Release Information for Natural Version 9.3.1

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# Release Information for Natural Version 9.3.1

This document covers the following topics:

- Strategy Regarding the Legacy-Unix Platforms

- Changes and Enhancements

- Notice of Future Changes

## Strategy Regarding the Legacy-Unix Platforms

We would like to inform you that, after a detailed analysis & assessment, Software AG has decided to adjust its strategy regarding the Legacy-Unix platforms HP-UX®, AIX® and Solaris®. With many of our customers already departed from or soon planning to depart their Legacy-Unix platforms due to cost and technical reasons, Software AG has decided Linux x86 will be its strategic open systems platform for Adabas & Natural 2050+ going forward. This will allow Software AG to focus more resources on this platform and maximize the overall value to our customer base.

The end-of-maintenance date (EOM) for our support of the Legacy-Unix platforms is December 31, 2024. For the period from December 31, 2024 to December 31, 2025 Software AG will offer options for non-standard sustained support on the Legacy-Unix platforms for customers who are unable to rehost by the regular EOM date. Both dates apply to all Software AG A&N products (excluding CONNX, which will still be available on Legacy-Unix).

This will provide you sufficient time to rehost your Software GmbH applications from the Legacy-Unix platform to your preferred Linux x86 platform(s). we recommend one of the following rehosting options:

- RedHat Enterprise Linux®

- SUSE Linux Enterprise

Please be assured that Software AG is prepared to offer assistance in planning and executing your rehosting from the Legacy-Unix platform to an alternative platform.

Following the principles of our "A&N 2050+ Initiative", your rehosting project will be a high priority to Software AG. Our local Software AG teams will be happy to discuss any rehosting topic with you.

If you have any questions regarding the Adabas & Natural platform roadmap, please do not hesitate to contact Adabas & Natural Product Management (e-mail: A&N-ProdMgmt@softwareag.com).

For the Adabas & Natural products on the Legacy-Unix platforms HP-UX®, AIX® and Solaris® we currently plan the following final versions:

| Final Version (GA) | EOM | EOSS
--- | --- | --- | ---
Adabas HP-UX® | 6.7.0, October 2018 | 31.12.2024 | 31.12.2025
Adabas AIX® and Solaris® | 7.0, October 2020 | 31.12.2024 | 31.12.2025
Natural HP-UX® | 9.1.1, October 2018 | 31.12.2024 | 31.12.2025
Natural AIX® and Solaris® | 9.1.3, April 2021 | 31.12.2024 | 31.12.2025

## Changes and Enhancements

- High Availability (HA) Application Support

- Application Programming Interfaces

- Syntax and Compiler Enhancements

- Steplib Handling for NATRPCxx

- System Variables

- SQL Databases

- Utilities

- New Command WHICH

- Multi-Fetch Improvement

- Generate ACBX Calls

### High Availability (HA) Application Support

A key feature of this release is the addition of support for applications with the highest requirements for scalability and availability, and an absolutely minimal amount of down time. This requires a different mode of operation in a distributed architecture together with the ability for user sessions to be seamlessly migrated from one cluster node to another during their lifetime. To support this functionality a redesign and optimization of the Natural Runtime was required. In addition, a completely new component known as the Natural Availability Server has been developed for providing the application user interface within the user’s browser window.

For more information, please refer to Natural/HA (High Availability).

### Application Programming Interfaces

The following Natural application programming interfaces (APIs) are new in the `SYSEXT` system library:

API | Task | Enhancement
--- | --- | ---
`USR1009N` | Convert store clock with sliding window into microseconds | The API converts a store clock value into microseconds since 1900-01-01. The store clock value is interpreted by default without sliding window (range 1900-2042). An optional parameter is now available to interpret the store clock value with the sliding window (range 1971-2114). For more detailed information, see Programming Guide > Further Programming Aspects > Processing of Store Clock Values.
`USR1023N` | Convert time-related variables | The API and the related copycodes have not been changed. The original store clock (1900 – 2042) is used. We strongly recommend using the new API USR9201N instead of USR1023N. Otherwise, store clock values will be incorrect interpreted after 2042. For more detailed information, see Programming Guide > Further Programming Aspects > Processing of Store Clock Values.
`USR2036N` | Convert binary variable (B8) into numeric variable (P20) | The API has not been changed. The related example program USR2036P has been improved for a more useful purpose.
`USR9201N`(new) | Convert time-related variables | The API is the successor of USR1023N. It supports store clock with sliding window (1971-2114) and smart and extended store clock (1900 - 38434). Additional to the API, several copycodes are provided for converting time-related variables. For more detailed information, see Programming Guide > Further Programming Aspects > Processing of Store Clock Values.
`USR9205N` | Create a hash value using SHA-256 or others | This API creates a hash value for a variable input. It supports the hash method SHA-256. The API is the successor of `USR4011N` which supports the hash method SHA-1.

