Natural under IMS TM - Special Functions

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# Natural under IMS TM - Special Functions

This document describes the use of special functions available with the Natural IMS TM Interface.

The following topics are covered:

- Prerequisites

- Accounting

- Monitoring

- Broadcasting

- Server Environment

## Prerequisites

Some of these functions require the Natural Authorized Services Manager (ASM).

- If the ASM is required, it must have been started before the function is used.

- The Natural subsystem used by the ASM must be the same as the one used by the Natural session.

- For accounting and monitoring, the SIP server must have been enabled in addition.

## Accounting

The accounting function is only available in dialog-oriented environments. It is activated by setting the environment table keyword subparameter `ACTACTV` to `ON` in the `NTIMSPE` macro of the Natural parameter module.

With each terminal I/O, information about the specific Natural session is written to the IMS TM log or to SMF, depending on the setting of the `ACTLOG` keyword subparameter in the `NTIMSPE` macro.

- If the `ACTACTV` keyword subparameter is set to `CMD`, a `/LOG` command is issued that writes the accounting record to the IMS TM log. All transaction codes must therefore be allowed to use the `/LOG` command. At the beginning of each record an 8-byte header is inserted. This header helps to easily select the accounting records using the IMS TM utility `DFSERA10`. The header string is defined by the environment table keyword subparameter `ACTAHDR` (`NTIMSPE` macro).

- If the `ACTACTV` keyword subparameter is set to `LOG`, the accounting record is written to the IMS TM log using the `LOG` call. With the keyword subparameter `ACTARID` (`NTIMSPE` macro), you specify the log code to be used.

- If the `ACTACTV` subparameter is set to `SMF`, the accounting record is written to SMF using the Authorized Services Manager. With the `ACTARID` subparameter, you specify the SMF record type to be used.

The following information about each Natural user session is stored with each terminal I/O:

- IMS TM ID of the IMS TM system in which the user is active,

- LTERM name of the IMS TM terminal on which the session was started,

- user ID of the user of the Natural session (taken from the IOPCB),

- number of dialog steps currently performed,

- currently active transaction code,

- currently active PSB name,

- current Natural library name to which the user is logged on,

- currently active Natural program name,

- non-Natural transaction code to which the session is possibly suspended to,

- time and date when the session was started,

- time and date of the last ENTER operation,

- DBID and FNR of the Natural system file (`FNAT`) for this session,

- DBID and FNR of the Natural user file (`FUSER`) for this session,

- DBID and FNR of the Natural dictionary file (`FDIC`) for this session,

- DBID and FNR of the Natural Security system file (`FSEC`) for this session,

- DBID and FNR of the Natural spool file (`FSPOOL`) for this session,

- DBID and FNR of the Super Natural system file for this session,

- last encountered Natural error number,

- compressed thread length of the last terminal output.

The information is mapped by the DSECT `NIMACTR`. There are two areas for storing the DBID and FNR of the Natural system files used. In the first area, one byte is used for each DBID and FNR; this is supported for compatibility reasons. In the second area, a fullword is used for each DBID and FNR to support Adabas Version 6 or higher. The accounting record is prefixed with a length and version field.

Before the accounting record is written to the IMS TM log, respectively to SMF, the user exit `NIIXACCT` is called. You can use this user exit to tailor the accounting record to your requirements. You may also append information to the accounting record. In this case, you must set the length field to the new length.

Since the accounting record is built in the command buffer, the total length must not exceed the value specified with keyword subparameter `CMBSIZE` (`NTIMSPE` macro of the Natural parameter module) minus 17 bytes. The maximum length allowed is passed as parameter.

If `NIIXACCT` returns with a non-zero value in register 15, no accounting record is written.

## Monitoring

The monitoring function is only available in dialog-oriented environments. It is activated by setting the environment table keyword subparameter `MONACTV` to `ON` (`NTIMSPE` macro in the Natural parameter module) and uses the SIP function of the Authorized Services Manager. The Natural subsystem must be the same as the one used by the Natural session to be monitored.

You can follow the ongoing activity of all Natural sessions which use the same Natural subsystem by using the Monitoring (M) function of the `SYSTP` utility. For more information on this utility, see SYSTP in the Natural Utilities documentation. The `SYSTP` session must also use the same Natural subsystem.

## Broadcasting

The broadcasting function is only available in dialog-oriented environments. It is activated by setting the environment table keyword subparameter `BROACTV` to `ON` (`NTIMSPE` macro in the Natural parameter module) and uses the SIP function of the Authorized Services Manager.

Once broadcasting is active, it is possible to send broadcast messages to targeted users of a given Natural subsystem. Such users can be:

- all users of the Natural subsystem to which the sender is connected;

- all users of the Natural subsystem within the same IMS TM system as the sender of the message;

- all users of the Natural subsystem within the same IMS TM system as the sender of the message, but additionally restricted to a given transaction code;

- all users of the Natural subsystem within the same IMS TM system as the sender of the message, but additionally restricted to a Natural application;

- all users of the Natural subsystem within the same IMS TM system as the sender of the message, but additionally restricted to a Natural application and to a given `FUSER` system file.

When a session comes to a terminal output, a check is made to see whether the session has to receive a message or not. If not, the normal Natural output is sent. If yes, the message is sent instead of the normal output and, when pressing ENTER, the Natural nucleus is instructed to re-send the last screen. In this way, you first see the message and afterwards receive the normal Natural output screen.

If more than one broadcast message is available, the messages are displayed one after the other until the last message has been shown. Afterwards, the normal Natural output screen is displayed.

A broadcast message will be displayed only if its expiration time specified in the message creation procedure has not been exceeded.

When a broadcast message is sent, you must press RESET before you can press ENTER again. All possible attention IDs have the same effect as pressing ENTER.

