Document revision date: 15 July 2002

1. Process ORION creates the mailbox and receives the channel number at MBXCHAN.
   The prmflg argument indicates that the mailbox is a temporary mailbox. The logical name is entered in the LNM$TEMPORARY_MAILBOX logical name table.
   The maxmsg argument limits the size of messages that the mailbox can receive. Note that the size indicated in this example is the same size as the buffer (MBUFFER) provided for the SYS$QIO request. A buffer for mailbox I/O must be at least as large as the size specified in the maxmsg argument.
   When a process creates a temporary mailbox, the amount of system memory allocated for buffering messages is subtracted from the process's buffer quota. Use the bufquo argument to specify how much of the process quota should be used for mailbox message buffering.
   Mailboxes are protected devices. By specifying a protection mask with the promsk argument, you can restrict access to the mailbox. (In this example, all bits in the mask are clear, indicating unlimited read and write access.)
2. After creating the mailbox, process ORION calls the SYS$QIO system service, requesting that it be notified when I/O completes (that is, when the mailbox receives a message) by means of an AST interrupt. The process can continue executing, but the AST service routine at MBXAST will interrupt and begin executing when a message is received.
3. When a message is sent to the mailbox (by CYGNUS), the AST is delivered and ORION responds to the message. Process ORION gets the length of the message from the first word of the I/O status block at MBXIOSB and places it in the longword OUTLEN so it can pass the length to SYS$QIOW_S.
4. Process CYGNUS assigns a channel to the mailbox, specifying the logical name the process ORION gave the mailbox. The SYS$QIOW system service writes a message from the output buffer provided at OUTBUF.
   Note that on a write operation to a mailbox, the I/O is not complete until the message is read, unless you specify the IO$M_NOW function modifier. Therefore, if SYS$QIOW (without the IO$M_NOW function modifier) is used to write the message, the process will not continue executing until another process reads the message.

The lognam argument to the SYS$CREMBX service specifies a descriptor that points to a character string for the mailbox name.

Translation of the lognam argument proceeds as follows:

1. The current name string is prefixed with MBX$ and the result is subject to logical name translation.
2. If the result is a logical name, step 1 is repeated until translation does not succeed or until the number of translations performed exceeds the number specified by the SYSGEN parameter LNM$C_MAXDEPTH.
3. The MBX$ prefix is stripped from the current name string that could not be translated. This current string is made a logical name with an equivalence name MBAn (n is a number assigned by the system).

For example, assume that you have made the following logical name assignment:

$ DEFINE MBX$CHKPNT CHKPNT_001

Assume also that your program contains the following statements:

$DESCRIPTOR(mbxdesc,"CHKPNT"); . . . status = SYS$CREMBX(...,&mbxdesc,...);

The following logical name translation takes place:

1. MBX$ is prefixed to CHKPNT.
2. MBX$CHKPNT is translated to CHKPNT_001.

Because further translation is unsuccessful, the logical name CHKPNT_001 is created with the equivalence name MBAn (n is a number assigned by the system).

There are two exceptions to the logical name translation method discussed in this section:

• If the name string starts with an underscore (_), the operating system strips the underscore and considers the resultant string to be the actual name (that is, further translation is not performed).
• If the name string is the result of a logical name translation, then the name string is checked to see whether it has the terminal attribute. If the name string is marked with the terminal attribute, the operating system considers the resultant string to be the actual name (that is, further translation is not performed).

The system uses mailboxes for communication among system processes. All system mailbox messages contain, in the first word of the message, a constant that identifies the sender of the message. These constants have symbolic names (defined in the $MSGDEF macro) in the following format:

MSG$_sender

The symbolic names included in the $MSGDEF macro and their meanings are as follows:

