The architectural concept of Natural for Mainframes is primarily based on the principle of open architecture and is realized via the definition of interfaces. Information is exchanged between these interface and external components during both application development and program execution.
The functions of the Natural system are available on all platforms on which Natural runs and where they are applicable. Natural hides the complexity of the system environment (operating system, TP system, database system, user environment) from the application development environment.
Special system-dependent tables and routines embed the Natural components into the system environment and provide the internal functions with the required resources.
This section describes the major components of Natural and how they interact to provide Natural's functionality as a development tool.
For information on each component, click on an item in the diagram below or choose an item from the menu below.
Natural Nucleus |
Major components of the Natural nucleus: |
User Session Data | Temporary data storage in user-specific work areas. |
Natural Buffer Pool | Principles of Natural buffer pool operation and object loading. |
Natural Editors and Utilities | Natural editors and utilities used for building and maintaining an application. |
TP/OS Interface | TP monitor and OS (operating system) interfaces provided by Natural. |
User Interface | User interfaces supported by Natural. |
Use of print files and work files. | |
Natural System Files | Storage of object modules in Natural system files. |
Database management system (DBMS) interfaces provided by Natural. |