STREAMS
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STREAMS
(operating system)A collection of system calls, kernel
resources, and kernel utility routines that can create, use,
and dismantle a stream. A "stream head" provides the
interface between the stream and the user processes. Its
principal function is to process STREAMS-related user system
calls. A "stream module" processes data that travel bewteen
the stream head and driver. The "stream end" provides the
services of an external input/output device or an internal
software driver. The internal software driver is commonly
called a pseudo-device driver.
The STREAMS concept has been formalised in Unix System V. For example, SVR4 implements sockets and pipes using STREAMS, resulting in pipe(2) openning bidirectional pipes.
[IBM AIX 3.2 Communication Programming Concepts, SC23-2206-03].
The STREAMS concept has been formalised in Unix System V. For example, SVR4 implements sockets and pipes using STREAMS, resulting in pipe(2) openning bidirectional pipes.
[IBM AIX 3.2 Communication Programming Concepts, SC23-2206-03].
This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)
STREAMS
A feature of Unix System V that provides a standard way of dynamically building and passing messages up and down a protocol stack. STREAMS passes messages from the application "downstream" through the STREAMS modules to the network driver at the end of the stack. Messages are passed "upstream" from the driver to the application. A STREAMS module would be a transport layer protocol such as TCP and SPX or a network layer protocol such as IP and IPX.STREAMS modules can be dynamically changed (pushed and popped) at runtime, allowing the stack to be used for multiple protocols. Two important STREAMS components are the TLI and LSL interfaces, which provide common languages to the transport and data link layers. See TLI, LSL, ODI and OSI model.
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