The HP-UX Implementation of FTAM

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)

The OSI network model defines a standardized network architecture that supports connection-oriented communication between devices for all vendors. Users of an OSI network can accurately anticipate how other network nodes behave. Once a connection is established with a remote system, exchange of data is guaranteed.

The International Standards Organization (ISO) created the OSI model to define the actions and services of seven communication functions known as the seven layers. Layer seven of this model is the Application layer (the layer on which your application program sits). The interface to the Application layer describes your view of the network; FTAM resides in this seventh layer. The activities below layer seven concern the internal workings of the OSI protocols and therefore, are of little concern to an application programmer.

ISO/IS 8571 FTAM

The international standard (IS) ISO/IS 8571 defines FTAM. This standard specifies a virtual filestore, a set of services to manipulate that filestore, and a set of rules (protocols) that define how to use the services. The formal title of ISO/IS 8571 is "Information Processing Systems — Open Systems Interconnection File Transfer, Access and Management."

Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) 3.0

The Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) 3.0 Specification identifies standard protocols for each of the seven OSI layers. The MAP 3.0 Application Interface Specification defines the C-language programmatic interface to each Application service, including the HP-UX FTAM service.

NBS (NIST) Implementors Agreements

The NBS (NIST) Implementors Agreements further define implementation limitations on ISO/IS 8571 FTAM. HP-UX FTAM supports the NBS Phase III minimum requirements, and implements many of the NBS options, based on perceived value and compatibility with HP-UX.

	NOTE: There are a number of attributes that HP-UX FTAM does not implement. HP-UX FTAM accepts values for these options as input, but makes no local use of them. When these options are output, HP-UX FTAM provides zero (for integers) or "no value available" (for strings). For these options, this document often states that there is "no value available""" or that HP-UX FTAM responders accept, but ignore the value.

If another implementation is not NBS Phase II or Phase III compliant, you may still be able to communicate with that implementation. Refer to the vendor's Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) to determine how to set parameters.

Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS)

The HP-UX FTAM Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) defines the capabilities of HP-UX FTAM responders. You can use PIC Statements to determine if two implementations can communicate. Refer to the HP FTAM/9000 Reference Manual on how to obtain the HP-UX FTAM PICS.

HP implements the profiles A1, M1, T1, and T2. (The following references to document types, constraint sets, file access data units (FADUs), initiators, responders, and Virtual Filestore are described in the "Conceptual FTAM Overview" section.)