Natural Client Configuration Tool

This Dokument covers the following topics:


Invoking the Configuration Tool

The Natural Web I/O Interface client offers a configuration tool. The configuration tool is used to create the session configurations which are then available in the logon page. It can also be used for logging purposes in case of problems; however, this should only be done when requested by Software AG support.

The configuration tool is automatically installed when you install the Natural Web I/O Interface client.

Beginn der AnweisungslisteTo invoke the configuration tool

  • Enter the following URL in your browser:

    http://<host>:<port>/natuniweb/conf_index.jsp

    where <host> and <port> are the host name and port number of your application server.

    Anmerkung:
    You might wish to protect the configuration tool against unauthorized access. See Configuring Container-Managed Security for information on how to restrict the access to sensitive areas of the application server environment. If you have restricted access to the configuration tool, an authentication dialog appears. The appearance of this dialog depends on the authentication model you have chosen.

    The configuration tool appears.

    Configuration tool

    The configuration tool has two frames.

    The home page of the configuration tool is initially shown in the right frame. It provides brief descriptions for the links provided in the left frame. It also provides links to several Software AG pages on the web.

    When you have invoked a function (for example, when you are currently viewing the session configuration), you can always choose the Home link in the left frame to return to the home page of the configuration tool.

    The functions that are invoked by the other links in the left frame are described below.

Session Configuration

This section explains how to manage the content of the configuration file for the sessions. It covers the following topics:

Invoking the Session Configuration Page

The content of the configuration file for the sessions is managed using the Session Configuration page.

Beginn der AnweisungslisteTo invoke the Session Configuration page

  1. In the frame on the left, choose the Session Configuration link.

    The Session Configuration page appears in the right frame. It shows the global settings and lists all sessions and users that are currently defined. For a session, some of the configuration file information is shown. Example:

    Session configuration

Global Settings

The global settings apply for all defined sessions. You can define the following global settings in the configuration file:

Option Description
Last activity timeout (n seconds)

The number of seconds that the client waits for the next user activity. When the defined number of seconds has been reached without user activity, the session is closed. The default is 3600 seconds.

Trace directory

Optional. Location of a different trace directory.

When a different trace directory is not defined, the trace files are written to the default trace directory. By default, the trace files are written to the directory which has been set by the Java property java.io.tmpdir. On Windows, this is normally the environment variable TMP for the user who started the application server. On UNIX, this is normally /tmp or /var/tmp.

You can also set this property in the start script for the application server.

Tracing can be enabled individually for each session (see Overview of Session Options below). However, it should only be enabled when requested by Software AG support.

SSL trust file path

Optional. The path to your trust file. See Configuring SSL for further information.

SSL trust file password

If your trust file is password-protected, you have to specify the appropriate password.

When you do not specify the password for a password-protected trust file, the trust file cannot be opened and it is thus not possible to open an SSL session.

When your trust file is not password-protected, you should not specify a password.

Adding a New Session

You can add a new session to the configuration file.

Beginn der AnweisungslisteTo add a new session

  1. Choose the Add New Session button.

    The Edit Session page appears.

  2. Specify all required information as described below in the section Overview of Session Options.

  3. Choose the OK button to return to the Session Configuration page.

    The new session is not yet available in the configuration file.

  4. Choose the Save Configuration button to write the new session to the configuration file.

Editing a Session

You can edit any existing session in the configuration file.

Beginn der AnweisungslisteTo edit a session

  1. Choose the Edit link that is shown next to the session that you want to edit.

    The Edit Session page appears.

  2. Specify all required information as described below in the section Overview of Session Options.

  3. Choose the OK button to return to the Session Configuration page.

    The modifications are not yet available in the configuration file.

  4. Choose the Save Configuration button to write the modifications to the configuration file.

Overview of Session Options

The Edit Session page appears when you

  • add a new session, or

  • edit an existing session.

