Benefits of using an OSA
There are several reasons for implementing an OSA
instead of coding a manager to perform data operations directly:
-
Transparent remote operations. The SCOadmin framework
allows you to make an object request on another machine
simply by specifying the name of the machine. The
framework takes care of locating the OSA
on the correct machine.
-
Convenient reuse of code. If more than one manager
needs a backend to the same system object, then only
one OSA has to be written. For example,
the system includes a device OSA that handles
requests for information on storage devices. This single
OSA is used by the Filesystem and
Backup managers, and by the SNMP
host MIB.
-
A uniform API. A manager only uses one API
for all types of objects. The ways in
which the manager can call the Client API are determined by
the class of the object. A uniform backend provides a uniform
(and possibly transparent) path for future enhancements to
the SCOadmin framework (such as directory services, new remote
transport, or new administration paradigm).
Although designing a manager to use SCOadmin objects may take more
time, (especially if many new objects need to be designed), this process
can be mitigated by using the
OSA builder,
which provides
graphical interface to automate many aspects of OSA
development.
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SCOadmin object classes
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About object service agents
© 2004 The SCO Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
UnixWare 7 Release 7.1.4 - 27 April 2004