STREAMS - Request For Information

[Paul Bandler]

I am learning the System V STREAMS facilities from the documentation provided
with the OS (SVR3).  I would appreciate assistance with any of the following 
questions:

1.	Are there any good books on the subject other than the STREAMS 
	programmers guide?

2.	Timers.  Maybe I've missed something on first reading but I found
	no mention of timer services for STREAMS modules/drivers.  How does
	a STREAMS module set a timer and get notified of its expiry?

3.	IOCTL.  This provides a facility to send commands to, and receive 
	responses from modules/drivers.  Fine.  However IOCTL aren't supposed
	to be forwarded over lower multiplexor driver boundaries.  So in
	general it appears that you can't use IOCTL for control interfaces
	to your modules in case they ever get 'pushed' under a MUX.  Is this
	right or have I gone off track?  What is to stop me using some module
	addressing scheme that I could devise and direct the multiplexor
	driver to route the IOCTL message down the right lower stream?  Is the
	right approach to always make your "module" an upper multiplexor so
	that it can be open once by a "control" user for control commands and
	responses directly, and have other 'data path' streams?

4.	Can anyone provide me with an example of a "provider interface".  I'd
	prefer the Transport Provider Interface (TPI) so that I can see how
	it maps to the TLI, but any would be most welcome.

5.	Are there any Public Domain examples of streams module/driver
	implementations available?

Please email responses as news takes several days to trickle across the Pacific.

Thanks in anticipation,

Paul Bandler
ACUS - Australian Centre For Unisys Software
FAX: +61-3-267-4692
TEL: +61-3-823-1037