G

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G11N: See globalization.
garbage collection: Part of a language's runtime system or an add-on library that automatically determines the memory that a program no longer uses, and recycles it for other use. Garbage collection may be assisted by the compiler, the hardware, the operating system, or any combination of the three.
gateway: A device or program used to connect networks or systems with different network architectures.
GCGID: See graphic character global identifier.
GCS: See Group Control System.
GCSGID: See graphic character set global identifier.
GDDM: See Graphical Data Display Manager. See also presentation graphics routines.
GDF: See graphics data format.
GDF file: See graphics data format file.
GDS: See general data stream.
general activity: In Backup, Recovery, and Media Services, an instruction to perform a specific operation such as *LOAD (load a new tape) or *EXIT (perform user exit).
general data stream (GDS): A structured field that precedes all mapped conversation user data in the communications data stream. It consists of a length (LL), which is defined as the first 2 bytes of the structured field, and a general data stream identifier (GDS ID), which is defined as the next 2 bytes following the length field that identifies the GDS-defined format of the data.
generalized interactive executive (GIX): A function of the NetView® Distribution Manager licensed program that provides the host system user with interactive use of the NetView Distribution Manager program.
general purpose library (QGPL): A library that contains IBM-provided objects that are required for many system functions, and user-created objects that are not explicitly placed in a different library when they are created.
General Use Programming Interface (GUPI): An interface, with few restrictions, for use in customer-written programs. The majority of programming interfaces are general-use programming interfaces, and are appropriate in a wide variety of application programs.
generate: In DB2® IBM® i, to produce, through the actions performed by a precompiler. For example, the precompiler generates host language statements and declarations that are embedded into the input source, and this modified source is then used as input to a compiler.
generic: Relating to, or characteristic of, a whole group or class.
generic alert: Alert information that is provided as text or is encoded using a method in which code points provide an index into short units of stored text. The use of generic alerts prevents the receiver from having to recognize and understand each unique problem for which an alert is sent. See also nongeneric alert.
generic controller description: An asynchronous controller description that is reserved for incoming calls on an X.25 packet-switching data network from a remote system or device that does not use SNA transmission protocols and whose location name and identifier are defined in configuration list QASYNCLOC in library QSYS.
generic envelope type: A value that defines a specific envelope type. The contents of this envelope are published so that it can be used as a common interchange format.
generic name: In the hierarchical file system, a path name that contains one or more wildcard characters.; The characters common to object names that can be used to identify a group of objects. A generic name ends with an asterisk (*). For example, ORD* identifies all objects whose names begin with the characters ORD.
Generic Security Services API: See Generic Security Services application programming interface. A common application programming interface (API) for accessing security services.
Generic Security Services application programming interface (GSS API, Generic Security Services API): A common application programming interface (API) for accessing security services.
geographic mirroring: A subfunction of cross-site mirroring (XSM) that generates a mirror image of an independent disk pool on a system, which is (optionally) geographically distant from the originating site for availability or protection purposes.
get: In message queuing, to use the MQGET call to remove a message from a queue.
GFT: See grant functional transmission. See also request functional transmission.
GID: See group identification number. See also user identification number.
GIF: See Graphics Interchange Format.
Gigabit Ethernet: A variation of the Ethernet protocol that is capable of transmitting data at one billion bits per second. Gigabit Ethernet on the System i® family is supported only by TCP/IP in full-duplex mode.