The utility `SYSTP` can be used to create broadcast messages and to display the contents of all active messages together with the LTERM/IMSID of the sender. The text of a message is limited to 72 bytes.

Messages to be broadcast are saved in a pool maintained by the SIP server. They remain there until you delete them using the `SYSTP` utility or until you shut down the Authorized Services Manager.

| Warning: When a broadcast message is deleted or created, all expired messages are deleted as well.

## Server Environment

The server environment allows 3GL applications to execute Natural programs using a call interface. It is available in all supported IMS TM environments and consists of the Natural IMS TM driver `NIISRVD` of the server call interface `NIIBOOTS` and of the service API `NIIPCOM`.

`NIISRVD` and `NIIBOOTS` are delivered as source modules and must be assembled and link-edited on your site. For details, see Installing the Natural IMS TM Interface on z/OS in the Natural Installation for z/OS documentation.

The server environment allows you to start a Natural session by calling `NIIBOOTS` from any 3GL program. After the Natural session has been started, it returns to the calling 3GL program and waits for further input. The input would normally be expected from `CMSYNIN`, which means that the 3GL program has to simulate Natural's primary input data set.

It is strongly recommended to always put the server Natural on the `NEXT` line. This allows the next call to `NIIBOOTS` to either execute a Natural command or a Natural program. Otherwise, the next call to NIIBOOTS would be treated as input for a Natural program which had been started by a previous call to `NIIBOOTS`.

Similarly as with the message-oriented interface, all output normally written to `CMPRINT` is sent to the IMS TM destination specified with the Natural profile parameter `SENDER`. For details about special destinations used by the Natural IMS TM Interface, refer to Sender Destination in the section Natural under IMS TM - Environments.

| Warning: In an MPP Environment, the same server Natural will be used by all transactions scheduled in this region by default. If you want to use multiple server Naturals in the same MPP region, you must generate multiple server call interfaces. Each server call interface must be generated with a unique name specified with the `NIMBOOT` parameter `SERVERN` and must be linked under a unique name. It is recommended to name the load module with the name specified with `SERVERN`.

### Call Interface NIIBOOTS

`NIIBOOTS` is the default name as used in the documentation and in the delivered sample programs. This default name can be changed during installation.

`NIIBOOTS` requires the following parameters:

- the PSB address (the address of the PCB address list),

- the command area,

- the reply area.

In the command area, the following may be passed:

- the startup parameters,

- any Natural command followed by its input data,

- the `NIIBOOTS`-specific commands, such as `STAT` and `REFR` (in combination with the startup parameters).

The startup parameters are passed in two contiguous 80-byte areas. The first area contains the name of the environment table and the name of the transaction code to be used as follows:

    ENV-TAB=environment-table-name
    TRNCODE=transaction-code-name

The transaction code is only honored if `TRNCODE=ON` is specified in the `NTIMSP` macro in the Natural parameter module. For details about the usage of the transaction code, refer to the `NIMBOOT` macro in the section Natural under IMS TM - Configuration).

The second area contains the dynamic Natural parameters with which the Natural session is to be started.

The reply area is the area in which a reply is to be entered from the executed Natural program using the service API `NIIPCOM`.

Each time it is invoked, `NIIBOOTS` checks whether the server Natural has been initialized.

- If Natural has not been initialized, a new Natural session is started and the received command is passed to Natural as a dynamic parameter.

- If Natural has been initialized, the string received in the command area is passed to Natural as a Natural command or as a Natural program.

The `NIIBOOTS`-specific commands `STAT` and `REFR` do the following:

- `STAT` returns `COLD` in the reply area if Natural has not been initialized and `WARM` if it has been initialized.

- `REFR` forces the initialization/reinitialization of Natural, regardless of the current state of Natural.

### ON ERROR Routine Recommended

It is highly recommended to use an `ON ERROR` routine in the executed Natural programs in order to give back to the calling 3GL program some information in the reply area using `NIIPCOM`.

### Return Codes

`NIIBOOTS` passes the return code provided by Natural on the termination of Natural.

#### Sample Programs

To illustrate usage of `NIIBOOTS` and `NIIPCOM`, the sample programs `NIPBOOTS` and `NIPPCOM` are provided. `NIPBOOTS` plays the role of the calling 3GL program, `NIPPCOM` is a sample Natural program executed in the server environment and writes the string `NIISRVR` into the reply area. The `ON ERROR` routine places the Natural error number in the reply area.

With the sample programs, you can go through the following scenario:

1. Pass the command `STAT`. The string `COLD` is returned to the reply area.

2. Pass the command: `STACK=(LOGON SYSEXTP),SENDER=S0201`, where `S0201` is the LTERM name of the assigned printer device in the server Natural. Natural will be initialized and will be ready to receive a Natural command in library `SYSEXTP`. The successful logon message is issued on the assigned printer. Nothing is returned in the reply area.

3. Pass the command `STAT`. The string `WARM` is returned to the reply area.

4. Pass the command `NIPPCOM`. Program `NIPPCOM` is executed and the string `NIPSRVR` is returned to the reply area. Natural is ready to accept the next command in library `SYSEXTP`.

5. Pass the command: `REFR STACK=(LOGON SYSEXTP;NIPPCOM),SENDER=S0201`

   Natural is reinitialized and program `NIPPCOM` in library `SYSEXTP` is executed. The reply area contains the string `NIPSRVR`.

6. Pass the command `FIN`. Natural is terminated and no information is passed to the reply area. The return code will contain the return code of the Natural termination. The Natural termination message is issued on the assigned printer device.

7. Pass the command `STAT`. The string `COLD` is returned to the reply area.

### On this page

- Prerequisites
- Accounting
- Monitoring
- Broadcasting
- Server Environment