Symbolic Name	Meaning
MSG$_TRMUNSOLIC	Unsolicited terminal data
MSG$_CRUNSOLIC	Unsolicited card reader data
MSG$_ABORT	Network partner aborted link
MSG$_CONFIRM	Network connect confirm
MSG$_CONNECT	Network inbound connect initiate
MSG$_DISCON	Network partner disconnected
MSG$_EXIT	Network partner exited prematurely
MSG$_INTMSG	Network interrupt message; unsolicited data
MSG$_PATHLOST	Network path lost to partner
MSG$_PROTOCOL	Network protocol error
MSG$_REJECT	Network connect reject
MSG$_THIRDPARTY	Network third-party disconnect
MSG$_TIMEOUT	Network connect timeout
MSG$_NETSHUT	Network shutting down
MSG$_NODEACC	Node has become accessible
MSG$_NODEINACC	Node has become inaccessible
MSG$_EVTAVL	Events available to DECnet Event Logger
MSG$_EVTRCVCHG	Event receiver database change
MSG$_INCDAT	Unsolicited incoming data available
MSG$_RESET	Request to reset the virtual circuit
MSG$_LINUP	PVC line up
MSG$_LINDWN	PVC line down
MSG$_EVTXMTCHG	Event transmitter database change

The remainder of the message contains variable information, depending on the system component that is sending the message.

The format of the variable information for each message type is documented with the system function that uses the mailbox.

23.20.3 Mailboxes for Process Termination Messages

When a process creates another process, it can specify the unit number of a mailbox as an argument to the Create Process ($CREPRC) system service. When you delete the created process, the system sends a message to the specified termination mailbox.

You cannot use a mailbox in memory shared by multiple processors as a process termination mailbox.

23.21 Example of Using I/O Services

In the following Fortran example, the first program, SEND.FOR, creates a mailbox named MAIL_BOX, writes data to it, and then indicates the end of the data by writing an end-of-file message.

The second program, RECEIVE.FOR, creates a mailbox with the same logical name, MAIL_BOX. It reads the messages from the mailbox into an array. It stops the read operations when a read operation generates an end-of-file message and the second longword of the I/O status block is nonzero. By checking that the I/O status block is nonzero, the second program confirms that the writing process sent the end-of-file message.

The processes use common event flag number 64 to ensure that SEND.FOR does not exit until RECEIVE.FOR has established a channel to the mailbox. (If RECEIVE.FOR executes first, an error occurs because SYS$ASSIGN cannot find the mailbox.)

