INPL Utility

The INPL utility (Initial Natural Program Load) is used to load or scan Natural objects and shared resources from files supplied by Software AG.

The INPL Utility documentation covers the following topics:

Introducing the INPL Utility

The INPL utility processes Natural objects and shared resources provided by Software AG.

The following diagram is a basic illustration of the INPL functionality:

graphics/inpl_gen_winux.png

The Natural objects and shared resources are delivered as installation or update files which are assigned to Work File 1. The INPL utility loads the Natural objects and shared resources from Work File 1 into Natural system files.

The Natural objects and shared resources include cataloged objects and source objects that are contained in libraries in the Natural system files FNAT and FUSER.

In addition to loading Natural objects and shared resources, the INPL utility provides a scan function to check the contents of the file assigned to Work File 1 and a Natural Security Recover function which forces initialization of the Natural Security environment.

When loading cataloged objects into Natural system files, the INPL utility deletes any buffer pool entries of cataloged objects with identical names if contained in the same buffer pool used by the INPL utility.

If an error occurs during INPL execution, the INPL will be interrupted and terminate abnormally with Condition Code 40.

This section covers the following topics:

Restrictions

You can process only files which are marked as "SAG system INPL file".

Special Case

When an INPL is to be performed in a Natural Security environment, the INPL command can be specified using the dynamic Natural profile parameter STACK.

Invoking INPL

Start of instruction set To invoke the INPL utility

  1. Enter the following Natural system command:

    INPL

    An INPL utility window similar to the example below is displayed:

  2. Select the file you want to load and the file into which the INPL report (see below) is to be written. For detailed information, refer to Options Available.

  3. Choose OK to confirm your entries.

  4. From the Function menu, choose one of the following functions:

    For detailed information on these functions, refer to the corresponding sections.

  5. Choose the Options button and, in the Options dialog box, enter the parameters to be applied during execution of this function.

    For details, refer to Options Available.

Batch and Direct Command Mode

When you run INPL in batch or when you use the direct-command mode, the input data used in connection with the INPL command corresponds to the codes and values that apply to the fields provided with a character user interface as shown in the example of an INPL menu in a UNIX environment below and described in Options Available. For example, assuming the session parameter ID is set to comma (,), the instruction for loading a specific DDM may read: 

INPL D,,,ddm-name
11:04:48               ***** NATURAL INPL UTILITY *****             2001-11-09 
User: SAG                                                    Library: SYSTEM   
                     Code   Function                                           
                                                                               
                       L    Load Libraries Only                                  
                       D    Load DDMs Only                                     
                       E    Load Error Messages Only                           
                       B    Load All Objects              
                       S    Scan INPL File                                     
                       R    Natural Security Recover                           
                       ?    Help                                               
                       .    Exit                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               
         Code ........ B                                                       
         Replace ..... Y  (Y/N/O)     Load Except . N  (Y/N)                   
         DDM Name ....                                                         
         Library .....                                                         
         Object Name .                Date ........             (YYYY-MM-DD)   
         Check Date .. N  (Y/N)       Number ...... 0                          
         File Type ... D  (D/P)                                                
         Load File ... $NATWORK/SAGLOAD.sag                                    
         Report File . $HOME/report.txt

Options Available

The following section describes the text boxes in the INPL utility dialog boxes where you can specify the file to be used for the INPL and one or more parameters as object selection criteria for the INPL function selected from the Function menu. The use of a parameter depends on the respective function as indicated in the relevant documentation sections.

Item Description
Load file The name of the file to be loaded.
File type

(batch or direct commands only)

 INPL automatically recognizes the type of the load file such as binary or portable. However, due to compatibility reasons, the File type parameter must still be specified when executing INPL in batch or direct command mode, but it will not be evaluated.
Report file The name of the file into which the INPL report (see below) is to be written.
Library The name of a library or a range of names.

If you enter a value that ends with an asterisk (*), each library with a name that starts with the specified value is processed. The library name is mandatory if Object name is specified.

Object name The name of a Natural object (except DDMs) or a range of names.

If the value ends with an asterisk (*), each object with a name that starts with the specified value is processed.

If this text box is empty, all objects contained in the library specified in the Library text box are processed.

DDM name The name of a DDM or a range of names.

If you enter a value that ends with an asterisk (*), each DDM with a name that starts with the specified value is processed. If only an asterisk (*) is entered or if this text box is empty, all DDMs are processed.

Date start Restricts processing to Natural objects and shared resources which were saved or cataloged on or after the date entered in this text box.

The date must be entered in the format YYYY-MM-DD (YYYY = year, MM = month, DD = day).

Number Limits processing of Natural objects and shared resources to a specified number. All objects are counted which are loaded or scanned according to the specified selection criteria.

If the number of Natural objects processed has reached the value entered in the Number text box, processing is terminated with a corresponding message.

Replace Specifies whether the Natural objects and shared resources to be processed are to replace any that already exist on the system files.

Possible settings are:

Checked All existing Natural objects and shared resources are replaced. This is the default setting.
Unchecked Existing Natural objects and shared resources are not replaced.

See also Check date before replace to replace only Natural objects and shared resources that are older than the Natural objects and shared resources to be loaded.

