Document revision date: 19 July 1999

Contents

Preface
Preface	Preface
Chapter 1
1	Process Creation
1.1	Process Types
1.2	Execution Context of a Process
1.3	Modes of Execution of a Process
1.4	Creating a Subprocess
1.4.1	Using LIB$SPAWN to Create a Spawned Subprocess
1.4.2	Using PPL$SPAWN to Create a Spawned Subprocess
1.4.3	Using SYS$CREPRC to Create a Subprocess
1.4.3.1	Disk and Directory Defaults for Created Processes
1.4.4	Debugging Within a Subprocess
1.5	Creating a Detached Process
1.6	Kernel Threads and the Kernel Threads Process Structure (Alpha Only)
1.6.1	Definition and Advantages of Kernel Threads
1.6.2	Kernel Threads Features
1.6.2.1	Multiple Execution Contexts Within a Process
1.6.2.2	Efficient Use of the OpenVMS and DECthreads Schedulers
1.6.3	Kernel Threads Model and Design Features
1.6.3.1	Kernel Threads Model
1.6.3.2	Kernel Threads Design Features
1.6.3.2.1	Process Structure
1.6.3.2.2	Access to Inner Modes
1.6.3.2.3	Scheduling
1.6.3.2.4	ASTs
1.6.3.2.5	Event Flags
1.6.3.2.6	Process Control Services
1.6.4	Kernel Threads Process Structure
1.6.4.1	Process Control Block (PCB) and Process Header (PHD)
1.6.4.1.1	Effect of a Multithreaded Process on the PCB and PHD
1.6.4.2	Kernel Thread Block (KTB)
1.6.4.3	Floating-Point Registers and Execution Data Block (FRED)
1.6.4.4	Kernel Threads Region
1.6.4.5	Per-Kernel Thread Stacks
1.6.4.6	Per-Kernel-Thread Data Cells
1.6.4.7	Summary of Process Data Structures
Chapter 2
2	Process Communication
2.1	Communication Within a Process
2.1.1	Using Local Event Flags
2.1.2	Using Logical Names
2.1.2.1	Using Logical Name Tables
2.1.2.2	Using Access Modes
2.1.2.3	Creating and Accessing Logical Names
2.1.3	Using Command Language Interpreter Symbols
2.1.3.1	Local and Global Symbols
2.1.3.2	Creating and Using Global Symbols
2.1.4	Using the Common Area
2.1.4.1	Creating the Process Common Area
2.1.4.2	Common I/O Routines
2.1.4.3	Modifying or Deleting Data in the Common Block
2.1.4.4	Specifying Other Types of Data
2.2	Communication Between Processes
2.2.1	Mailboxes
2.2.1.1	Creating a Mailbox
2.2.1.2	Creating Temporary and Permanent Mailboxes
2.2.1.3	Assigning an I/O Channel Along with a Mailbox
2.2.1.4	Reading and Writing Data to a Mailbox
2.2.1.5	Using Synchronous Mailbox I/O
2.2.1.6	Using Immediate Mailbox I/O
2.2.1.7	Using Asynchronous Mailbox I/O
2.3	Intra-Cluster Communication
2.3.1	Programming with Intra-Cluster Communications
2.3.1.1	ICC Concepts
2.3.1.2	Design Considerations
2.3.1.2.1	Naming
2.3.1.2.2	Message Ordering
2.3.1.2.3	Flow Control
2.3.1.2.4	Transfer Sizes and Receiving Data
2.3.1.2.5	Transfer Sizes and Transceive
2.3.1.2.6	Disconnection
2.3.1.2.7	Error Recovery
2.3.1.3	General Programming Considerations
2.3.1.4	Servers
2.3.1.4.1	Connection Events
2.3.1.4.2	Disconnection Events
2.3.1.5	Clients

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