Example:

Edit session

The Edit Session page provides the following options:

Option Description
Session ID Mandatory. A session name of your choice. On the logon page, the session name is provided in a drop-down list box.
Type The platform on which user ID and password are authenticated. You can select the required setting from the drop-down list box.
  • Undefined
    Default. User ID and password can have a maximum of 32 characters. See also the description for Natural for Windows, UNIX or OpenVMS below.

  • Natural for Mainframes
    User ID and password can have a maximum of 8 characters.

  • Natural for Mainframes with Natural Security
    User ID and password can have a maximum of 8 characters. The user ID must comply with the Natural naming conventions for library names.

  • Natural for Windows, UNIX or OpenVMS
    User ID and password can have a maximum of 32 characters. When a domain is required, you have to specify it together with the user ID (in the form "domain\user-ID").

Host name The name or TCP/IP address of the server on which Natural and the Natural Web I/O Interface server are running. When this is specified, the corresponding field does not appear on the logon page.
Port number The TCP/IP port number on which the Natural Web I/O Interface server is listening. When this is specified, the corresponding field does not appear on the logon page.
Use SSL If set to Yes, a secure connection is established between the Natural Web I/O Interface client on the application server and the Natural Web I/O Interface server.

Wichtig:
If you want to use SSL with Natural for Mainframes, one of the corresponding mainframe types must be selected; the type must not be Undefined or Natural for Windows, UNIX or OpenVMS. The other way around, if you want to use SSL with Natural for Windows, UNIX or OpenVMS, you must not select one of the mainframe types; the type may also be Undefined in this case.

User name Optional. A valid user ID for the current machine. When this is specified, the corresponding field does not appear on the logon page.
User name in upper case If selected, the input field for the user ID is in upper-case mode.
Password

Optional. A valid password for the above user ID.

Under Windows, UNIX and OpenVMS, this is always the operating system password of the user, even if Natural Security is active.

On the mainframe, this is different: When Natural Security is not active, this is the operating system password of the user. When Natural Security is active, this is the Natural Security password.

When a password is specified, the corresponding field does not appear on the logon page. The configuration tool saves the password in encrypted form.

Application
  • Natural for Mainframes
    The name of the Natural program or a command sequence that starts your application as you would enter it on the NEXT prompt. Example:

    TEST01 data1,data2

  • Natural for UNIX
    The name of the UNIX shell script for starting the Natural application (a file similar to nwo.sh).

  • Natural for OpenVMS
    The name of the Natural image file (for example, natural<version> or natural<version>.exe).

  • Natural for Windows
    The name of the Windows command file (.bat) for starting the Natural application.

When this is specified, the corresponding field does not appear on the logon page.

Natural parameters

Optional. Parameters for starting the Natural application. This can be stack parameters, a parameter file/module or other Natural-specific information.

  • Natural for Mainframes
    Used to pass dynamic Natural profile parameters to the session, for example:

    SYSPARM=(MYPARMS) STACK=(LOGON MYAPPL)

    Anmerkung:
    It is recommended to specify the Natural program that starts the application with the option Application instead of passing it with the profile parameter STACK.

  • Natural for UNIX and Natural for Windows
    Used when the above shell script (UNIX) or command file (Windows) uses the parameter $5 after "natural", for example:

    PARM=MYPARM STACK=(LOGON MYLIB;MENU)

  • Natural for OpenVMS
    Used for starting a Natural application, for example:

    BP=BPnode-name NLDCHK WEBIO=ON "STACK=(LOGON SYSEXT;MENU)"

Double-click behavior

The key that is to be simulated when double-clicking an output field. By default, this is the ENTER key.

It is possible to disable the double-click behavior, or to define a function key (PF1 through PF12).

You can select the required setting from the drop-down list box.

Tipp:
When context-sensitive help has been defined for the output fields, it may be useful to define PF1. The help function will then be invoked when the user double-clicks an output field.

Screen rows

The number of rows in the output window. Possible values: minimum 24, no upper limit. Default: 24.

