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Systems Management: Backup Services API (XBSA)
Copyright © 1998 The Open Group

Glossary

active object

An object that is accessed frequently (as defined by an administration policy) by the application or service.

application object

The objects managed by an application or service (for example, file systems, documents) which will be backed-up or archived using the Open Backup Services API.

app_ObjectOwner

An optionally-supplied name, which is combined with an bsaObjectOwner to make the ObjectOwner which identifies a user of XBSA to a Backup Service. Used for access control.

archive

A copy of an Application Object generally made for long-term, low-usage storage purposes. Typically the Application Object is deleted from the application's repository after the copy is made.

backup

A copy of an Application Object generally made for the purpose of recovery in the event of system failure or human error. Typically the Application Object is retained in the application's repository after the copy is made.

backup service

An implementation of the lower level of XBSA which responds to XBSA Managers or XBSA Clients requesting services.

bsa_ObjectOwner

The name of the application or service which is using XBSA, and which has been registered with a particular Backup Service.

Catalog

Storage used by the Backup Service to hold object cataloging information (metadata).

Copy Id

A unique integer identifying a particular instance of a stored object.

Copy Type

An XBSA Object attribute with values of BSACopyType_BACKUP or BSACopyType_ARCHIVE.

handle

An identifier issued to an application or service by the Backup Service when a particular session is initiated and authenticated.

hierarchical character string

A variable-length character string containing delimited fields which are successively examined using a search pattern. Used to establish access rules, searches, and so on.

inactive object

An object that is accessed infrequently (as defined by an administration policy) by the application or service.

incremental backup

An application-specific behavior causing selective backup of objects to occur according to an applied rule.

object descriptor

A collection of object attributes, containing metadata of an XBSA object. Stored in an XBSA Catalog and associated with an individual Blob.

object type

An XBSA Object attribute, assigned by the using application or service. An enumerated integer value (see BSA_ObjectType ).

ObjectName

The name assigned by the XBSA User to an XBSA Object that is unique within the XBSA User's domain, consisting of two parts: objectSpaceName and pathName.

ObjectOwner

The name of the owner of an XBSA Object, consisting of two parts: bsa_ObjectOwner and app_ObjectOwner.

Objectspace

The name of a logical space in the user's domain where an object resides.

objectSpaceName

A variable-length string that identifies an Objectspace; examples are: C:Drive, VolumeLabel=XYZ.

pathName

A hierarchical string that further identifies an XBSA object within an Objectspace. Example: /documents/xopen/backup.proposal.

restore

The operation of obtaining a copy of a currently active object from the Backup Service, and placing this copy back into the application's domain to correct a system or human failure.

Retention Period

An indication of how long a backup object is to be kept.

retrieve

The operation of obtaining a copy of a currently inactive object from the Backup Service, and placing this copy back into the application's domain so that the data may be accessed.

Status

An XBSA Object attribute with values of BSAObjectStatus_MOST_RECENT or BSAObjectStatus_NOT_MOST_RECENT.

XBSA

The Open Backup Services API (this document).

XBSA application

An XBSA Client or XBSA Manager.

XBSA client

Application-specific software which uses XBSA to request services from the Backup Service on behalf of a particular application. Typically this XBSA Client is tightly bound to a user application (such as a DBMS) or an operating system service (such as a file system) by existing in the address space of the application/service or being packaged with this function.

XBSA manager

Management software which uses XBSA to manage the services provided in Backup Services. Typically this XBSA Manager may manage the operation of a variety of Backup Service implementations from a variety of vendors.

XBSA object

An object as viewed through the XBSA interfaces. Has a two-part name: ObjectOwner and ObjectName.

Repository

Storage used by the Backup Services to hold the (uninterpreted) data making up an object which is managed.

XBSA session

A logical connection between an XBSA Application and a Backup Service, delimited by calls to BSAInit() and BSATerminate().
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