Natural under IMS TM - Components

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# Natural under IMS TM - Components

This document describes the components of the Natural IMS TM Interface.

The following topics are covered:

- Front-End Module

- Natural IMS TM Interface Module NIIINTFM

- Physical Input Edit Routine

- User Message Table DFSCMTU0

- Roll File and Roll Server

- Authorized Services Manager

- Shared Natural Nucleus

- Natural Buffer Pool

- Adabas Interface

- Preload List

## Front-End Module

The front-end module receives control from the IMS TM program controller `DFSPPC20`, except in the server environment where it is called by the call interface `NIIBOOTS`.

The front-end module must be built during the installation process of the Natural IMS TM Interface described in the Installation for z/OS documentation. The front-end-module consists of the following:

- Environment-Dependent Interfaces (Drivers)

- Natural Parameter Module

- Natural Work and Print File Access Method Module NATWKFO (AM=STD)

### Environment-Dependent Interfaces (Drivers)

The environment-dependent interfaces are supplied as the following load modules:

- `NIIBMP` for the batch message processing environment,

- `NIICONV` for the conversational dialog-oriented environment,

- `NIINONC` for the non-conversational dialog-oriented environment,

- `NIINTRD` for the message-oriented environment,

- `NIISFE` for the Natural Development Server/Natural Web I/O Interface server environment, and

- `NIISRVD` for the server environment.

The load modules are supplied on the installation medium. You can configure the environment-dependent interfaces with the `NTIMSP` macro of the Natural parameter module. See also Natural under IMS TM - Configuration.

### Natural Parameter Module

The Natural parameter module is built during the installation. In addition to the parameter settings you need to adapt for your Natural environment, you must specify at least one `NTIMSPT` parameter macro for the Natural IMS TM Interface. See also Natural under IMS TM - Configuration.

The Natural parameter module and the individual parameters and macros that can be specified with the Natural parameter module are described in the Parameter Reference documentation.

### Natural Work and Print File Access Method Module NATWKFO (AM=STD)

The `NATWKFO` module is delivered as part of the base Natural. It is used for work file and print file handling for work files and print files defines with `AM=STD`. It is applicable to the BMP environment, including off-line IMS batch regions, the message-oriented environment and the server environment. It is not applicable to the dialog-oriented environments.

Some Natural products, such as Natural for Db2, require that their modules be linked to the Natural IMS TM front-end module. For further information, see the appropriate product documentation.

## Natural IMS TM Interface Module NIIINTFM

The Natural IMS TM Interface module has to be created during the installation process and is common to all environments.

The interface module consists of the following components:

- Natural IMS TM Nucleus NIINUC

- Message Text Module NIIMSGT

The interface module is fully reentrant and can run above the 16 MB line. It is therefore eligible for the ECSA in order to have only one copy of the interface module for all IMS TM environments.

### Natural IMS TM Nucleus NIINUC

The Natural IMS TM nucleus `NIINUC` is delivered as a load module and contains all the runtime routines required by the Natural IMS TM Interface.

### Message Text Module NIIMSGT

The message text module `NIIMSGT` is part of the Natural IMS TM Interface module and is supplied both as a load and a source module. For each possible Natural IMS TM runtime error, it contains the corresponding message text. Each entry is generated by the macro `NIMMSGT`.

For a detailed description of the macro `NIMMSGT`, see NIMMSGT Macro Parameters.

## Physical Input Edit Routine

The physical input edit routine is required only in a dialog-oriented, non-conversational environment. It is used to insert the transaction code preceding the message sent to the terminal. This is required as Natural runs in MFS bypass mode and the message sent to the terminal does not contain a transaction code.

The physical input edit routine is generated by using the `NIMPIXT` macro. For further information on the `NIMPIXT` macro, see NIMPIXT Macro Parameters.

Once the physical input edit routine is generated, its name must be specified in the `TYPE` or `LINEGRP` macros of your IMS TM system definition. For all terminals on which the non-conversational environment is supposed to run, you must enable physical editing by using the `EDIT` parameter in the `TERMINAL` macro.

## User Message Table DFSCMTU0

The delivered user message table `DFSCMTU0` is required only in a dialog-oriented, non-conversational environment. It contains the error messages for errors detected by the physical input edit routine.

The user message table `DFSCMTU0` must be integrated into the existing user message table of your IMS TM installation. In case of conflicts with already existing user message numbers of your IMS TM installation you may change the message numbers of the delivered `DFSCMTU0` by modifying the `EQUATES PIXTE` and `SIPSE` to create new message number ranges. The new start value of the message number range must be specified in the `NIMPIXT` macro.

## Roll File and Roll Server

These components are used in dialog-oriented environments only.

Natural session-related information is held in the Natural thread. With each terminal output, the content of the Natural thread is saved either in a roll file or by using the roll server. The medium is defined by the `ROLLSRV` keyword subparameter in the `NTIMSPE` macro (Natural parameter module) described in the Parameter Reference documentation.