Not used by Natural for Mainframes which uses the profile parameter TMODEL instead.

Screen columns

The number of columns in the output window. Possible values: minimum 80, no upper limit. Default: 80.

Not used by Natural for Mainframes which uses the profile parameter TMODEL instead.

Show function key numbers

If set to Yes, the PF key numbers are shown next to the PF keys.

Trace Should only be set to Yes when requested by Software AG support.
Check for numeric input

If set to Yes (default), numeric input fields are validated. In this case, only the following characters are allowed in numeric input fields (in addition to the numbers "0" through "9"):

blank
+ (plus)
- (minus)
_ (underscore)
, (comma
. (period)
? (question mark)

If set to No, numeric input fields are not validated.

Timeout (in seconds) The number of seconds that the client waits for a response after an updated page was sent to the Natural session. When the defined number of seconds has been reached without response, the session is closed. The default is 60 seconds. Normally, you need not change this value.
Filler character

Optional. The filler character that is to be removed from the input fields. An application can define, for example, an underscore (_) as the filler character. Trailing filler characters will be removed from the input fields, and leading filler characters will be replaced with blanks.

Duplicating a Session

You can add a copy of any existing session to the configuration file.

Beginn der AnweisungslisteTo duplicate a session

  1. Choose the Duplicate link that is shown next to the session that you want to duplicate.

    A new entry is shown at the bottom of the list of sessions. Its name is "Copy of session-ID". The duplicated session is not yet available in the configuration file.

  2. Edit and save the duplicated session as described above.

Deleting a Session

You can delete any existing session from the configuration file.

Beginn der AnweisungslisteTo delete a session

  1. Choose the Delete link that is shown next to the session that you want to delete.

    The session is deleted from the list of sessions. It is not yet deleted in the configuration file.

  2. Choose the Save Configuration button to delete the session from the configuration file.

Adding a New User

You can predefine Natural users and their passwords in the configuration file.

When a Natural page is opened with a URL that specifies a user in the URL parameter natuser, the specified user is matched against the list of users in the configuration file. When the specified user is defined in the configuration file, the corresponding password is used to authenticate the user when the Natural session is started. See also Starting a Natural Application with a URL.

Example - when the following URL is used, the password defined for "user1" is used:

http://myhost:8080/natuniweb/natural.jsp?natuser=user1...

Beginn der AnweisungslisteTo add a new user

  1. Choose the Add New User button.

    The Edit User page appears.

  2. Specify a user name and passwort

  3. Choose the OK button to return to the Session Configuration page.

    The new user is not yet available in the configuration file.

  4. Choose the Save Configuration button to write the new user to the configuration file.

Anmerkung:
You edit, duplicate and delete a user in the same way as a session (see the corresponding descriptions above).

Saving the Configuration

When you choose the Save Configuration button, all of your changes are written to the configuration file. The server picks up the new settings automatically the next time it reads data from the configuration file.

Vorsicht:
If you do not choose the Save Configuration button but log out instead or leave the configuration tool by entering another URL, the new settings are not written to the configuration file.

Logging Configuration

The content of the configuration file for logging is managed using the Logging Configuration page. See the section Logging for detailed information.

Logon Page

The configuration tool provides the following link in the left frame:

  • Natural Web I/O Interface Logon

This link opens the logon page in the right frame.

The logon page uses the current settings in the configuration file. When you select a session from the drop-down list box, you can check whether the connection details are shown as desired. If not, you can go back to the session configuration and modify the settings of the corresponding session.

See also About the Logon Page.

Logout

When the configuration tool is protected against unauthorized access and you log out of the configuration tool, you make sure that no other user can change the client configuration when you leave your PC unattended for a while.

Beginn der AnweisungslisteTo log out

  • In the frame on the left, choose the Logout link.

    When the configuration tool is protected against unauthorized access, the authentication dialog is shown again.

    When it is not protected, the home page is shown again.