GIX: See generalized interactive executive.
global character: See wildcard character.
globalization (G11N): The process of developing, manufacturing, and marketing software products that are intended for worldwide distribution.
global mirror: An optional capability of the remote mirror and copy feature that provides a two-site extended-distance remote copy. Data that is written by the host to the storage unit at the local site is automatically maintained at the remote site. See also metro mirror, remote mirror and copy.
global mutex: A mutual exclusion lock that is provided by the pthreads library to allow easy serialization to application resources.
global name: In COBOL, a name that is declared in only one program but that may be referred to from that program and from any program contained within that program. Condition names, data names, file names, record names, and some special registers may be global names.; In Managed System Services, the name by which an object is known to SNA File Services (SNA/FS). SNA/FS enables objects to be uniquely named in an SNA network with systems of different types.
global polling: In Managed System Services, a type of polling used by the topology manager when collecting topology information for all the systems in the network.
global variable: A named entity within query management that can be assigned a value used for communications between an application program and query management.
global variable pool: In query management, the set of all user- and query-defined variables associated with a query instance.
GLT: See group list table.
glyph: A graphic symbol whose appearance conveys information, for example, the vertical and horizontal arrows on cursor keys that indicate the directions in which they control cursor movement.
GMT: See Greenwich mean time.
GOCA: See Graphic Object Content Architecture.
Gopher: In Internet communications, a distributed information service that makes available hierarchical collections of information. A single Gopher client can access information from any accessible Gopher server. The Gopher client provides the user with a menu-driven interface.
grant functional transmission (GFT): In MTAM, a control character indicating that the host system gives permission to IBM i to send data or that IBM i gives permission to the host system to send data. See also request functional transmission.
granularity: The extent to which a larger entity is subdivided. For example, a meter broken into millimeters has finer granularity than a meter broken into centimeters.
graph: See chart.; The displayed, printed, or plotted output that represents the horizontal and vertical axis variables specified by the user for a collection of data.
graph format: In Performance Tools, a template used to display performance and historical graphs. The graph format consists of such things as titles, axis variables, and the type of graph.
Graphical Data Display Manager (GDDM): An IBM computer-graphics system that defines and displays text and graphics for output on a display or printer. See also presentation graphics routines.
graphical user interface (GUI): A type of computer interface that presents a visual metaphor of a real-world scene, often of a desktop, by combining high-resolution graphics, pointing devices, menu bars and other menus, overlapping windows, icons and the object-action relationship.
graphic character: A visual representation of a character, other than a control character, that is normally produced by writing, printing, or displaying. See also glyph.
graphic character global identifier (GCGID): A 4- to 8-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to a registered graphic character. Each graphic character that is to be assigned a code point must have a GCGID. Each GCGID is unique.
graphic character set: A defined set of graphic characters treated as an entity. No coded representation is assumed.
graphic character set global identifier (GCSGID): A number between 00001 and 65534 that is assigned to identify a graphic character set. For IBM i, the graphic character set global identifier is expressed as a 5-digit decimal number. For example, the invariant character set has the GCSGID of 00640.
graphic character-set ID: A 5-digit registered identifier used to specify a graphic character set. The graphic character-set ID is the first part of the QCHRID system value or the CHRID parameter value.
graphic data type: A character string in which each character is represented by 2 bytes. The character string does not contain shift-in (SI) and shift-out (SO) characters. See also DBCS-only.
Graphic Object Content Architecture (GOCA): An architecture that provides a collection of graphics values and control structures used to interchange and present graphics data.
graphic push button: A button that uses an image, rather than text, to describe its use.
graphics: Pictures and illustrations.
graphics data format (GDF): In AFP Utilities, the ability to create an AFP resource, such as an electronic overlay.
graphics data format file (GDF file): A picture definition in a coded order format used internally by the GDDM function and, optionally, providing the user with a lower-level programming interface than the GDDM application programming interface.
graphics field: In the GDDM function, that part of the display or the paper that is used for pictures and graphics text.
