Net.Data Reference

Glossary

API

Application programming interface. Net.Data supports three proprietary APIs for improved performance over CGI processes.

applet

A Java program included in an HTML page. Applets work with Java-enabled browsers, such as Netscape, and are loaded when the HTML page is loaded.

application programming interface (API)

A functional interface supplied by the operating system or by a separately orderable licensed program that allows an application program written in a high-level language to use specific data or functions of the operating system or licensed program. Net.Data supports the following proprietary Web server APIs for improved performance over CGI processes: ICAPI, GWAPI, ISAPI, and NSAPI.

cache

A part of memory or disk space that contains recently accessed data, designed to speed up subsequent access to the same data. The cache is often used to hold a local copy of frequently-used data that is accessible over a network.

caching

The processes of storing frequently-used results from a request to the Web server locally for quick retrieval, until it is time to refresh the information.

Cache Manager

The program that manages a cache for one machine. It can manage multiple caches.

CGI

Common Gateway Interface.

cliette

A long-running process in Net.Data Live Connection that serves requests from the Web server. The Connection Manager schedules cliette processes to serve these requests.

commitment control

The establishment of a boundary within the process that Net.Data is running under where operations on resources are part of a unit of work.

Common Gateway Interface

A standardized way for a Web server to pass control to an application program and receive data back.

Connection Manager

An executable file, dtwcm, in Net.Data that is needed to support Live Connection.

cookie

A packet of information sent by an HTTP server to a Web browser and then sent back by the browser each time it accesses that server. Cookies can contain any arbitrary information the server chooses and are used to maintain state between otherwise stateless HTTP transactions. Free Online Dictionary of Computing

database

A collection of tables, or a collection of table spaces and index spaces.

database management system (DBMS)

A software system that controls the creation, organization, and modification of a database and access to the data stored within it.

data type

An attribute of columns and literals.

DBMS

Database management system.

firewall

A computer with software that guards an internal network from unauthorized external access.

flat file interface

A set of Net.Data built-in functions that let you read and write data from plain-text files.

HTML

Hypertext markup language.

HTTP

Hypertext transfer protocol.

hypertext markup language

A tag language used to write Web documents.

hypertext transfer protocol

The communication protocol used between a Web server and browser.

ICAPI

Internet Connection API.

ICS

Internet Connection Server.

ICSS

Internet Connection Secure Server.

Internet

An international public TCP/IP computer network.

Internet Connection Server

IBM's unsecure Web server.

Internet Connection Secure Server

IBM's secure Web server.

Intranet

A TCP/IP network inside a company firewall.

ISAPI

Microsoft's Internet Server API.

Java

An operating system-independent object-oriented programming language especially useful for Internet applications.

language environment

A module that provides access from a Net.Data macro to an external data source such as DB2 or a programming language such as Perl. Some language environments are supplied with Net.Data such as REXX, Perl, and Oracle. You can also create your own language environments.

Live Connection

A Net.Data component that consists of a Connection Manager and multiple cliettes. Live Connection manages the reuse of database and Java virtual machine connections.

LOB

Large object.

middleware

Software that mediates between an application program and a network. It manages the interaction between a client application program and a server through the network.

NSAPI

Netscape API.

null

A special value that indicates the absence of information.

path

A search route used to locate files.

Perl

An interpreted programming language.

persistence

The state of keeping an assigned value for an entire transaction, where a tranaction spans multiple Net.Data invocations. Only variables can be persistent. In addition, operations on resources affected by commitment control are kept active until an explicit commit or rollback is done, or when the transaction completes.

port

A 16-bit number used to communicate between TCP/IP and a higher-level protocol or application.

registry

A repository where strings can be stored and retrieved.

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol.

transaction

One Net.Data invocation. If persistent Net.Data is used, then a transaction can span multiple Net.Data invocations.

Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol

A set of communication protocols that support peer-to-peer connectivity functions for both local and wide-area networks.

URL

Uniform resource locator.

uniform resource locator

An address that names a HTTP server and optionally a directory and file name, for example: http://www.software.ibm.com/data/net.data/index.html.

unit of work

A recoverable sequence of operations that are treated as one atomic operation. All operations within the unit of work can be completed (commited) or undone (rolled back) as if the operations are a single operation. Only operations on resources that are affected by commitment control can be committed or rolled back.

Web server

A computer running HTTP server software, such as Internet Connection.