OpenVMS Programming Concepts Manual 1

The document is Volume I of the OpenVMS Programming Concepts Manual, published in April 2001. It describes the programming features of the OpenVMS operating system, focusing on:

1. Process and Synchronization: Covers process creation (subprocesses and detached processes), interprocess communication (event flags, mailboxes, global sections, lock management), symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems, and methods for synchronizing data access and program operations. It also introduces kernel threads and their structure in OpenVMS Alpha.
2. Interrupts and Condition Handling: Explains Asynchronous System Traps (ASTs) for event and time delivery, common programming mistakes, and condition-handling routines and services for managing run-time errors and exceptions.
3. Addressing and Memory Management: Details 32-bit and 64-bit virtual address spaces, support for 64-bit addressing (including system services, RMS interfaces, and compiler support on OpenVMS Alpha), and memory allocation using system services and run-time library routines, including concepts like virtual regions, working sets, process swapping, and VLM (Very Large Memory) features.

The manual is intended for system and application programmers familiar with the OpenVMS environment and supersedes version 7.2, supporting OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.3 and OpenVMS VAX Version 7.3.