### Syntax and Compiler Enhancements

- COMPRESS allows edit mask (EM) and format logical
- Enhancements in DEFINE WORK FILE, READ WORK FILE, WRITE WORK FILE, CLOSE WORK FILE
- File Transfer Support for NaturalONE
- Provide DESCENDING read sequence for READ BY ISN statement

#### COMPRESS allows edit mask (EM) and format logical

Operand1 of a `COMPRESS` statement can be of format logical now. An edit mask can also be defined for operand1.

For more information see `COMPRESS` in the Statements part of the Natural for Linux and Cloud documentation.

#### Enhancements in DEFINE WORK FILE, READ WORK FILE, WRITE WORK FILE, CLOSE WORK FILE

You can now define the work file number of a `DEFINE WORK FILE`, `READ WORK FILE`, `WRITE WORK FILE`, or `CLOSE WORK FILE` statement as a variable as well. The variable has to be of type `B/N/P/I` and defined with a `CONST` clause which assigns a value in the range 1:32.

For more information, check DEFINE WORK FILE , READ WORK FILE, WRITE WORK FILE, and CLOSE WORK FILE in the Statements part of the Natural for z/OS documentation.

#### File Transfer Support for NaturalONE

Exchanging data via the File Transfer functionality (UPLOAD/DOWNLOAD PC) is now supported for NaturalONE as a client.

#### Provide DESCENDING read sequence for READ BY ISN statement

If running against Adabas for Linux and Windows 7.2 (or higher) or Adabas for Mainframe 8.6 (or higher), the `READ BY ISN` statement has been enhanced by a sequence clause that determines in which direction the READ loop is running.

    Samples:
    READ VIEW-NAME DESCENDING    BY ISN = 1000	/* Read in fixed descending ISN order, starting with ISN=1000 (or lower)
    READ VIEW-NAME VARIABLE #DIR BY ISN = 1000	/* Read direction is determined at READ loop start. If field #DIR(A1) contains
    						/* ‘A’,  the READ loop runs in ‘A’scending   order, starting with ISN=1000 (or higher)
    						/* ‘D’,  the READ loop runs in ‘D’escending order, starting with ISN=1000 (or lower)

### Steplib Handling for NATRPCxx

A search in the defined steplibs is now performed when the Natural RPC user exits NATRPC01, NATRPC02, or NATRPC03 are executed.

### System Variables

- New System Variable *TIMESTMPX

#### New System Variable *TIMESTMPX

The new system variable *TIMESTMPX supports extended store clock values. For more information, see Processing of Store Clock Values > Extended Store Clock in the Programming Guide.

### SQL Databases

Natural now supports the MariaDB database type. Entire Access 9.3.1 is a prerequisite for using the new database.

For more information about creating a DDM from an SQL database, see Creating DDMs.

### Utilities

- Activation of Natural Profiler Data Processing No Longer Required

#### Activation of Natural Profiler Data Processing No Longer Required

Activating the data processing functions `CONSOLIDATE`, `READ`, `LIST`, and `DELETE` of the Profiler utility is no longer required. You can now use these functions without any restrictions. The Natural resource `NaturalONEProfilerKey.nprk` in the system library SYSPRFLR, which contains the generated NaturalONE Profiler key, is no longer needed and can be deleted.

### New Command WHICH

The new system command WHICH lets you find objects in the libraries used at run time in the Library Search Order (LSO). For more information, see WHICH in System Commands.

### Multi-Fetch Improvement

Multi-Fetch improvement to support more buffer size (MFBS):

The limit has been extended from 64KB to 64MB (65536KB). This limit extension helps to improve Multi-Fetch performance considerably with large datasets in ADATCP based environments.

For more information on MFBS usage, see MFBS - Multifetch Buffer Size,

### Generate ACBX Calls

From this release onwards, modern ACBX calls are generated instead of ACB calls. In previous releases, ACBX calls were generated only for LOBs or LA fields, or view sizes greater than 64KB.

## Notice of Future Changes

The following will be changed in upcoming releases of Natural.

### Discontinuing Support of Natural for Tamino

This is the last version of Natural which supports the Natural for Tamino functionality. The support will be discontinued with the next version of Natural.

### Natural Web I/O Interface: Userexits 1 and 2

NWO Userexits 1 and 2 are set for retirement with the next service pack.

### On this page

- Strategy Regarding the Legacy-Unix Platforms
- Changes and Enhancements
- Notice of Future Changes