### Using Roll Files

To use roll files, the `ROLLSRV` keyword subparameter is set to `OFF`.

A roll slot in the roll file is reserved for each Natural user at Natural session initialization time. The identifier of the slot is the IMS TM `LTERM` at which the Natural session is started. You must therefore ensure that all terminals that use the same set of roll files have different `LTERM` names. This is always the case if the roll files are used by a single IMS TM. The slot is freed when the Natural session terminates normally. In case of an abnormal termination, the roll slot remains allocated, but will be reused when the same user (identified by his `LTERM`) starts a new Natural session.

Roll files are accessed under the DD statements `ROLLF1` - `ROLLF5`. The number of roll files used is defined by the `ROLLFN` keyword subparameter in the `NTIMSPE` macro.

If your Natural transaction code is scheduled in more than one MPP region or if you switch between transaction codes running in different MPP regions, you have to use the same roll files in all MPP regions.

If you reformat the roll file(s), make sure that no Natural transactions are active. If a transaction is scheduled after the roll file has been reinitialized, it cannot locate its roll slot on the roll file and abnormally terminates. To avoid this problem, it is recommended that you cold-start IMS TM after the roll file has been reformatted.

The roll files used by Natural under IMS TM have the same layout as the roll files used by the Roll Server and are formatted by the same utility program.

Note
The roll files used by Natural under IMS TM must not be shared with the Roll Server. If you use roll files for Natural under IMS TM and the Roll Server at the same time, you must assign an own set of roll files to the Roll Server.

### Using the Roll Server

To use the roll server, the `ROLLSRV` keyword subparameter is set to `ON`.

Instead of using roll files which have to be allocated to each MPP region, you can use the Natural roll server. The roll server offers the following advantages:

- No DD statements in each MPP region.

- One central address space is responsible for access to the roll files.

- Support of main storage buffers to reduce disk I/Os to the roll files.

A slot in the roll server is reserved for each Natural user at Natural session initialization time. The identifier of the slot (roll server user ID) is the IMS TM `LTERM` at which the session is started, concatenated with the z/OS host ID and the IMS TM subsystem ID of the IMS TM dependent region in which the corresponding Natural transaction is scheduled. The slot is freed when the Natural session terminates normally. In case of an abnormal termination, the slot remains allocated, but will be reused when the same user (identified by his `LTERM`) starts a new Natural session.

In a z/OS Parallel Sysplex environment you must use the roll server.

For further information on roll files and the roll server, see Roll Server in the Natural Operations documentation.

## Authorized Services Manager

The Natural Authorized Services Manager is required in the following cases:

- In a dialog-oriented, non-conversational environment; see Special Considerations for a Non-Conversational Environment).

- If Monitoring or Broadcasting is used; see Monitoring or Broadcasting.

- If Accounting is used and the accounting information is written to SMF; see Accounting.

- If buffer pool propagation is used; see the profile parameter `BPPROP`.

In the first two cases, the optional SIP function must be made available during startup of the Authorized Services Manager.

In a z/OS Parallel Sysplex environment, the SIP must be located in a Coupling Facility.

## Shared Natural Nucleus

In an IMS TM environment, the Natural nucleus is always separated from the environment-dependent interface (driver). This means that you have to install the shared Natural nucleus. The same Natural nucleus can be shared by all Natural IMS TM environments.

## Natural Buffer Pool

Since Natural under IMS TM is executable in more than one MPP region, it is recommended that the Natural buffer pool be a global buffer pool.

Although you can use a local buffer pool, this is not recommended in terminal-driven environments for performance reasons.

For further information, see Natural Global Buffer Pool in the Natural Operations documentation.

## Adabas Interface

In order to access the Natural system file and Adabas user files, the Adabas interface is required.

By default, the appropriate Adabas interface is dynamically loaded at runtime.

- In terminal-driven dialog-oriented environments, the Adabas IMS TM Interface module `ADALNI` is used.

- In all other environments, the Adabas batch interface module `ADALNK` is used.

You can overwrite the name of the Adabas interface to be used by specifying the Natural profile parameter `ADANAME`.

| Warning: You must not use the reentrant version of either of these interface modules.

## Preload List

It is no longer required to use a preload list with the Natural IMS TM Interface, but for performance reasons it is recommended that you add the names of the following modules to the preload list for the Natural regions:

- the Natural IMS TM front-ends,

- the Natural IMS TM Interface module,

- the Natural shared nucleus,

- the Adabas interface.

### On this page

- Front-End Module
- Natural IMS TM Interface Module NIIINTFM
- Physical Input Edit Routine
- User Message Table DFSCMTU0
- Roll File and Roll Server
- Authorized Services Manager
- Shared Natural Nucleus
- Natural Buffer Pool
- Adabas Interface
- Preload List