Glossary

A

Abend code

A code consisting of 3 letters and 3 numbers that is returned when VM:Webgateway ends abnormally.

Access control

Limiting access to system data as a means of providing security.

Access control records

Records located in DIRMAP or ACCESS files that indicate who can receive the data you serve and what data they can receive.

ACCESS file

A file that contains access control records that indicate who can receive the data you serve and what data they can receive. ACCESS files on minidisks and SFS directories must be a CMS file with the filetype ACCESS. ACCESS files on a BFS directory must be a BFS file with the extension .ACCESS (the extension must be in uppercase).

Access log

See Server log.

Accounting package

Software that is used to collect accounting data on how resources are used on a VM system and report on resource usage. An accounting package typically collects the accounting data by accepting accounting records from several sources on the VM system.

Accounting punch file

A punch file generated by VM:Webgateway that contains accounting records. VM:Webgateway sends the punch files to an accounting package.

Accounting record

An 80-character record generated by VM:Webgateway that contains detailed accounting data about a transaction (or file VM:Webgateway serves). VM:Webgateway adds the accounting records to punch files and sends the punch files to an accounting package.

Authenticate

To validate the identity of requesting users to ensure they are who they claim to be.

Authorize

To confirm the right.

Automatic directory

A list of files available for serving. VM:Webgateway generates and serves the list when a user enters a URL that does not identify a file. You can set up your user page or a server root domain to override the automatic directory by identifying a file to serve when the URL identifies a directory.

B

BFS directory

A directory in the byte file system (BFS).

BFS extension

The last token following the last period in a BFS file name. The extension typically indicates the type of data a file contains. For example, a BFS file with the extension .html typically contains an HTML file.

BFS line end

The character sequence that indicates the end of a line for a BFS file. When you identify the line end characteristic of CRLF or NONE for a content filetype, VM:Webgateway is able to determine the size of a BFS file.

BFS file name

Identifier of a byte file system (BFS) file.

C

CA certificate

A certificate that attests to the identity of a certificate authority. A CA certificate cannot be associated with a key pair.

Canonical name

A computer's official domain name.

Certificate

A file that attests to the identity of an organization or web browser user and is used to verify that data being exchanged over a network is from the intended source. The certificate is digitally signed either by a Certificate Authority or is self-signed. There are CA certificates, client CA certificates, client certificates, and server certificates.

Certificate Authority

A trusted company or government agency that provides certificates digitally signed with its private key. The certificate can be decrypted using the certificate authority's public key. The certificate authority verifies that an organization is who it claims to be before issuing a certificate.

Certificate chain

A chain of certificates that attest to the identity of an organization that uses a secure web server to serve data. A certificate chain is made up of a server certificate and one or more CA certificates. The certificate chain is received from a certificate authority in response to a request for a server certificate. The certificate authority decides whether to send a single server certificate or a certificate chain in response to a request for a server certificate.

CGI (common gateway interface)

A simple interface for running external programs, software, or gateways under an information server in a platform-independent manner. Currently, the supported information servers are HTTP servers.

CGI environment

The set up and location in which a CGI program runs.

CGI program

A program that receives data from a web browser, performs processing, and writes output to a web browser. A typical use for a CGI program is to process information in an HTML form.

CGI userid

A userid from which VM:Webgateway can serve CGI programs.

CGI variable

A named parameter of a CGI program.

Cipher suite

A set of techniques used when transmitting data using SSL. A cipher suite is made up of a key exchange technique, an encryption technique, and a hashing technique. The key exchange technique defines how a web server and a web browser exchange an encryption key used to encrypt and decrypt the data being transmitted. The encryption type identifies the type of encryption in use. The hashing technique indicates the type of hashing that is used to assure data integrity during the transmission.

Clickable image

An image that is mapped to one or more URLs.

Client CA certificate

A file (obtained from a Certificate Authority) that allows VM:Webgateway to validate the client certificate of a web browser user. VM:Webgateway uses the validated client certificate to authenticate and authorize the user.

You add client CA certificates to specific TCP sockets using the CONFIG SOCKET command. You can add multiple client CA certificates to a socket.

Client certificate

A certificate stored at a web browser user site that attests to the identity of the web browser user. The browser passes security information from the client certificate to the web page of an organization when the browser makes initial contact with the web page. If a client certificate is digitally signed by a Certificate Authority, and the socket used by VM:Webgateway with SSL Feature is SSL-enabled, VM:Webgateway can validate the browser user.

CMS filename

Identifier of a CMS file. Both filename and filetype are required to identify a CMS file.

CMS filetype

Identifier of a CMS file. Both filename and filetype are required to identify a CMS file.

CMS search order

Order in which CMS searches for files based on the access order of minidisks and SFS directories.

CNAME

A common abbreviation for canonical name.

Configuration file

A file that specifies the site-specific characteristics of VM:Webgateway.

