSAM)
An access method for direct or sequential processing of fixed and variable length records on direct access devices.

window
An area of a user's screen in a graphical user interface system. A window is a mechanism used by applications for interacting with a user.

workstation handler
The TUXEDO Transaction Manager supplied surrogate client responsible for managing a set of workstation client connections. These handlers are started dynamically by the workstation listener. The handler may be customized if necessary. This process resides within the administrative domain of the application.

workstation listener
The TUXEDO Transaction Manager supplied process responsible for acting as the single point of contact for workstation clients. The workstation listener also handles the distribution of workstation connections to workstation handlers, starting new handlers as necessary. This process resides within the administrative domain of the application.