The x-kernel is an object-oriented multi-threaded architecture for protocol implementation. Each protocol is represented as an object instance; sessions are specialized instances of protocol objects; each thread is a calling sequence of object invocations. Generally speaking, each message in an x-kernel is processed by a thread of protocol/session layers. The x-kernel provides the interface functions that allow one object to invoke another and subsystems for manipulating messages, associative memory tables, events, addresses, and debugging.
Version 3.2 is a protocol implementation environment that can be embedded in any platform, including both hardware and software platforms. By defining all the interfaces between the protocol and the host environment, the x-kernel completely isolates the protocol from the underlying operating system. As a result, protocol source code can be moved from one platform to another without modification.
This manual covers the x-kernel functionality, the protocol library, and the tools for building and running x-kernels on various platforms. Sections 2-9 define the uniform protocol interface and the various libraries that make up the x-kernel. Sections 10 and 11 give additional guidelines about using these routines. Finally, Sections 12-17 describe procedures for maintaining, configuring, running, and installing the x-kernel.