Glossary

application or application module
A functional Web interface designed to accomplish a specific task on a remote computing system.  Presented as an HTML form to the user.

 
attribute
A property for a database record (i.e., a column in a database file).

 
authentication
The process through which a client demonstrates his or her identity to the WebSubmit HTTP server.  This is accomplished by transferring a certificate between the client and server using the SSL protocol.

 
authentication database
The database used by the WebSubmit system to verify a user's ability to use the system.  It contains information about valid certificate issuers, valid WebSubmit administrators, and regsitered users of the system.  For each user, the database also contains information about the user's login names on all machines in the WebSubmit cluster.
browser system
The system on which a user accesses WebSubmit applications with a Web browser.

 
CA
Certificate Authority

certificate

A specially-formatted piece of data containing an entity's public key, signed by a certificate authority.

certificate authority

A trusted third party used to vouch for an entity's identity.

client

The user's computer system from which WebSubmit applications are executed (also browser system).

compute system

See target system

configuration page

The Web page, accessed from the main WebSubmit toolbar, used by user's to activate and deactivate modules, and to select module modes (where applicable).

domain

The set of values that a database attribute may assume.

form

An HTML form used within the WebSubmit environment to accomplish certain tasks.  Also referred to as an application module or module.

form elements
The components of a WebSubmit form that are used to obtain data from the user.  Examples include text entry areas, radio buttons, and checkboxes.  Within the context of WebSubmit, form elements may also be composites of the typical HTML form elements.

HTTP_CLIENT_DN
CGI environment variable used by WebSubmit to determine a user's WebSubmit identification number, full name, and E-mail address.  This corresponds to the Distinguished Name (DN) field from the client's certificate.

HTTP_ISSUER_DN
CGI environment variable used by WebSubmit to determine the name and E-mail address of the certificate authority that issued the user's certificate.

key (attributes)

The attribute or attributes within a datbase that are used as a unique identifier for each record (row) in the database.

master database

Database used by WebSubmit to control the appearance of the master page and the type of modules present on the system.

master page

The main WebSubmit page from which all application modules are accessed via hyperlinks.

mode

Some application modules have different appearances (i.e., they present different elements to the user) depending on their mode.  At this point, forms with modality only support BASIC and ADVANCED modes.

module
See application module

namespace

A restricted scope used in Tcl as a method of variable and procedure encapsulation.  The WebSubmit Tcl libraries use namespaces extensively.

record

A row in a database containing a unique key identifier and the values of all attributes corresponding to that identifier.

remote system

See target system

SCP

See Secure Copy

SSH

See Secure Shell

SSL

See Secure Sockets Layer

Secure Copy

A secure protocol based on SSH, used as a replacement for UNIX rcp, allowing file transfer between systems.

Secure Shell

A secure protocol, used as a replacement for UNIX rsh,  that uses strong authentication techniques to allow remote execution of commands.  Also provides data encryption once authentication has been established.

Secure Sockets Layer

A secure protocol used to establish authenticated and encrypted HTTP connections between a client and server.

server (or WebSubmit server)

The computer system used as a proxy through which clients can execute tasks on remote computer systems.  The client forms an HTTP connection with the server, which then processes and forwards user requests to the desired target system.

session

Each time a user fills out an application module and submits it for processing by the server, this is deemed a session.  Sessions are used as a way of storing data about the use of application modules.

session manager
A specialized collection of form elements placed in a module to allow the storage and retrieval of WebSubmit session information.

standard identifier

A string composed of alphabetic characters (upper and lower case), numerals, and at least {-_.,_}.

target system

The remote computing resources that are accessed via WebSubmit application modules.

task
The task is a generic activity to be carried out on the compute system, e.g., a class of job to be entered in a job queue, or a command script to be executed. The task is implemented as a collection of job keywords and/or commands, together with other text, assembled in a file by the action of the task elements.

toolbar

The region on the main WebSubmit page used to access various information about the WebSubmit system, to configure user preferences for active modules and module modes, and to provide quick links to all application modules.

verification
The process by which a user's access to the WebSubmit system is checked.  Once the user has authenticated himself or herself to the HTTP server, their user data (obtained from HTTP_CLIENT_DN and HTTP_ISSUER_DN) is compared against the WebSubmit authentication database.  Access to the system is granted or denied based on whether the data matches that in the database.

WebSubmit cluster

The collection of remote machines with which the WebSubmit server can interact.  These are the computing resources that are being accessed through WebSubmit application modules.