+int
+GNUNET_DISK_file_sync (const struct GNUNET_DISK_FileHandle *h);
+
+/**
+ * Creates a named pipe/FIFO and opens it
+ * @param fn pointer to the name of the named pipe or to NULL
+ * @param flags open flags
+ * @param perm access permissions
+ * @return pipe handle on success, NULL on error
+ */
+struct GNUNET_DISK_FileHandle *
+GNUNET_DISK_npipe_create (char **fn, enum GNUNET_DISK_OpenFlags flags,
+ enum GNUNET_DISK_AccessPermissions perm);
+
+/**
+ * Opens already existing named pipe/FIFO
+ *
+ * @param fn name of an existing named pipe
+ * @param flags open flags
+ * @param perm access permissions
+ * @return pipe handle on success, NULL on error
+ */
+struct GNUNET_DISK_FileHandle *
+GNUNET_DISK_npipe_open (const char *fn, enum GNUNET_DISK_OpenFlags flags,
+ enum GNUNET_DISK_AccessPermissions perm);
+
+/**
+ * Closes a named pipe/FIFO
+ * @param pipe named pipe
+ * @return GNUNET_OK on success, GNUNET_SYSERR otherwise
+ */
+int
+GNUNET_DISK_npipe_close (struct GNUNET_DISK_FileHandle *pipe);