In computer networking, the Transport Layer Interface (TLI) was the networking API provided by AT&T UNIX System V Release 3 (SVR3) in 1987 and continued into Release 4 (SVR4). TLI was the System V counterpart to the

BSD The Berkeley Software Distribution or Berkeley Standard Distribution (BSD) is a discontinued operating system based on Research Unix, developed and distributed by the Computer Systems Research Group (CSRG) at the University of California, Berk ...

sockets programming interface, which was also provided in UNIX System V Release 4 (SVR4). TLI was later standardized as XTI, the X/Open Transport Interface.

TLI and Sockets

It was originally expected that the

OSI OSI may refer to: Places * Osijek Airport (IATA code: OSI), an airport in Croatia * Ősi, a village in Veszprém county, Hungary * Oši, an archaeological site in Semigallia, Latvia * Osi, a village in Ido-Osi, Ekiti State, Nigeria * Osi, Ekiti ...

protocols would supersede TCP/IP, thus TLI is designed from an OSI model-oriented viewpoint, corresponding to the OSI transport layer. Otherwise, TLI looks similar, API-wise, to sockets. TLI and XTI were widely used (?) and, up to UNIX 98, may have been preferred over the POSIX Sockets 5API with respect to existing standards. However, it was clear at least since the early 1990s that the Berkeley Socket interface would ultimately prevail. TLI and XTI are still supported in SVR4-derived

operating systems An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also inc ...

and operating systems conforming to branded UNIX (UNIX 95, UNIX 98 and UNIX 03 Single UNIX Specifications) such as

Solaris Solaris may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature, television and film * ''Solaris'' (novel), a 1961 science fiction novel by Stanisław Lem ** ''Solaris'' (1968 film), directed by Boris Nirenburg ** ''Solaris'' (1972 film), directed by ...

and

AIX Aix or AIX may refer to: Computing * AIX, a line of IBM computer operating systems *An Alternate Index, for a Virtual Storage Access Method Key Sequenced Data Set *Athens Internet Exchange, a European Internet exchange point Places Belgium ...

(as well as the

classic Mac OS Mac OS (originally System Software; retronym: Classic Mac OS) is the series of operating systems developed for the Macintosh family of personal computers by Apple Computer from 1984 to 2001, starting with System 1 and ending with Mac OS 9. The ...

, in the form of

Open Transport Open Transport was the name given by Apple Inc. to its implementation of the Unix-originated UNIX System V, System V STREAMS networking stack. Based on code licensed from Mentat's Mentat Portable Streams, Portable Streams product, Open Transport wa ...

). Under UNIX 95 (XPG4) and UNIX 98 (XPG5.2), XTI was the preferred and recommended supported API for new transport protocols. As a result of deliberations by the Austin Group with the goal of bringing flavors of UNIX that do not provide

STREAMS A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...

, such as

and Linux, under the Single UNIX Specification, the UNIX 03 Single UNIX Specification both declares

as optional, and declares POSIX Sockets as the preferred API for new transport protocols.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * *{{Cite document , first=Steve , last=Zucker , author2=Kari Karhi , publisher=SunSoft , location=Mountain View, CA , title=System V Application Binary Interface—PowerPc Processor Supplement , year=1995 , orig-year=1993

External links

The Open Group's XTI standard

Example client-server application working on Solaris and Linux
Application programming interfaces

TLI and Sockets

See also

Notes

References

External links