HP NonStop G-Series - Manual (Page 28)

At the next level down from the root directory are nine directories, each with its own system of
subdirectories and files.
Figure 3 shows subdirectories and files only for the directory named
/user .
The other directories in the second level shown in Figure 3 are typical for an OSS file system (and
many UNIX file systems). Most of them contain system files and directories.
The third level of the structure in Figure 3 contains the home directories for two of the system’s
users, /smith and /chang.
The fourth level of the figure shows three directories under the /chang home directory: /plans,
/report
, and /payroll. These might be subdirectories created by this user for organizing files
and subdirectories.
The fifth level of the structure contains both files and subdirectories. The /plans directory contains
four files. The /report directory contains three files. Also on the fifth level are two subdirectories,
/regular
and /contract.
A directory that contains subdirectories is often called a “parent directory.” For example, /chang
is the parent directory of /plans, /report, and /payroll.
The /G Directory
The OSS file system includes a directory named /G. The /G directory identifies the Guardian fileset.
While /G appears as an OSS directory under the root directory, it is actually a mount point for
the Guardian file system. The /G directory allows you to access the volumes, subvolumes, and files
in the Guardian environment.
While you are in the OSS environment, you can move into the Guardian fileset. In the /G directory,
you can access the Guardian subvolumes and files using OSS utilities. Guardian volumes appear
as OSS directories, and Guardian subvolumes appear as OSS subdirectories. Guardian files
appear as OSS files. For more information on accessing /G, see
“Accessing Guardian Files From
the OSS Environment” (page 69) .
The /E Directory
The /E directory, named for the Guardian Expand network, provides name-mapping for OSS and
Guardian files on remote NonStop nodes. The mapping looks like a directory of OSS and Guardian
files on your local NonStop node. The mapping is a list of OSS filenames and translations between
Guardian and OSS filenames.
For more information about the /E directory, see “Accessing Guardian Files From the
OSS Environment” (page 69) .
OSS Pathnames
An OSS pathname specifies the location of a directory or a file within the OSS file system, including
the /G directory and the /E directory.
Absolute Pathnames
A pathname that starts with a / (slash) character, the symbol representing the root directory, is
called a “full pathname” or an “absolute pathname” because it starts at the beginning of the file
system. You can think of an absolute pathname as the complete name of a file or a directory.
Regardless of where you are working in the file system, you can always find a file or a directory
by specifying its full pathname. For example:
/user/chang/report/part3
The first / in this example represents the root directory, and the last item in the pathname is the
file part3. This pathname would be called the absolute pathname for part3. The middle part of
the pathname identifies the directories and subdirectories that contain part3 (or the path through
the file system that leads to part3).
28 The OSS File System