PHY IO

The PHY_IO privilege lets the user's process execute the Queue I/O Request ($QIO) system service to perform physical-level I/O operations.

Usually, process I/O requests are handled indirectly by use of an I/O package such as OpenVMS Record Management Services (RMS). However, to increase their control over I/O operations and to improve the efficiency of their applications, skilled users sometimes prefer to handle directly the interface between their process and a system I/O driver program. They can do this by executing the $QIO system service; in many instances, the operation called for is a physical-level I/O operation.

If this privilege is given to unqualified users who have no need for it, the operating system and service to other users can be easily disrupted. Such disruptions can include the destruction of information on the system device, the destruction of user data, and the exposure of confidential information.

The PHY_IO privilege also lets a process perform the following tasks:

Task	Interface
Access and individual shadow set member unit	$ASSIGN, $QIO
Create or delete a watchpoint	$QIO request to the SMP watchpoint driver (WPDRIVER)
Map an LTA device to a server/port (IO$_TTY_PORT!IO$M_LT_MAPPORT)	$QIO resuest to a LAT port driver
Issue the following I/O requests: logical I/O request, logical or virtual I/O request with IO$_M_MSCPMODIFS modifier, physical I/O to a private, non-file-structured device	$QIO
Modify the following terminal attributes: HANGUP, SET_SPEED, SECURE_SERVER	SET TERMINAL or the terminal driver (TTDRIVER) /[NO]HANGUP /[NO]SET_SPEED /[NO]SECURE_SERVER
Issue IO$_ACCESS (diagnostic) function to DEBNA/NI device driver	$QIO request to a synchronous communications line (XGDRIVER)
Enable Ethernet promiscuous mode listening
Issue IO$_ACCESS (diagnostic) function to Ethernet common driver