Digital Equipment DEC 3000 Series Service Information page 416

Glossary–16
null modem
A connection box that replaces two modems and their connecting
wires. This box allows two devices that are designed to interact
through modems to be locally connected.
NVRAM
See nonvolatile random-access memory.
online documentation
Documents that can be read directly on your monitor screen.
Online documentation is stored on a compact disc and includes
all text and illustrations found in the printed manuals. Fast
access time and cross-referencing are two advantages of online
documentation.
Open Software Foundation (OSF)
A foundation formed to develop open design software based on
the UNIX standard. Development todate includes the OSF/1
operating system, the Distributed Computing Environment
(DCE), and the Distributed Management Environment (DME).
open system
A system that implements open specifications for interfaces,
services, and supporting formats so that applications software
can:
• Be ported across a wide range of systems with minimal
changes
• Interoperate with other applications on local and remote
systems
• Interact with users in a style that facilitates user portability
OpenVMS operating system
Digital Equipment Corporation's proprietary operating system.
operating system
An integrated collection of programs that controls the operation
of the system and allows users access to data files, input/output
devices, and application programs.
operating system mode
The state in which the system console terminal is under the
control of the operating system software. Also called program
mode.
PAL
See Privileged Architecture Library (software) and Programmable
Array Logic (hardware).