| (operating system) | STREAMS - A collection of system calls, kernel
resources, and kernel utility routines that can create, use,
and dismantle a stream. A "stream head" provides the
interface between the stream and the user processes. Its
principal function is to process STREAMS-related user system
calls. A "stream module" processes data that travel bewteen
the stream head and driver. The "stream end" provides the
services of an external input/output device or an internal
software driver. The internal software driver is commonly
called a pseudo-device driver. The STREAMS concept has been formalised in Unix System V. For example, SVR4 implements sockets and pipes using STREAMS, resulting in pipe(2) openning bidirectional pipes. [IBM AIX 3.2 Communication Programming Concepts, SC23-2206-03]. |