Remote File Access (RFA) on the HP3000
RFA was a part of the NS/3000 (Network Services) package for HP3000s. It allows a
program to open files on other (networked) HP3000s as if they were local files. Simple
file equates can specify :FILE x=y;DEV=nodename#disc or fopen could be passed
"environmentname#filename" to open files, after which all read/write/update
actions could be performed as if the files were local. Even Image databases could be
accessed this way, and there is even a facility to create what looks like a local
database, but which in reality is a pointer to a database on another system. Applications
could run without modification on what appeared to be a local database which actually
accessing a database on another system. Neat, though often slow because of significant
overhead built into the file system. (This feature is called "RDBA" and is a
subset of RFA.)
|