Check date before replace

Specifies whether existing Natural objects and shared resources are to be replaced depending on their time stamp.

This parameter has no effect if Replace is not selected.

Possible settings are:

Checked Only objects which are older than the Natural objects or shared resources of the same name are replaced. An object is older if it was saved or cataloged before the object to be loaded.
Unchecked All objects are replaced. This is the default setting.
Load except

Specifies whether to exclude Natural objects and shared resources from processing.

This parameter does not apply to error messages.

Possible settings are:

Checked All Natural objects and shared resources are processed except for the objects specified in the text boxes DDM name, Library and/or Object name.
Unchecked No exceptions; all Natural objects and shared resources are processed. This is the default setting.
Examples of load exceptions:

All libraries except the library ABC are loaded:
Function = Load Libraries Only
Library = ABC

All DDMs with a prefix other than XY are loaded:
Function = Load DDMs Only
DDM name = XY*

All objects contained in libraries with a prefix other than AB and all DDMs with a prefix other than CD are loaded:
Function = Load All Objects
Library = AB*
DDM name = CD*

Natural Security recover object Only applies if the function Natural Security Recover has been selected.

If checked, resets the owner information of specified Natural objects.

INPL Report

When the selected INPL function is complete, a corresponding INPL report is displayed in a list box (online mode).

Load Libraries Only

This function of the INPL utility is used to load Natural cataloged objects and source objects and shared resources into specified libraries in the Natural system file FNAT or FUSER.

Start of instruction set To load libraries

  1. From the Function menu, choose Load Libraries Only. You can specify parameters to be valid during execution of this function:

    For detailed information on these parameters, refer to Options Available in the section Introducing the INPL Utility.

  2. Confirm your entries.

When the function is complete, a corresponding INPL report (see the section Introducing the INPL Utility) is output.

Load DDMs Only

This function of the INPL utility is used to load DDMs into the libraries indicated in the work file.

Start of instruction set To load DDMs

  1. From the Function menu, choose Load DDMs Only. You can specify parameters to be valid during execution of this function:

    For detailed information on these parameters, refer to Options Available in the section Introducing the INPL Utility.

  2. Confirm your entries.

When the function is complete, a corresponding INPL report (see the section Introducing the INPL Utility) is output.

Load Error Messages Only

This function of the INPL utility is used to load user-defined error messages or system error messages into specified libraries in the Natural system file FUSER or FNAT respectively.

Start of instruction set To load error messages

  1. From the Function menu, choose Load Error Messages Only. You can specify parameters to be valid during execution of this function:

    For detailed information on these parameters, refer to Options Available in the section Introducing the INPL Utility.

  2. Confirm your entries.

When the function is complete, a corresponding INPL report (see the section Introducing the INPL Utility) is output.

Load All Objects

This function of the INPL utility is used to load all Natural objects (including error messages and DDMs) and shared resources into the libraries indicated in Work File 1.

Start of instruction set To load all objects and shared resources

  1. From the Function menu, choose Load All Objects. You can specify parameters to be valid during execution of this function:

    For detailed information on these parameters, refer to Options Available in the section Introducing the INPL Utility.

  2. Confirm your entries.

When the function is complete, a corresponding INPL report (see the section Introducing the INPL Utility) is output.

Scan INPL File

This function of the INPL utility is used to scan the contents of the file assigned to Work File 1.

Start of instruction set To scan an INPL File

  1. From the Function menu, choose Scan INPL File. You can specify parameters to be valid during execution of this function:

    For detailed information on these parameters, refer to Options Available in the section Introducing the INPL Utility.

  2. Confirm your entries.

When the function is complete, a corresponding INPL report (see the section Introducing the INPL Utility) is output.

Natural Security Recover

This function of the INPL utility is used to force initialization of the Natural Security environment.

The following options are provided:

Reset Environment

Warning:
Execution of this function will reset the user profile DBA and the library profile SYSSEC as well as the link between these two objects as they were after the initial installation; all other links to the library SYSSEC will be canceled. Other Natural Security profiles and links will not be modified. Contact Software AG technical support for further information.

Start of instruction set To reset the environment

  • From the Function menu, choose Natural Security Recover.

Remove Owners

Start of instruction set To remove owners

  1. From the Function menu, choose Natural Security Recover.

  2. Choose the Options button.

  3. In the Options dialog box, select the Natural Security recover object check box to reset the owner information of specified objects.

User Exit Routines

An INPL user exit routine is supplied as source object INPLSXnn in the Natural system library SYSLIB where nn denotes the ID of the user exit routine.

Start of instruction setTo activate a user exit routine

  1. Copy the source code from SYSLIB into a user library.

  2. Catalog it under the name INPLUXnn.

  3. Copy it back into the Natural system library SYSLIB.

    Note:
    The source object that you might have modified, and the cataloged object of the user exit routine are renamed to avoid them to be overwritten by an update installation.

The following user exit routines are available:

Name Function
INPLUX01 Prevent error message texts to be replaced.

INPLUX01

You can use this user exit to define ranges for error messages (user defined or Natural system error messages) that cannot be replaced during an INPL session. For further details, see the source of INPLSX01 in the Natural system library SYSLIB.