Content filetype

A definition stored in the VM:Webgateway database. It identifies characteristics of a file. For example, one characteristic is the type of the file either a static file or CGI program. Additionally, the definition identifies further characteristics based on the type of file. For example, a content filetype for a static file might also indicate the content type is HTML, the translation table to use is USENGLISH, and that VM:Webgateway is not to parse for SSI commands. A system administrator defines content filetypes. A user or system administrator associates a content filetype with a file by using the content filetype as the file's filetype or BFS extension, or by identifying the content filetype in a DIRMAP file on the FILE record. When VM:Webgateway serves a file, it uses the content filetype that is associated with the file to determine how to serve the file properly.

Content type

The media type of a file, for example, text/html. The content type is made up of a type and a subtype, which are separated by a slash (/).

CRLF characters

Carriage return and line feed characters. A line in a document consists of a string of characters delineated by carriage return and line feed characters.

D

Digital signature

Data encrypted with a private key. The associated public key is used to verify that the signature was signed with the private key.

Directory control records

Records located in DIRMAP files that tell VM:Webgateway where to locate the data to serve.

DIRMAP file

A file that contains:

• Directory control records that tell VM:Webgateway where to find the data to serve
• Access control records that indicate who can receive the data you serve and what data they can receive

DIRMAP files on minidisks and SFS directories must be a CMS file with the filetype DIRMAP. DIRMAP files on a BFS directory must be a BFS file with the extension .DIRMAP (the extension must be in uppercase).

Domain

The name of an administrative entity (a domain) formatted as a series of words connected by periods between them. For example, STERLING.COM is a domain.

Domain name (host domain name)

A combination of a host name and a domain with one period between them. For example, the host name VMD combines with the domain STERLING.COM to produce VMD.STERLING.COM, the domain name.

Domain Name System (DNS)

A distributed shared database that includes information about canonical names and alias names of computers and IP addresses.

Dotted decimal form

Four decimal numbers that are separated by periods. Each of the decimals ranges in value from 0 to 255 (inclusive) and has no leading zeros.

Dump

A VM dump file that VM:Webgateway generates when it ends abnormally.

F

Filename

See CMS filename.

Filetype

See CMS filetype.

Filter

A site-written program that can reformat a static file before VM:Webgateway delivers the file to the web browser.

FTP

File transfer protocol; also the name of a program that uses FTP to transfer files over the Internet.

G

Group file

A site-maintained file that lists users and the groups to which they belong.

H

Home directory

See User page.

HTML

Hypertext markup language, used in writing pages for the web. HTML files can include codes that define fonts, layout, embedded graphics, and hypertext links.

HTTP

Hypertext transfer protocol the web browser and the web server use to communicate with each other. This is the only protocol VM:Webgateway supports.

HTTP authorization request header

A field used when a web browser wants to authenticate itself with a web server.

Host domain name (also called domain name)

A combination of a host name and a domain with one period between them. For example, the host name VMD combines with the domain STERLING.COM to produce VMD.STERLING.COM, the host domain name.

Host name

A name, containing no periods, for a computer. For example, VMD is a host name.

I

Image

Electronic representation of a picture.

Image map

An image that has clickable regions on it.

Initial ACCESS file

An ACCESS file that VM:Webgateway reads before processing DIRMAP and ACCESS files for user pages. The system administrator can set up this file to enforce site security procedures or set up default security rules for user pages.

Internet Engineeering Task Force (IETF)

An international group that makes contributions for improving the Internet and its technologies and developing Internet standards. You can read more about this group on the IETF home page.

IP address

Identifies a host computer's Internet address. The IP address, when combined with a TCP port, identifies a unique TCP socket.

K

Key pair

A public and private key used together for public key encryption. Information encrypted with one key in the pair can only be decrypted using the other key in the pair.

M

mailto: URL

A URL in an HTML document that enables web browser users to select hyperlinked text and easily send e-mail. VM:Webgateway allows you to define the server root domain or user pages such that if there is a problem serving a page, VM:Webgateway automatically displays a mailto: URL. VM:Webgateway displays the mailto: URL in a message on the error document it presents to the web browser user. The user reading the error document can then click on the mailto: URL and easily send information about the problem to the owner of the page.

Microsoft Frontpage

A PC-based web authoring tool that enables you to create a "web" of web pages using a cut-and-paste, drag-and-drop process.

Minidisk

Storage space for a specific user to store files. Identification for a minidisk is a userid and a virtual address.

Multihomed host

A single host computer having one or more connections to a network (that is, one or more IP addresses and one or more DNS names). A multihomed computer represents itself to a network as a single computer. See also Virtual hosting.

N

Netscape Composer

A PC-based web authoring tool that enables you to create a web page using a cut-and-paste, drag-and-drop process.

National language support

The ability to serve pages from a web server, and to read form data from a web browser, using a character set other than U.S. English.

P

Parse

To look for SSI commands in a file that VM:Webgateway is serving to a web browser.

Parsable document

A document that contains SSI commands formatted as HTML comments. VM:Webgateway uses the filetype SHTML to identify parsable HTML documents.

Password

A unique string of characters known to a computer system and to a user, who must specify it to gain access to a system and to the data stored within it.

Password file

A site-maintained file that lists user names, their passwords, and optional private information.

Path

Any route between two nodes.

