New and Changed Features of Natural Add-On Products

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.


Natural Development Server

This section describes the new features provided with Natural Development Server Version 9.2.1.

Note:
The sections indicated for more information are contained in the Natural Development Server documentation in the Documentation section of Software AG's Empower web site at https://empower.softwareag.com/, unless otherwise noted.

Delete Documentation with Deletion of Natural Member

The documentation of a Predict Program object, with the object's implementation pointer completely filled (i.e. Natural member name, library name, user system file number, and user system file database id), is deleted when the Natural member is deleted in an NDV environment.

By default, the switch "Delete documentation with deletion of Natural member" is initialized with "Y", i.e. deleting the existing documentation.

If you wish to keep the documentation set this new switch to "N".

Start a Predict session and go into the defaults settings, Protection.

PREDICT Session with menu "Protection" and switch highlighted.

Natural for DB2

The enhancement provided with Natural for DB2 Version 8.4.3 is described in the following section.

Support for Shared Memory Objects for File Servers

Natural for DB2 now supports shared memory objects above the bar to be used as storage media for file servers.

This avoids I/O against VSAM files and switches between SRB and TCB modes when using the Natural for DB2 file server and running zIIP-enabled.

For more information, see File Server – Shared Memory Object (Database Management Systems Interfaces documentation) and the new SMFSRV subparameter of the DB2 profile parameter (NTDB2 macro).

Multi-Row Fetch Operations for Enhancing Performance and zIIP Usage

You can now specify the number of rows to be fetched by DB2 in one FETCH operation by using the new MF subparameter of the DB2 parameter or NTDB2 macro (see also Changed/Enhanced Profile Parameters). This helps to improve performance and enhance zIIP usage in a zIIP-enabled Natural session.

Natural ISPF

File Version Backup Option for BS2000 File Maintenance

The BS2000 file maintenance facility now also provides the option to display and set the file attribute #BACK-VERS for the number of file versions to be saved in a backup archive. For details, refer to the section BS2000 Files in the User's Guide of the Natural ISPF documentation on Software AG's documentation web site at https://documentation.softwareag.com/.

NaturalONE

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/.

Natural Optimizer Compiler

With Natural Version 8.2.8, the Natural Optimizer Compiler Version 8.2 is no longer delivered. With Natural Version 8.2.8, the Natural Optimizer Compiler Version 8.3.5 is delivered which is fully compatible with the previous version.

Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call)

With Natural Version 8.2.8, an enhanced Natural RPC Version 8.2.8 is delivered which introduces the following changes and enhancements:

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

The following Natural RPC-specific APIs are new in the SYSEXT system library or have changed:

API Task
USR8225N Provide access to messageID/correlationID in NATURAL RPC clients

SYSRPC Utility

The new features provided with the SYSRPC utility are announced in this section.

For detailed information on these features, refer to the indicated chapters in the Utilities documentation.

Service Directory Maintenance: Cursor Now Placed at Inserted Lines

The I insert line command of the Service Directory Maintenance now places the cursor at the position where new items can be entered for a selected node.

For more information, see Line Commands in the section Commands for Service Directory Maintenance

Natural for zIIP

Natural zIIP Enabler Renamed

Natural zIIP Enabler products have been renamed as follows:

Old Name New Name
Natural zIIP Enabler for Batch Natural Batch for zIIP
Natural zIIP Enabler for CICS Natural for CICS for zIIP
Natural zIIP Enabler for Com-plete Natural for Com-plete for zIIP

zIIP Support for Natural for IMS TM

Natural for IMS for zIIP (product code NAZNI) is now available to support IBM's System z Integrated Information Processors (zIIPs) in an IMS TM environment on z/OS if Natural IMS TM Interface Version 8.3.5 is installed. For more information, see the Natural for zIIP documentation.

Note that Natural for IMS for zIIP requires a license file.

CPU Time Limit in SRB Mode

When running zIIP-enabled under z/OS, the MT profile parameter applies separately to both TCB and SRB (zIIP) processing modes. If MT=0 is set in SRB mode, Natural uses the existing z/OS TCB time limit to avoid endless loops because there is no z/OS CPU time limit (for example, the JCL TIME parameter) for SRBs.