Jean,

We built our security and audit product SAFE/3000 around native mode ports.
The documentation for the AIF port calls (and all other AIF:OE API calls) is
online at http://docs.hp.com/dynaweb/smpe/b1019/0755/@Generic__BookView
(yea for HP - good job making this info widely available). AIF ports are
basically built on top of the same inter-process messaging protocol used by
the operating system. They are rock solid and much faster than message files
etc. We needed are fast reliable secure messaging protocol for SAFE and
ports fit our needs exactly.

Note that purchase of AIF:OS is no longer a pre-requisite to using AIFs. The
AIF libraries are shipped as part of FOS, so they are available to anyone
who wants to use them.

Downsides - AIF ports run in NM so they cannot be called (directly) from CM.
Programs that call the ports API must run in PM. Also you need to carefully
consider deadlock issues depending on how you use ports. These aren't that
bad, but if you're coming from CM they are a datapoint for your project to
consider.

Enjoy!

Lee Courtney
Monterey Software Group Inc.


jean huot <[log in to unmask]> wrote in message
news:F4B1826B1A21D211AEC5006008207AF402114A67@dogbert.csillc.com...
Reading Taming the HP 3000 Volume two by Robert A. Lund, I see the following
mention. "As an alternative to using message files, HP
has a facility called PORTS. PORTS is part of the operating system
architected interface (AIF).  It could be purchased for
about $2,000.00 in early 1992."

Question:  What is PORTS?
                 How do you make use of it?

Question:  If my application is written in SPL, will the use of PORTS
improve system performance?