Using an Existing Natural Development Server Environment

This document covers the following topics:


Prerequisites

If you prefer to use your own Natural Development Server (NDV) environment instead of the local Natural runtime that is installed with NaturalONE, it is recommended that you upgrade your Natural Development Server environment to the versions listed below. Only with these versions, you will get the complete functionality of NaturalONE.

The recommended versions are:

  • Mainframe
    Use one of the following combinations:

    • Natural Version 8.2.5 and cumulative fix 3.

      Natural Security Version 8.2.5 and cumulative fix 3.

      Natural Development Server Version 8.2.5 with the Natural Web I/O Interface.

    Important:
    When Natural Development Server runs on a mainframe, Unicode and code page support must be enabled (with the Natural profile parameters CFICU and CP).

  • UNIX or Windows
    • Natural Version 8.4.1.

    • Natural Security Version 8.4.1.

    • Natural Development Server Version 8.4.1 with the Natural Web I/O Interface.

  • OpenVMS
    • Natural Version 6.3.12.

    • Natural Security Version 6.3.12.

    • Natural Development Server Version 2.2.6 with the Natural Web I/O Interface.

  • Servlet Container
    • Natural for Ajax Version 8.4.1 on Apache Tomcat 8.

      Note:
      Apache Tomcat is required by Ajax Developer. Execution and debugging of rich internet applications, however, can be done with any application server or servlet container on which Natural for Ajax is running.

If the above mentioned Natural or Natural Development Server versions are not installed in your environment, specific Eclipse functionality does not work. However, NaturalONE as such can be used.

Startup Transactions

When a NaturalONE client connects to a Natural server, any startup transaction program executed on the server must meet the following conditions:

  • It must not perform any screen I/Os.

  • It must be executed only once (that is, the Natural system variable *STARTUP must be reset to blank within the startup transaction).

  • It must terminate properly.

You have to check the source code of each startup transaction in question and, if necessary, change it to meet these conditions.

If you adjust the relevant source-code sections within a startup transaction - in dependency of the client type - you can use the Natural application programming interface (API) USR4218N in the library SYSEXT. This API has to be invoked from within the startup transaction and provides you with the client type.

Natural Security

When Natural Security is active in your Natural server environment, several actions in the Natural Server view and in the Navigator view (such as upload and download) are controlled by Natural Security. A utility profile for SYSMAIN is then required in Natural Security which has the appropriate settings. For detailed information, see Protecting the Natural Development Environment in Eclipse in the Natural Security documentation, which is part of the Natural documentation.

If the Natural Security settings are not appropriate, you may not be able, for example, to add projects from the Natural server to the NaturalONE workspace.

Library Statistical Records on Mainframes

In order to reduce the number of Adabas calls and to improve the performance, it is highly recommended that you create a so-called "library statistical record" for every Natural library on the mainframe. This ensures that data which is often used is kept persistently. Thus, when using NaturalONE, there is no need to retrieve this specific information many times. To initialize the statistical records, you have to invoke the program NDVCSTAR which is available on the mainframe. For further information, see SPoD-Specific Limitations and Considerations in the Natural Development Server documentation for the appropriate platform.

Database Access

You can access Adabas databases when they are on the same PC as your NaturalONE installation.

However, in order to access remote Adabas database systems, Entire Net-Work is required. Currently, you have to configure your environment accordingly. For remote access to Adabas 6 (Open Systems) or Adabas 8 (Mainframe), Entire Net-Work 7.3.2 or above is required.