MPS- messages

[Gavin Scott]

Ole asks:
> We have recently received following messages[...]

> MPS: installed device clone as major 1
[...]

> Does anyone know what these MPS-messages stands for?

I would hazard a guess that "MPS" is "Mentat Portable Streams", the SYSTEM V
STREAMS library that HP licensed for use in implementing named pipes and
similar functionality in MPE. These messages will always be produced the
first time after boot-up that something invokes the Streams subsystem by
using a named pipe etc.

A "Stream" in this context is probably unrelated to any other meaning you
might know for the term. The Streams facility was invented (IIRC) by Denis
Ritchie as a mechanism for managing "protocol stacks". A program constructs
a "stream" by opening a device and then inserting protocol modules into the
stream between itself and the device, allowing arbitrary configurations to
be assembled at runtime. Data then flows "up-stream" from the device to the
program and "down-stream" from the program to the device, passing from one
layer to the next. The Streams system provides buffering and flow control
along with a primitive scheduling system that ensures that forward progress
can be made in the presence of drivers that block.

Programming using the streams facility is difficult and arcane, and
implementing the Streams facility itself even more so.

The MPS code in MPE is one of the few components of the operating system not
entirely owned by HP, and as such it is one of the complicating factors for
any future Open MPE initiatives or alternative MPE licensing.

The MPS startup messages are normal and you should ignore them.

G.

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[Gavin Scott]

Tom after me:
> >I would hazard a guess that "MPS" is "Mentat Portable Streams" ...
>
> Sounds like something out of Dune.

Yes, I've always assumed that's where they got the name. Generally I have a
lower opinion of those who have to turn to science fiction for their
corporate identity.

http://www.mentat.com/

[Tom Brandt]

At 08:29 AM 1/20/2003 -0800, Gavin Scott wrote:

>I would hazard a guess that "MPS" is "Mentat Portable Streams" ...

Sounds like something out of Dune.

--------------------------------
Tom Brandt
Northtech Systems, Inc.
130 S. 1st Street, Suite 220
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-1343
http://www.northtech.com/

[Tom Emerson]

On Monday 20 January 2003 2:54 am, Ole Nord wrote:
> Hi
>
> We have recently received following messages on the console when booting
> the HPe3000/918lx.
>
> 8:07/#J2/60/FROM/MGR.SAMBA/tcon on IPC$ by MGR.SAMBA from vl_8
[...]
> Starting Streams/iX scheduler [pin 67]

>
> Does anyone know what these MPS-messages stands for?

> I beleive they have started to show up very recently. We have had some
> instability recently in accessing the 3000 from our NT Pc's in the network.
> We do not have any problems accessing other PC's on the network

As I recall, these have to do with posix "streams" [file I/O operations, not
MPE job "streams"] You'll see this series of messages upon the FIRST
invocation of the posix "shell" or any other "posix" oriented program. [and
running the smb server will certainly invoke the "posix" side of things on an
HP] This will have "always" been there, but since it happens only once [per
reboot] you're not likely to notice them until you start rebooting your HP to
investigate/clear up "some odd network problem".

[unlike windows, however, "rebooting" should not be the primary method used to
investigate a problem... ;) ]