Version 8.1.4
 —  Utilities  —

Functional Overview

The ADACNV utility can convert (CONVERT) an Adabas mainframe database from version 6.1 or above to a higher version or revert (REVERT) an Adabas database from a higher version back to a lower version.

Warning:
Before you convert a database, you must terminate all active nucleus or utility jobs normally.

To ensure database integrity, ADACNV writes changed blocks first to intermediate storage; that is, to the sequential data set DD/FILEA. After all changed blocks have been written out to DD/FILEA, a point-of-no-return is reached and the changed blocks are written to the database. If ADACNV terminates abnormally after the point-of-no-return, the RESTART parameter can be used to begin the ADACNV run by reading the contents of DD/FILEA and writing them out to the database.

The TEST parameter is provided to check the feasibility of a conversion or reversion without writing any changes to the database. It is therefore not necessary to terminate all activity on the database before running ADACNV when you use the TEST parameter.


Database Status

Internally, the utility converts or reverts one version at a time until the target version is attained. It is therefore important to ensure that all requirements for conversion or reversion between the current and target database levels have been met before you execute ADACNV without the TEST parameter.

Before a conversion or reversion begins, ADACNV checks the status of the database:

If this check is successful, ADACNV locks the database and creates a DIB entry.

For reversions, ADACNV checks whether any features are used that do not exist in the target version and returns a message if any are found.

Note:
There may be files in a database that are not loaded but that have a Field Definition Table (FDT) stored in the FDT blocks. If ADACNV encounters such FDTs while converting a database to Version 8, they are deleted as part of its cleanup processing.

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Procedure

The procedure for converting or reverting an Adabas database is as follows:

  1. If the nucleus is active, use ADAEND to stop it.

  2. Use ADARES PLCOPY/CLCOPY to copy all protection and command logs.

    For your installation, this may be done automatically with user exit 2.

    Wait until the logs have been copied.

  3. Optionally, back up the database (full or delta).

  4. Execute the ADACNV utility.

  5. Start the nucleus of the version to which you have converted or reverted.

Important:
To ensure database integrity, DD/FILEA must be defined permanently and be deleted only after ADACNV has completed successfully. The DD/FILEA data set must not be defined as a temporary data set that is automatically deleted at the end of the job.

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