Preface

 

Purpose of this Guide

This guide describes the programming interfaces provided with the MultiNet software: A socket library based on the UNIX 4.3BSD system calls, and an OpenVMS $QIO interface. All socket functions documented in this guide are available in the shareable image MULTINET:MULTINET_SOCKET_LIBRARY.EXE, included in the standard MultiNet distribution. The include files and example programs are part of the optional MultiNet Programmers' Kit, and should be installed as described in the MultiNet Installation and Administrator’s Guide before using the programming interface.

Note: If you are writing socket programs in C, Process Software recommends that you use the HP C include files for the socket definitions. Your program will then use the TCP/IP Services for VMS-emulation interface in TCPware and MultiNet. The MultiNet header files have been updated to work with more current versions of HP C. The MultiNet files should be used only if you are planning to use the MultiNet INETDRIVER API explicitly.

 

Document Structure

Read this guide to perform the following tasks:

·         Chapter 1, IP Programming Tutorial, to write clients and servers that access the network.

·         Chapter 2, Socket Library Functions, to view detailed information about socket library functions.

·         Chapter 3, $QIO Interface, to view detailed information about SYS$QIO calls that you can use to access the network.

·         Chapter 4, SNMP Extensible Agent API Routines.

·         Chapter 5, RPC Fundamentals, explains RPC.

·         Chapter 6, Building Distributed Applications with RPC, explains what components a distributed application contains, how to use RPC to develop a distributed application, step-by-step, and how to get RPC information.

·         Chapter 7, RPCGEN Compiler, explains the RPC compiler.

·         Chapter 8, RPC RTL Management Routines.

·         Chapter 9, RPC RTL Client Routines.

·         Chapter 10, RPC RTL Port Mapper Routines.

·         Chapter 11, RPC RTL Server Routines.

·         Chapter 12, RPC RTL XDR Routines.

Conventions Used

Examples in this guide use the following conventions:

Convention

Meaning

host

Any computer system on the network. The local host is your computer. A remote host is any other computer.

monospaced type

System output or user input. User input is in reversed bold type.

Example: Is this configuration correct? YES

 

Monospaced type also indicates user input where the case of the entry should be preserved.

italic type

Variable value in commands and examples. For example, username indicates that you must substitute your actual username.  Italic text also identifies documentation references.

[directory]

Directory name in an OpenVMS file specification. Include the brackets in the specification.

[optional-text]

(Italicized text and square brackets) Enclosed information is optional. Do not include the brackets when entering the information.

Example:  START/IP line address [info]

This command indicates that the info parameter is optional.

{value | value}

Denotes that you should use only one of the given values. Do not include the braces or vertical bars when entering the value.

Note

Information that follows is particularly noteworthy.

Caution

Information that follows is critical in preventing a system interruption or security breach.

key

Press the specified key on your keyboard.

Ctrl+key

Press the control key and the other specified key simultaneously.

Return

Press the Return or Enter key on your keyboard.

 

Further Reading

The following references contain additional information about programming under TCP/IP. They may be useful in learning more about socket programming. Additional titles of recommended books can be displayed using this command:

$ HELP MULTINET BOOKS

Comer, Douglas. Internetworking with TCP/IP: Principles, Protocols, and Architecture, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1988.

Curry, Donald A. Using C on the UNIX System, O'Reilly and Associates.

Harspool, R. Nigel. C Programming in the Berkeley Unix Environment, Toronto, Canada: Prentice-Hall, 1986.

Kochan, Stephen G. and Patrick K. Wood, editors. UNIX Networking, Indianapolis, IN: Hatden Books, 1989.

Leffler, Samuel J., Marshall Kirk McKusick, Michael J. Karels, and John S. Quarterman. The Design and Implementation of the 4.3BSD UNIX Operating System, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1989.

UNIX Programming Manuals, U. C. Berkeley.