New and Changed Features of Base Natural


Operations and Performance

Roll Server

Messages about Roll File Occupation

The Roll Server now issues a message each time the threshold for roll file occupation is exceeded, or if the occupation falls under the minimum value.

The Roll Server issues such a message when executing a cleanup of slots which have not been used for more than the defined timeout value.

You can also see the number of used slots and occupation ratio using the L line command in the SYSTP R utility for your Natural subsystem.

Operating System Interfaces

Server Interfaces

It is no longer allowed to use non-Language Environment (LE) Natural add-on products such as Natural Development Server (NDV), Natural Web I/O Interface (NWO), and Natural Remote Procedure Call (RPC) as a server environment. Using such add-ons as a server environment can result in receiving S0C4 abend codes.

From version 9.2.2 onwards, such servers are stopped with error message NAT9991:

Required module not linked - NATOSL. Please check all your servers for using module NATOSL and restart Natural.

For more information, see Step 14: Link the Nucleus in Installing Natural on z/OS.

AMODE64 Support for CALL Statements

The Natural CALL statements now support AMODE64 programs. This applies to TSO and z/OS batch environments.

Unicode and Code Page Support

ICU Version Upgrade

The ICU (International Components for Unicode) version 3.2.1 has been upgraded to ICU Version 72.1 which supports Unicode Version 15.0.0.

ICU Version 72.1 enhancements include improvements in performance and robustness. For a summary of all changes in ICU Version 72.1 and Unicode Version 15.0.0, see the ICU-TC and the Unicode 15.0.0 websites.

Syntax and Compiler Enhancements

Provide DESCENDING read sequence for READ BY ISN statement

If running against Adabas for Mainframe 8.6, the READ BY ISN statement has been enhanced by a sequence clause that determines in which direction the READ loop is running.

Samples:
READ VIEW-NAME DESCENDING    BY ISN = 1000	/* Read in fixed descending ISN order, starting with ISN=1000 (or lower)
READ VIEW-NAME VARIABLE #DIR BY ISN = 1000	/* Read direction is determined at READ loop start. If field #DIR(A1) contains
						/* ‘A’,  the READ loop runs in ‘A’scending   order, starting with ISN=1000 (or higher)
						/* ‘D’,  the READ loop runs in ‘D’escending order, starting with ISN=1000 (or lower)

For information about how to determine whether the records are to be read in ascending or descending sequence, see the ASCENDING | DESCENDING | VARIABLE | DYNAMIC SEQUENCE syntax clause.

To mark an Adabas database version 8.6, use the NTDB macro or the DB parameter. For more information about the NTDB macro and the DB parameter, see DB - Database Types and Options.

The new functionality can already be used with Adabas for Mainframe version 8.5, if Adabas zap AY854180 is applied. Such a database must also be marked as "ADAV86" with the NTDB macro or the DB parameter to indicate that this Adabas 8.6 functionality is available for this database.

System Commands

Note:
The sections indicated for more information are contained in the System Commands documentation, unless otherwise noted.

New Command WHICH

The new system command WHICH lets you find objects in the libraries used at run time in the Library Search Order (LSO). For more information, see WHICH in System Commands.

Utilities

Note:
The sections indicated for more information are contained in the Utilities documentation, unless otherwise noted.

Activation of Natural Profiler Data Processing No Longer Required

Activating the data processing functions CONSOLIDATE, READ, LIST, and DELETE of the Profiler utility is no longer required. You can now use these functions without any restrictions. The Natural resource NaturalONEProfilerKey.nprk in the system library SYSPRFLR, which contains the generated NaturalONE Profiler key, is no longer needed and can be deleted.

Natural License Information Function of SYSTP Utility Enhanced

The Natural License Information function of the SYSTP utility has been enhanced. It is possible now to display the contents of the license files for the Natural base product and of all add-on products successively or directly.

For further information, see Natural License Information in the section General SYSTP Functions in the SYSTP Utility documentation.

Profile Parameters

Note:
The sections indicated for more information are contained in the Parameter Reference documentation, unless otherwise noted.

New Profile Parameters

Parameter Description
ADAV86 ADAV86 has been added as new database type for profile parameter DB, for more information see DB - Database Types and Options > Possible Database Types.

Changed/Enhanced Profile Parameters

Application Programming Interfaces

The following Natural application programming interfaces (APIs) are new in the SYSEXT system library or have changed:

API Task Enhancement
USR4002N Get information on the current system The API also provides the job ID of the current environment, in the variable #JOBID. This could be the job number of the current batch job. When running in a TP monitor environment (e.g.: CICS), this will be the ID of the started task of the TP monitor.
USR9201N Convert time-related variables The API now supports smart store clock (1900 - 38434) which helps to overcome the year 2042 issue..

Additional to the API, several copycodes are provided for converting time-related variables.

For more detailed information, see Programming Guide > Further Programming Aspects > Processing of Store Clock Values.

USR9202N Delete a dynamically loaded 3GL program. The API now supports the formats (A) DYNAMIC and (A70) for the parameter Return-Message.

When the API is executed on the RPC server side (see also RPC API USR9204N), the parameter Return-Message requires the format (A70).

USR9205N Create a hash value using SHA-256 or others The API creates a hash value for a variable input. It supports the hash methods MD5, RPMD-160, SHA-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512. The API is the successor of USR4011N which supports only the hash method SHA-1.