Note:
For an overview of all Natural add-on products and the new
product versions available, see Overview of New Natural Add-On Product
Versions.
This is an overview of the customer feature requests submitted in the Brainstorm portal of Software AG's Empower web site at https://empower.softwareag.com/ that have been implemented in the following Natural add-on products released with Natural Version 8.2.6:
| Product | Request Number | Feature Request |
|---|---|---|
| Natural RPC | 01187 | Provide API to stop an RPC server after
a Natural error: see the new API USR8220N in
Application Programming
Interfaces.
|
| Natural Security | 00618, 01580 | Allow
FDIC specifications for library and special-link profiles: see
Administrator
Services, Library Profiles
and the API NSCXR
in the section Natural Security.
|
| Natural Security | 02133 |
Enhance API
NSCADM to
unlock a locked user in online or batch mode: see
NSCADM in the
section Natural Security.
|
| Natural Security | 02692 | Provide option for user of type Administrator to use SYSMAIN regardless of any library definitions: see Utility Profiles in the section Natural Security. |
| Natural SAF Security | 02385 | Provide option to specify alternative default user groups in Natural SAF Security: see General Group ID for Multiple Default Groups in the section Natural SAF Security. |
See also Customer Feature Requests for Base Natural.
For information on changes, enhancements and new features available with NaturalONE, see the Release Notes in the NaturalONE documentation in the Documentation section of Software AG's Empower web site at https://empower.softwareag.com/.
With Natural Version 8.2.6, an enhanced Natural RPC Version 8.2.6 is delivered which introduces the following changes and enhancements:
The encryption/decryption mechanism provided by EntireX Security is deprecated.
For encrypted transport, Software AG strongly recommends that you use the Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security protocol. All references regarding encryption have been removed from the Natural RPC documentation accordingly.
Applications that execute with EntireX Encryption are still supported for compatibility reasons.
For more information, see SSL/TLS and Certificates with EntireX in the EntireX documentation.
The following Natural RPC-specific APIs are new in the SYSEXT system library or have changed:
| API | Task |
|---|---|
USR2007N |
Get or set data for RPC default server
The Natural format/length of the
For more information, see Specifying RPC Server Addresses in the Natural RPC documentation. |
USR2071N
|
Support EntireX Security on client side
The Natural format/length of the
For more information, see EntireX Security on the Client Side in the Natural RPC documentation. |
USR8220N |
Trigger termination of current RPC server
This new API causes an active RPC server to terminate if a Natural error is returned from the client. |
For changes of Natural RPC-specific parameter settings, see the
RPC
profile parameter described in Changed/Enhanced Profile
Parameters.
- Support for Long Natural RPC Node Names
The Service Directory Maintenance function of the SYSRPC utility now supports node names of up 192 characters, which is particularly useful when referencing Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6) names. If you press PF2 on the Service Directory screen, a window opens where you can enter a long node name. See also Service Directory Maintenance in SYSRPC Utility in the Utilities documentation.
- API for Natural RPC Service Directory Maintenance
The new API
USR8216Nprovides the option to retrieve a Natural RPC service directory and create, change and delete the node and server definitions in the directory.
The following enhancement is provided with Natural SAF Security Version 8.2.6:
In the external security system, users may be in multiple default groups. Instead of having to define all these groups in Natural Security, a new option allows you to define a single group to be used for the Natural logon of all users defined in the external security system. The ID of this group is specified in the new general Natural SAF Security option General Group ID (in Administrator Services > General NSF Options 1) described in the Natural SAF Security documentation.
The following enhancements are provided with Natural Security Version 8.2.6:
Note:
The sections indicated for more information are contained in
the Natural Security
documentation, unless otherwise
noted.
- Library FDIC Assignment Enabled
A new option Library FDIC Assignment Enabled is available under Library and User Preset Values to enable the new settings described under Assigning FDIC and FUSER below.
- Assigning FDIC and FUSER
With previous versions, the following applied:
You could not make FDIC specifications in library or special-link profiles. The Natural profile parameter
FDIC(see the Parameter Reference documentation) set at the start of the Natural session determined which FDIC system file was used for all libraries.You could make FUSER specifications in library profiles, but not in special-link profiles.
You could set the Cross-reference option in library profiles, but not in special-link profiles.
As of this version, the following applies:
You can make FDIC specifications in both library profiles and special-link profiles.
You can make FUSER specifications in both library profiles and special-link profiles.
You can set the Cross-reference option in both library profiles and special-link profiles.
This feature is activated by the new Administrator Services option Library FDIC Assignment Enabled (see above).
The usual logic applies, that is: The settings at library level take precedence over those which apply at session start; and the settings at special-link level take precedence over those at library level.
- SYSMAIN
A new option Enable Unrestricted Use of Libraries is available in the SYSMAIN default utility profile (under Additional Options > Session Options). It can be used to allow users of type Administrator unrestricted use of libraries with SYSMAIN. They may then use SYSMAIN functions to process the contents of all libraries defined in Natural Security - regardless of any access restrictions that may exist for these libraries. For an Administrator to be able to do so, another new option Process All Libraries has to be set in his/her user-specific SYSMAIN utility profile.
- NSCADM
The API
NSCADMhas been enhanced: It allows you to unlock users. For details, see the example programPGMADM06and the text memberTXTADM06in the librarySYSSEC.- NSCXR
The API
NSCXRhas been enhanced: It allows you to list all library profiles in which an FDIC and/or FUSER specification is made. For details, see the example programPGMXR021and the text memberTXTXR021in the librarySYSSEC.
zIIP Enabler for Natural can now be used in a CICS environment on z/OS if Natural CICS Interface Version 8.3.3 is installed. See also Natural CICS Interface Version 8.3.3 for z/OS.
zIIP Enabler for Natural can be used in a Com-plete environment if Natural Com-plete/SMARTS Interface Version 8.3 is installed. See also Natural Com-plete/SMARTS Interface Version 8.3.4.
Prerequisite for using the zIIP Enabler for Natural under CICS or Complete is a separate license with the product code NAZCI or NAZCO, respectively.
For more information on zIIP support, see the zIIP Enabler for Natural documentation.
If order to install zIIP Enabler for Natural with Natural CICS Version 8.3.3 or Natural Com-plete Version 8.3.4, Mainframe License Check (MLC) Version 1.3.1. Load Fix 1 is required to allow a five-character product identifier such as NAZCI or NAZCO.
Load Fix 1 is delivered with MLC Version 1.3.1.