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF): A file format for storing images. GIF files are common on the World Wide Web because they only contain a maximum of 256 colors and are therefore very small.
graphics primitive: In the GDDM function, a single item of graphics information, such as a line or a string of graphics text.
graphics segment: In the GDDM function, a group of graphics primitives (lines, arcs, and text) that are operated as a common set. The graphics primitives inside a graphics segment share characteristics, such as visibility and angle of rotation, but keep their individual characteristics, such as color and line width.
graphics symbol set: In the GDDM function, an object that can contain either lines or images. The system-recognized identifier for the object type is *GSS.
graphics text: In the GDDM function, text displayed by an application program using a graphics symbol set.
graphic string: A sequence of double byte character set (DBCS) characters.
graphics window: In the GDDM function, the view of the graphics picture that is defined by the range of the world coordinates specified by the user.
gray level: In the GDDM function, a digitally coded shade of gray that is in a range of 0 through 7.
gray scale: A scale that indicates the shades of gray between black and white that can be presented on a display device.
gray-scale image: An image that is represented by different gray values that range from white to black.
Greenwich mean time (GMT): The mean solar time at the meridian of Greenwich, England.
grid: In AFP Utilities, horizontal and vertical lines printed on an AFP resource, such as an electronic overlay, to help in the design of the AFP resource.; In Business Graphics Utility and the GDDM function, uniformly spaced horizontal and vertical lines on a chart.
gross lock: The shared, update, or exclusive mode locks on a table, partition, or table space. See also exclusive lock, shared lock.
group: In resource definition online, a collection of related resources. The main purpose of an RDO group is convenience in storing definitions in the CSD.
group address: In communications, a multidestination address associated with one or more stations on a given network. See also individual address.
group authority: Authority to use objects, resources, or functions from a group profile.
group calendar: A display that shows the events for up to seven users at one time.
Group Control System (GCS): In OSI Communications Subsystem, a VM operating environment in which the subsystem and Virtual Telecommunications Access Method (VTAM®) run.
group data area: A data area that is automatically created when an interactive job becomes a group job. This data area is shared by all jobs in the group but cannot be used by jobs outside the group.
group identification number (GID): A 4 byte, unsigned integer (GID) that is used to identify a group profile. See also user identification number.
group indication: In RPG, the printing of control information for only the first record of a group of records containing identical control information.
group item: In COBOL, a named set of consecutive elementary or group items.
group job: One of up to 16 interactive jobs that are associated in a group with the same work station device and user.
group job name: The name that identifies a given job within a group.
group job transfer: An operation performed by the Transfer to Group Job (TFRGRPJOB) command that will either start a new group job or resume an existing group job.
group list print descriptor: A special type of print descriptor used to define print descriptor groups, and the search order used when a print descriptor is referred to.
group list table (GLT): A CICS® table that identifies the library and file names for resource mapping that is to be installed when the control region is started.
group member: A user profile that is a member of a group profile.
group message queue: A message queue that is associated with a group of jobs. When the message queue is set either to break mode or notify mode in the active group job, the mode is the same for any job in the group that becomes the active job.
group profile: A profile that provides the same authority to a group of users.
group window: In System i Access for Windows, a window that contains one or more icons that represent applications, functions, or documents.
GSS API: See Generic Security Services application programming interface. A common application programming interface (API) for accessing security services.
guaranteed service: A type of service class that ensures bandwidth availability and provides information on queuing delays. Guaranteed service is the most reliable of the service classes. It is commonly used for applications that cannot tolerate network delays or performance variations. For example, applications such as Internet Protocol (IP) telephony and other real-time applications have specific timing needs that require guaranteed service.
guest partition: A secondary partition that runs an operating system other than IBM i. The guest partition requires another partition to host it. The purpose of the hosting partition is to supply paths from virtual I/O in the guest partition's operating system to real I/O hardware drivers in the hosting partition.
GUI: See graphical user interface.
guideline value: In capacity planning, a value used as a general guide for optimal resource utilization. If resource utilization is above the guideline value, the resource may be approaching a problem area or a threshold value. Guideline values are also available for the rate of synchronous reads in the machine pool and for the sum of all pools. See also threshold value.
GUI designer: The VRPG tool suite that allows the user to create interfaces by dragging and dropping controls from the parts palette to the design window.
GUPI: See General Use Programming Interface.