Pattern matching

Characters you can use to act on several items that have similar identifiers. The pattern matching characters you can use are:

*  Matches any number of characters from zero on up
%  Matches one character only

Port

see TCP port

Posted document

Data that a user enters into an HTML form.

Private key

One key of a key pair that an organization does not distribute. Only the private key can decrypt information encrypted by the associated public key. Because the organization that owns the key pair is the only entity with the private key, a message encrypted with the public key can only be decrypted and read by that organization.

Program command

Command you can issue from a CGI program.

Publish

Copy files created using a web authoring tool to VM.

Public key

One key of a key pair that an organization distributes to other users on the network. Because only the public key can decrypt information encrypted by the associated private key, it ensures the decrypted information came from the organization that owns the key pair.

R

Referring URL

URL of the document that contains a hyperlink to the document the web browser user requested.

REXX

Restructured Extended Executor. A general purpose language for end-user personal programming. It is also useful for application macros.

Root domain

Central repository for data served by VM:Webgateway.

S

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

A protocol that provides secure communications on the Internet.

Selector

A parameter used on WHEN access control records. The selector provides criteria upon which VM:Webgateway evaluates a request for data.

Self-signed certificate

A certificate that is created by VM:Webgateway when it is using SSL Feature, and digitally signed using the private key of a key pair your site owns. Use a self-signed certificate when testing SSL.

Server certificate

A certificate that attests to the identity of an organization that uses a secure web server to serve data. A server certificate must be associated with a key pair.

Server log

An audit file that provides a record of all requests for files on your web server. The log is sometimes called an access log file.

Server root domain

Identifies the location of site-supplied data that VM:Webgateway serves from the VM:Webgateway service virtual machine.

Server-side include (SSI) commands

Commands that you place in the comments of an HTML file to tell VM:Webgateway to dynamically include additional information in the file before delivering it to a web browser. You can dynamically include information, such as, the file date or the contents of another file.

Service virtual machine (SVM)

A virtual machine that provides system services.

SFS (Shared File System)

A collection of files belonging to one or more users, in a hierarchical directory structure for use by CMS users.

SFS directory

A structure for organizing your files in SFS.

SSI (Server-side include) commands

See Server-side include (SSI) commands

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)

A protocol that provides secure communications on the Internet.

SSL Feature

Feature of VM:Webgateway that allows Web Server to use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to provide secure transmissions between the web server and web browsers.

Static file

A document containing data in the form of text (usually HTML), graphics, audio, or video. Static files can be made more dynamic by embedding server-side include commands and using filters.

svmid variable

The name of your service virtual machine.

System administrator

VM userid with SYSADMIN authorization. A VM:Webgateway system administrator can issue VM:Webgateway commands that require SYSADMIN, SYSOPER, or no authorization.

System filetype

A content filetype that Sterling Software, Inc. adds to the database. A system filetype is required for VM:Webgateway operation. The VM:Webgateway system administrator should not change or delete a system filetype.

System operator

VM userid with SYSOPER authorization. A VM:Webgateway system operator can issue VM:Webgateway commands that require SYSOPER or no authorization.

T

TCP/IP

(Transport layer protocol/Internet protocol) Entire protocol suite providing full-duplex process-to-process connections.

TCP port

A number that, when combined with an IP address, identifies a unique TCP socket.

TCP socket

The combination of an IP address and a TCP port. A TCP socket identifies a user's connection to TCP/IP. Use the CONFIG SOCKET command to bind a specific TCP socket to a particular VM:Webgateway port.

U

URL (uniform resource locator)

A unique identifier for data.

User home directory

See User page.

User home page

See User page.

User page

A user's private space for storing data that is to be served. The data in a user page can exist either completely on a single minidisk, in an SFS directory and its subdirectories, or a BFS directory and its subdirectories.

Userid

A string of characters that uniquely identifies a user to a system.

V

Virtual address

The address of a location in virtual storage.

Virtual hosting

Using a single host computer that represents itself to a network as if it were multiple, distinct physical hosts, each with its own IP address(es) and DNS name(s). See also Multihomed host.

VM:Webgateway

A Sterling Software, Inc., secure web server and mainframe solution that allows you to web enhance and web enable your mainframe applications. VM:Webgateway is composed of the Web Server and CGI Extension components, and optionally, OfficeVision Interface add-on component.

W

Web authoring tool

Tools that allow you to create one or more web pages using a cut-and-paste, drag-and-drop process. While you are creating a page, the tool is writing the HTML for that page and storing it in a file. VM:Webgateway supports Microsoft FrontPage and Netscape Composer. Both tools offer a Publish feature that lets you copy the HTML files from your PC to the VM:Webgateway server root domain, to user pages, or both. Once the files are on VM, VM:Webgateway can serve the web pages on your browser.

Web browser

A program that lets you read information on the web.

Web Server

The web server component of VM:Webgateway. It is a web server that resides on your VM system. Using VM:Webgateway, you can serve text, image, audio, video, and CGI programs created on any platform.

Worker

Also called worker machines. A service virtual machine that you set up for VM:Webgateway use. VM:Webgateway can run filters and CGI programs on workers.