Building An Example RPC Application

The following example shows the commands needed to build a RPC application, a rather simple file server called "Filer". VAX/VMS is used here for illustration: There are further examples under the later sections which deal with each environment.

Suppose we have a program called MYPROG.FOR written in FORTRAN and running on a VAX under VMS. This needs to call procedures in a module called FILER written in Pascal and running on an M68020 under MoniCa. The interface between the two is described in RPCL in the file FILER.RPC . Because this is an example we have deliberatly chosen Fortran for the main program and Pascal for the server to show a mixed language application: however, the modules could as well both have been written in the same language, and run on the same type of machine.

Under VMS

First of all we compile the main program using the native FORTRAN compiler, generating the file MYPROG.OBJ, and we compile the server module using the cross Pascal compiler, generating the file FILER.CUF. We then generate the stub code for each system using the RPC Compiler: $ RPC FILER.RPC /SCERNCROSS $ RPCC FILER.RPC /CFORTRAN=CLIFILER.FOR These commands will produce (if no errors are found) the files: SERFILER.CUF The server stub, in M680x0 object format FILER.EXT The Pascal declaration file CLIFILER.FOR The client stub in FORTRAN The client stub is compiled: $ FORTRAN CLIFILER Next, we link together the VAX image: $ LINK MYPROG, CLIFILER, rpc_lib/OPT We now have an executable file, MYPROG.EXE, which, when run, will call the remote version of FILER. To link the M68k object modules together, we have to first concatenate them into one file, then use CUFLINK, then format the result with UNIPUSH: $ COPY FILER.CUF, SERFILER.CUF FILER.CCU $ CUFLINK FILER.CCU, rpc_lib68, FILER, - MYLOP, MYOPT, MYLMP $ UNIPUSH FILER The result is FILER.ABS, a Motorola "S&hyphen.format" loadable file which, when run, will provide the service required by MYPROG.EXE. (The use of cross software under VAX/VMS, and the significance of the LOP, OPT and LMP files, is described in and its references). The name rpc_lib68 is a logical name. The actual file used to satisfy entry points into the RPC system will depend on the target M680x0 system being used, typically the MONICA.ROM file. (See also: Running this example VAX-VAX over Decnet)

Stubs in C

This example is equivalent to the example above, but we assume that the client and/or server routines will be written in C. (The client stub should be produced in C if the client module is in C, and the server module should be produced in C if the server module is written in C. This does not stop a C client talking to a FORTRAN server, for instance, as the communication format used between the stubs is the same in all cases)

The RPCC command is used. To make the VMS client, the commands would be

$ RPCC FILER.RPC /CGENERICC=CLIFILER.C/BYVALUE ! Make CLIFILER.C $ CC/INC=RPC_INC/DEFINE=VAXVMS CLIFILER ! Make CLIFILER.OBJ $ LINK MYPROG, CLIFILER, rpc_lib/OPT ! MAKE MYPROG.EXE and to make ther server, $ RPCC FILER.RPC /SGENERICC=SERFILER.C/BYVALUE ! Make SERFILER.C $ CC/INC=RPC_INC/DEFINE=VAXVMS SERFILER ! Make SERFILER.OBJ $ LINK FILER, SERFILER, rpc_lib/OPT ! Make FILER.EXE In this case, FILER must contain, apart from the server subroutines, a small main program to attach the server stub to the run-time system, and call the server loop. (See Server Programs )

Explicit Post Processing of Pascal stubs

(This section is only relevant to users making stubs in Pascal, and who wish to modify them by hand). The RPC command used above produces object modules via intermediate files generated in Pascal. In some cases, howver, one may wish to invoke the RPC compiler only to produce source versions of the stub code, which can then be modified before compilation. In this case, the RPCC (two C's) command is used, and the compiler produces the source files: in our example , these would be, by default, CLIFILER.RPC The client stub, in M68020 Pascal SERFILER.RPC The server stub, in VAX/VMS Pascal FILER.EXT The Pascal declaration file (as before). The .RPC files must be put through the INCLUDE preprocessor to make pascal files, and these must in turn be compiled using a suitable pascal compiler. In the example above, the operations required are as follows: We compile the client stub using the INCLUDE preprocessor, and the native VAX Pascal compiler. $ INCLUDE CLIFILER.RPC CLIFILER.PAS +VAXVMS $ PASCAL CLIFILER This generates the object file CLIFILER.OBJ. (Theer is also an optional +ALIGN keyword, (See index "ALIGN") as discussed in a later chapter, but its inclusion is not recommended). on it. (Note the upper case for all keywords). To make the M68k code, we compile the server stub, SERFILER.RPC, using the Cross PASCAL compiler and the INCLUDE preprocessor: $ INCLUDE SERFILER.RPC SERFILER.PAS CERNCROSS $ NEWP68K SERFILER generating the object file SERFILER.CUF for the M68k. The INCLUDE program is part of the CERN cross software suite for the M680x0 processors, and is described in outline in .

Under Unix

To produce the same thing in C for unix and under unix, the commands would have been, with $(RPCLIB) replaced by the pathname of the RPC library librpc.a: rpcc -cgenericc=clifiler.c -byvalue filer.rpc cc -o myprog myprog.c clifiler.c $(RPCLIB) and to make ther server, rpcc -sgenericc=serfiler.c -byvalue filer.rpc cc -o filer filer.c serfiler.c $(RPCLIB)

Unix cross software

If the development of the M68k part were to be done under Berkley Unix or Ultrix, the commands would have been similar to those used above, with explicit post processing of the stubs: rpcc filer.rpc -ccerncross -svaxvms include CERNCROSS < serfiler.rpc > serfiler.p pasc68k serfiler cat filer.cuf clifiler.cuf > myprog.ccu cuflink myprog <RPC_library_path_name> unipush myprog The file CERNCROSS.DFS is not needed in this case, as the keywords are command line parameters. This will similarly produce the file 'myprog.abs'. Note that, whereas on the client side the user program is a main program, on the server side the user code is just a called module. A main program module is, however, necessary on the server side, to call the RPC system and ask it to service future requests. In the example above it is assumed that this is part of FILER.CUF. This module is normally quite simple, and is discussed elsewhere .