Release Information for Natural Version 6.3.13

This document covers the following topics:


New Features

Parameters

The following new Natural parameter is provided in this version:

Parameter Description
DBGAT This Natural profile parameter is intended for use with NaturalONE. It can be used to activate the debug attach mechanism of NaturalONE, to define the name and port of the debug attach server, and to define a client ID which identifies the NaturalONE project to be debugged.

System Variables

The following new Natural system variable is provided in this version:

System Variable Description
*REINPUT-TYPE Indicates whether the application is in a state allowing to execute a REINPUT or PROCESS PAGE UPDATE statement.

Changes and Enhancements

SYSEXT Utility

New Selection Criteria and Search Options

The SYSEXT utility menu has been redesigned: it now provides input fields to filter APIs (application programming interfaces) according to names, short descriptions, product codes, categories and keywords.

In addition, all available keywords and categories can be listed and selected as search criteria to filter APIs.

New Preference Settings and Navigation Options

It is now possible to set display preferences for the SYSEXT utility menu: you can show or hide the product code or category column, change the sort order of the API list, or display only the most recent (current) APIs.

Additional PF keys are provided to scroll through the API list.

Enhanced USR* Text Objects

The USRnnnnT text objects have been enhanced:

  • All user API descriptions have been revised and standardized.

  • All user APIs of the same purpose but with different parameters are now listed as interface versions.

  • A category now indicates the functional area or purpose of an API, for example, SYSTEM COMMANDS or ERROR HANDLING.

New List of Natural APIs in the Documentation

The documentation for the SYSEXT utility now contains the new section List of Natural APIs.

For further information, see SYSEXT Utility in the Tools and Utilities documentation.

Natural Buffer Pool

The maximum size of a Natural buffer pool has been increased from 512 MB to 1024 MB. The maximum number of directory entries has been increased from 51200 to 102400. See also Buffer Pool Assignments in the Configuration Utility.

Natural Web I/O Interface Client

The Natural Web I/O Interface client is now delivered in the Version 1.3.11. This version now also supports Google Chrome.

Note:
The Google Chrome support is based on Google Chrome Version 19. Due to frequent version upgrades of Google Chrome, compatibility of the Natural Web I/O Interface client Version 1.3.11 with future versions of Google Chrome cannot be fully guaranteed. Possible incompatibilities will be removed during the regular maintenance process of the Natural Web I/O Interface client.

The following keys can now be simulated for all platforms (see also Differences between the Natural Web I/O Interface Client and Terminal Emulation in the Natural Web I/O Interface documentation):

  • The program attention keys (PA1, PA2 and PA3) are simulated by the key combinations CTRL+SHIFT+F1, CTRL+SHIFT+F2, CTRL+SHIFT+F3.

  • The clear key is simulated by CTRL+SHIFT+F4.

As of this version, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) is no longer supported. All information on how to install and configure IIS has been removed from the Natural Web I/O Interface documentation.

If you are currently using the Natural Web I/O Interface client on IIS, you have to move to another supported server platform. This may be JBoss Application Server, Oracle GlassFish Server or Apache Tomcat. The most simple solution is to migrate the Natural Web I/O Interface client from IIS to Apache Tomcat. For detailed information, see Migrating the Natural Web I/O Interface Client from IIS to Apache Tomcat in the Natural Web I/O Interface documentation.

Natural Remote Procedure Call (RPC)

Natural Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is available as a separate subcomponent of Natural. It has its own version number. This measure takes into account that Natural RPC is a cross-platform component and makes it possible to provide new Natural RPC versions independent of new Natural versions for the various platforms supported.

With Natural Version 6.3.13, an enhanced Natural Remote Procedure Call Version 6.3.4.6 is delivered that replaces the existing Natural RPC Version 6.3.4.5.

The following changes and enhancements are available.

NATRPC99 Used for All Normal Server Terminations

The Natural RPC server termination exit NATRPC99 is now called for all kinds of normal Natural RPC server terminations. It is not called in the case of abnormal terminations. See also User Exit NATRPC99 in the Natural Remote Procedure Call (RPC) documentation.

Natural Security

The following enhancements are provided with Natural Security Version 6.3.13:

Administrator Services - Authentication Options

The Administrator Services subsystem of Natural Security provides a new function Authentication Options (invoked with function code "B" on the Administrator Services Menu 1). It is used to define security profiles for IAF servers and LDAP (see below). The functionality for the definition of IAF server profiles, which with previous versions used to be invoked with PF10 on the Administrator Services > General Options screen, has also been incorporated in this new function.

Administrator Services - Logon Records

The Administrator Services function Logon Records has been enhanced to facilitate the page-by-page deletion of logon records as performed by the functions Delete Logon Records and Delete Logon Records But Last. Instead of invoking these functions from the Logon Records Menu with ENTER, you can invoke them with PF4 (Del+): Pressing PF4 on the logon records list itself will then delete the current page of logon records and immediately scroll to the next page, without your having to press PF8. This reduction of keystrokes will be helpful when you delete a large number of logon records.

Library Profiles - Statement Restrictions

The Statement Restrictions section of library security profiles has been revised and the layout of the corresponding screen has been made more consistent. In addition, it is now possible to allow or disallow individual clauses of the PROCESS statement.

Utility Profiles - NATLOAD, NATUNLD and SYSTRANS

This is the last Natural Security version to support utility profiles for the obsolete Natural utilities NATLOAD, NATUNLD and SYSTRANS. These utilities are no longer supported. Their utility profiles have continued to be available for compatibility reasons only. If you still have utility profiles for these utilities, you have to convert them into corresponding SYSOBJH utility profiles before the next release of Natural Security. For detailed instructions, see Conversion of Utility Profiles in the Natural Security documentation for version 6.3.13.

Support for LDAP

It is now possible to perform user authentication via an LDAP server (that is, a server which uses the Light Directory Authentication Protocol) instead of via Natural Security itself. This is possible for online and batch sessions which are started with the Natural profile parameter AUTO=OFF being set. To define the LDAP to Natural Security, you use the new function Authentication Options (see above). For more information, see Authentication Options in the Natural Security documentation.

For the use with the authentication type LDAP, a new logon-related user exit routine LOGONSX1 is provided which is invoked instead of LOGONEX1. In conjunction with this user exit routine, a different logon screen is also available. For more information, see the following sections in the Natural Security documentation:

Notice of Future Changes

The following changes are planned for future versions of Natural.

Natural Development Server

The file NDVSERVER.LOG (located in $NATDIR/$NATVERS/prof), which is used to terminate the started Natural development servers, will be renamed to NDVSERVER.PRU. Existing entries inside the NDVSERVER.LOG file will not be migrated to NDVSERVER.PRU.