SEND.FOR INTEGER STATUS ! Name and channel number for mailbox CHARACTER*(*) MBX_NAME PARAMETER (MBX_NAME = 'MAIL_BOX') INTEGER*2 MBX_CHAN ! Mailbox message CHARACTER*80 MBX_MESSAGE INTEGER LEN CHARACTER*80 MESSAGES (255) INTEGER MESSAGE_LEN (255) INTEGER MAX_MESSAGE PARAMETER (MAX_MESSAGE = 255) ! I/O function codes and status block INCLUDE '($IODEF)' INTEGER*4 WRITE_CODE INTEGER*2 IOSTAT, 2 MSG_LEN INTEGER READER_PID COMMON /IOBLOCK/ IOSTAT, 2 MSG_LEN, 2 READER_PID ! System routines INTEGER SYS$CREMBX, 2 SYS$ASCEFC, 2 SYS$WAITFR, 2 SYS$QIOW ! Create the mailbox. STATUS = SYS$CREMBX (, 2 MBX_CHAN, 2 ,,,, 2 MBX_NAME) IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) ! Fill MESSAGES array . . . ! Write the messages. DO I = 1, MAX_MESSAGE WRITE_CODE = IO$_WRITEVBLK .OR. IO$M_NOW MBX_MESSAGE = MESSAGES(I) LEN = MESSAGE_LEN(I) STATUS = SYS$QIOW (, 2 %VAL(MBX_CHAN), ! Channel 2 %VAL(WRITE_CODE), ! I/O code 2 IOSTAT, ! Status block 2 ,, 2 %REF(MBX_MESSAGE), ! P1 2 %VAL(LEN),,,,) ! P2 IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) IF (.NOT. IOSTAT) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) END DO ! Write end of file WRITE_CODE = IO$_WRITEOF .OR. IO$M_NOW STATUS = SYS$QIOW (, 2 %VAL(MBX_CHAN), ! Channel 2 %VAL(WRITE_CODE), ! End of file code 2 IOSTAT, ! Status block 2 ,,,,,,,) IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) IF (.NOT. IOSTAT) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(IOSTAT)) . . . ! Make sure cooperating process can read the information ! by waiting for it to assign a channel to the mailbox. STATUS = SYS$ASCEFC (%VAL(64), 2 'CLUSTER',,) IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) STATUS = SYS$WAITFR (%VAL(64)) IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) END RECEIVE.FOR INTEGER STATUS INCLUDE '($IODEF)' INCLUDE '($SSDEF)' ! Name and channel number for mailbox CHARACTER*(*) MBX_NAME PARAMETER (MBX_NAME = 'MAIL_BOX') INTEGER*2 MBX_CHAN ! QIO function code INTEGER READ_CODE ! Mailbox message CHARACTER*80 MBX_MESSAGE INTEGER*4 LEN ! Message arrays CHARACTER*80 MESSAGES (255) INTEGER*4 MESSAGE_LEN (255) ! I/O status block INTEGER*2 IOSTAT, 2 MSG_LEN INTEGER READER_PID COMMON /IOBLOCK/ IOSTAT, 2 MSG_LEN, 2 READER_PID ! System routines INTEGER SYS$ASSIGN, 2 SYS$ASCEFC, 2 SYS$SETEF, 2 SYS$QIOW ! Create the mailbox and let the other process know STATUS = SYS$ASSIGN (MBX_NAME, 2 MBX_CHAN,,,) IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) STATUS = SYS$ASCEFC (%VAL(64), 2 'CLUSTER',,) IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) STATUS = SYS$SETEF (%VAL(64)) IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) ! Read first message READ_CODE = IO$_READVBLK .OR. IO$M_NOW LEN = 80 STATUS = SYS$QIOW (, 2 %VAL(MBX_CHAN), ! Channel 2 %VAL(READ_CODE), ! Function code 2 IOSTAT, ! Status block 2 ,, 2 %REF(MBX_MESSAGE), ! P1 2 %VAL(LEN),,,,) ! P2 IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) IF ((.NOT. IOSTAT) .AND. 2 (IOSTAT .NE. SS$_ENDOFFILE)) THEN CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(IOSTAT)) ELSE IF (IOSTAT .NE. SS$_ENDOFFILE) THEN I = 1 MESSAGES(I) = MBX_MESSAGE MESSAGE_LEN(I) = MSG_LEN END IF ! Read messages until cooperating process writes end-of-file DO WHILE (.NOT. ((IOSTAT .EQ. SS$_ENDOFFILE) .AND. 2 (READER_PID .NE. 0))) STATUS = SYS$QIOW (, 2 %VAL(MBX_CHAN), ! Channel 2 %VAL(READ_CODE), ! Function code 2 IOSTAT, ! Status block 2 ,, 2 %REF(MBX_MESSAGE), ! P1 2 %VAL(LEN),,,,) ! P2 IF (.NOT. STATUS) CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(STATUS)) IF ((.NOT. IOSTAT) .AND. 2 (IOSTAT .NE. SS$_ENDOFFILE)) THEN CALL LIB$SIGNAL (%VAL(IOSTAT)) ELSE IF (IOSTAT .NE. SS$_ENDOFFILE) THEN I = I + 1 MESSAGES(I) = MBX_MESSAGE MESSAGE_LEN(I) = MSG_LEN END IF END DO . . .

23.22 Fast I/O and Fast Path Features (Alpha Only)

Fast I/O and Fast Path are two optional features that can provide improved I/O performance. Performance improvement is achieved by reducing the CPU cost per I/O request, and improving symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) scaling of I/O operations. The CPU cost per I/O is reduced by optimizing code for high-volume I/O and by using better SMP CPU memory cache. SMP scaling of I/O is increased by reducing the number of spinlocks taken per I/O and by substituting finer-granularity spinlocks for global spinlocks.

