Working with Business Service Resources on the Server

This document covers the following topics:


Downloading Business Service Resources from a Server

Using the Natural Server view, you can download existing business service resources from a Natural Business Services (NBS) server into a Natural project. When Natural Business Services has been installed in the server environment, a Business-Services node is shown for the mapped environment, containing further subnodes for steplibs and domains.

Natural Server view

By default, the Business-Services node is only shown when an installation of Natural Business Services can be detected on the server. This behavior can be changed in the Business Services preferences. See Installation in Setting the Preferences for Business Services.

Start of instruction setTo download business service resources

It is only possible to download business service resources into an existing Natural project. They cannot be downloaded into a new Natural project. If you want to download business service resources into a new project, create that project first.

  1. In the Natural Server view, map the required NBS server. See also Mapping a Natural Environment in Using NaturalONE.

    When mapping to an NBS server, you have to enter a user ID and password. These credentials must be defined to Natural Business Services security on the server, and they must have the appropriate permissions.

  2. In the Natural Server view, select the Business-Services node to download the entire contents of that node.

    Or:
    If you only want to download selected items, select the Steplibs folder, the Domains folder, or any single items in these folders.

  3. Invoke the context menu and choose Add to Existing Project.

    The Add Business Service Resources to Existing Project dialog box appears.

    Add to existing project

  4. Select the project into which you want to download the business service resources and choose the OK button.

    The definitions for all selected services, domains, and steplibs are downloaded into the selected project. In the Navigator view, you can view them in the Business-Services node of the project. If this node does not yet exist, it is automatically created during the download.

    Notes:

    1. By default, any supporting resources (domains and steplib chain files) and related subprograms that were not selected are automatically downloaded (for example, the steplib chain file for a selected domain is automatically downloaded). You can change this behavior in the Business Services preferences. See also Business Services in Setting the Preferences for Business Services.
    2. If the Construct runtime project does not yet exist in your workspace, you are asked whether you want to add it to your workspace. You can then choose the Yes button to create a new project with the name "ConstructRuntime". This project contains, for example, the error message texts stored in the CSTMSG library or the screen prompt texts stored in the CSTLDA library. The modules in this project will eliminate compile and parsing errors caused by missing Natural Construct resources. See the Code Generation documentation for more detailed information on the Construct runtime project.
    3. If you want to check whether any steplibs are missing in your project after the download, you can open the file which defines the steplib chain (that is, the file with the extension .steplib). When the library list contains any steplibs which are not available in your project, you should download them from the server. See Using the Steplib Editor for further information.

Managing Business Service Resources Directly on the Server

In the Natural Server view, you use the following context menu commands with your business service resources:

Command Description
Copy Copies the selected business service files to the clipboard so that they can be used with a subsequent Paste command.
Paste Pastes the copied business service files into a different domain of the same mapped environment.

It is not possible to paste the business service files into any other node which is not a domain node of the same mapped environment.

Move Moves the selected business service files from the current domain into a different domain of the same mapped environment. The Move Objects dialog box appears in which you have to select a destination.

Even though the Move Objects dialog box may also list other mapped environments, it is only possible to move the selected business service files into a different domain of the same mapped environment.

Delete Deletes the selected business service files, domain folders or steplib chain files. You have to confirm this action.

Caution:
When you delete a domain folder, you also delete all business services contained in this domain.

Note:
Domain folders and steplib chain files cannot be copied, pasted or moved.