The improvements follow a division that already exists between the device-independent and device-dependent layers in the OpenVMS I/O subsystem. The device-independent overhead is addressed by Fast I/O, which is a set of system services that can substitute for certain $QIO operations. Using these services requires some coding changes in existing applications, but the changes are usually modest and well contained. The device-dependent overhead is addressed by Fast Path, which is an optional performance feature that creates a "fast path" to the device. It requires no application changes.

Fast I/O and Fast Path can be used independently. However, together they can provide a reduction in CPU cost per I/O on uniprocessor and on multiprocessor systems.

23.22.1 Fast I/O (Alpha Only)

Fast I/O is a set of three system services, SYS$IO_SETUP, SYS$IO_PERFORM, and SYS$IO_CLEANUP, that were developed as an alternative to $QIO. These services are not a $QIO replacement; $QIO is unchanged, and $QIO interoperation with these services is fully supported. Rather, the services substitute for a subset of $QIO operations, namely, only the high-volume read/write I/O requests.

The Fast I/O services support 64-bit addresses for data transfers to and from disk and tape devices.

While Fast I/O services are available on OpenVMS VAX, the performance advantage applies only to OpenVMS Alpha. OpenVMS VAX has a run-time library (RTL) compatibility package that translates the Fast I/O service requests to $QIO system service requests, so one set of source code can be used on both VAX and Alpha systems.

23.22.1.1 Fast I/O Benefits

The performance benefits of Fast I/O result from streamlining high-volume I/O requests. The Fast I/O system service interfaces are optimized to avoid the overhead of general-purpose services. For example, I/O request packets (IRPs) are now permanently allocated and used repeatedly for I/O rather than allocated and deallocated anew for each I/O.

The greatest benefits stem from having user data buffers and user I/O status structures permanently locked down and mapped using system space. This allows Fast I/O to do the following:

• Avoid per-I/O buffer lockdown or unlocking for direct I/O.
• Avoid allocation and deallocation for buffered I/O of a separate system buffer, because the user buffer is always addressable.
• Complete Fast I/O operations at IPL 8, thereby avoiding the interrupt chaining usually required by the more general-purpose $QIO system service. For each I/O, this eliminates the IPL 4 IOPOST interrupt and a kernel AST.

In total, Fast I/O services eliminate four spinlock acquisitions per I/O (two for the MMG spinlock and two for the SCHED spinlock). The reduction in CPU cost per I/O is 20% for uniprocessor systems and 10% for multiprocessor systems.

23.22.1.2 Buffer Objects

Buffer objects accomplish the lockdown of user-process data structures. Buffer objects are process entities that are associated with a process's virtual address range. When a buffer object is created, all its physical pages in its address range are locked in memory and can be double-mapped into system space. These locked pages in a process's address range cannot be freed until the buffer object has been deleted. The Fast I/O environment uses this feature by locking the buffer object itself during $IO_SETUP. This prevents the buffer object and its associated pages from being deleted. The buffer object is unlocked during $IO_CLEANUP, or at image rundown. After creating a buffer object, the process remains fully pageable and swappable and the process retains normal virtual memory access to its pages in the buffer object.

If the buffer object contains process data structures to be passed to an OpenVMS system service, the OpenVMS system can use the buffer object to avoid any probing, lockdown, and unlocking overhead associated with these process data structures. Additionally, if the buffer object has performed double-mapping into system space, this allows the OpenVMS system direct access to the process memory from system context.

To date, only the Fast I/O services are supported with buffer objects. For example, a buffer object allows a programmer to eliminate I/O memory management overhead. On each I/O, each page of a user data buffer is probed and then locked down on I/O initiation and unlocked on I/O completion. Instead of incurring this overhead for each I/O, it can be done once at buffer object creation time. Subsequent I/O operations involving the buffer object can completely avoid this memory management overhead.

System Space Window Buffer Objects

The system space window buffer object allows several I/O related tasks to be performed entirely from system context at high IPL, without having to assume process context. When a buffer object is created, the system maps by default a section of system space (S2) to process pages associated with the buffer object. This protected system space window allows read and write access only from kernel mode. Because all of system space is equally accessible from within any context, it is now possible to avoid the context switch to assume the original user's process context. Optionally, the system space window can be in S0/S1 space, or it can be suppressed.

Buffer Object System Services

Two system services are used to create and delete buffer objects: SYS$CREATE_BUFOBJ_64 and SYS$DELETE_BUFOBJ. Both services can be called from any access mode. To create a buffer object, the SYS$CREATE_BUFOBJ_64 system service is called. This service expects as inputs an existing process memory range and returns a handle for the buffer object. The handle is an opaque identifier used to identify the buffer object on future requests. The SYS$DELETE_BUFOBJ system service is used to delete the buffer object and accepts as input the handle. Although image rundown deletes all existing buffer objects, it is good practice for the application to clean up properly.

Buffer Object Management

Buffer objects require system management. Because buffer objects tie up physical memory, extensive use of buffer objects require system management planning. All the bytes of memory in the buffer object are deducted from the systemwide SYSGEN parameter MAXBOBMEM (maximum buffer object memory). System managers must set this parameter correctly for the application loads that run on their systems. Additionally, two other SYSGEN parameters MAXBOBS0S1 and MAXBOBS2 are available for system managers. MAXBOBS0S1 and MAXBOBS2, however, are now regarded as obsolete system parameters. Initially, the MAXBOBS0S1 and MAXBOBS2 parameters were intended to ensure that users could not adversely affect the system by creating hugh buffer objects. But as users began to use buffer objects more widely, managing the combination of these parameters proved to be too complex.

Now, users who want to create buffer objects must either hold the VMS$BUFFER_OBJECT_USER identifier or execute in executive or kernel mode. Therefore, these users are considered privileged applications, and the additional safeguard that these parameters provided is unnecessary.

To determine current usage of system memory resources, enter the following command:

$SHOW MEMORY/BUFFER_OBJECT

Table 23-5 shows these three parameters and their meanings.

Table 23-5 SYSGEN Buffer Object Parameters

Parameter	Meaning
MAXBOBMEM	Defines the maximum amount of physical memory, measured in pagelets, that can be associated with buffer objects. A page associated with a buffer object is counted against this parameter only once, even if it is associated with more than one buffer object at the same time. Memory resident pages are not counted against this parameter. However, pages locked in memory through the SYS$LCKPAG system service are counted. This is a DYNAMIC parameter.
MAXBOBS0S1	Defines the maximum amount of 32-bit system space, measured in pagelets, that can be used as windows to buffer objects. This is a DYNAMIC parameter.
MAXBOBS2	Defines the maximum amount of 64-bit system space, measured in pagelets, that can be used as windows to buffer objects. This is a DYNAMIC parameter.

The MAXBOBMEM, MAXBOBS0S1, and MAXBOBS2 parameters default to 100 Alpha pages, but for applications with large buffer pools it can be set much larger. To prevent user-mode code from tying up excessive physical memory, user-mode callers of $CREATE_BUFOBJ_64 must have a new system identifier, VMS$BUFFER_OBJECT_USER, assigned. The system manager can assign this identifier with the DCL command SET ACL command to a protected subsystem or application that creates buffer objects from user mode. It may also be appropriate to grant the identifier to a particular user with the Authorize utility command GRANT/IDENTIFIER, for example, to a programmer who is working on a development system.

Buffer Object Restrictions

There are several buffer object restrictions which are listed as follows:

• Buffer objects can only be associated with process space (P0, P1, or P2) pages.
• PFN-mapped pages cannot be associated with buffer objects.
• The special buffer object type without associated system space can only be used to describe Fast I/O data buffers. The IOSA must always be associated with a full buffer object with system space.

Further Fast I/O Information

For complete information about using Fast I/O, the Fast I/O system services, and the buffer objects system services that are in the following list, see the OpenVMS I/O User's Reference Manual, and the OpenVMS System Services Reference Manual: A--GETUAI and the OpenVMS System Services Reference Manual: GETUTC--Z:

SYS$CREATE_BUFOBJ_64
SYS$DELETE_BUFOBJ
SYS$IO_SETUP
SYS$IO_PERFORM
SYS$IO_CLEANUP

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