Release Information for Natural Version 9.1.3

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# Release Information for Natural Version 9.1.3

This document covers the following topics:

- Strategy Regarding the Legacy-Unix Platforms

- Installation

- New Features

- Changes and Enhancements

- Natural Development Server

- Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call)

- Natural Security

- Removed Features

- 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 with more than five (5) years 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

## Installation

### Simplified access rights

Starting with Version 9.1.3, Natural will no longer make use of the Windows User Group "SAG Natural Users" anymore. Instead, to simplify the access control, the default Windows User Group "Interactive" will be used, as with other Software GmbH products.

This also implies that the reboot, that was required in previous Natural versions after creating the Windows user group "SAG Natural Users", is no longer necessary.

### Installation of fixes during a first-time installation

It is now possible to install fixes with the Software AG installer during a first-time installation. See also the documentation of the Software AG Installer for further details.

## New Features

The following new features are available with this version:

- SYSLVERS Utility

- Application Programming Interfaces

### SYSLVERS Utility

The new utility `SYSLVERS` can be used to list objects which have been cataloged within a selected Natural version range.

For further details, see `SYSLVERS` in Tools and Utilities.

### Application Programming Interfaces

The utility `SYSEXT` provides the following new application programming interface (API):

API | Description
--- | ---
USR3004N | This API is used to maintain the internal fast locate table. Options are available to activate, deactivate or clear the fast locate table. The current state and statistical data can be retrieved. For more information, see Maintaining the Fast Locate Table in the section Fast Locate in the Operations documentation.

## Changes and Enhancements

The following changes and enhancements are available with this version:

- PECK Parameter

- ECHECK Parameter

- PCHECK Parameter

- Improved Buffer Pool Search Performance

- Adabas Support

- Object Handler

### PECK Parameter

A new Natural profile parameter has been added which controls whether a compilation check with the `ECHECK` or `PCHECK` option of the `COMPOPT` system command (see `COMPOPT` in the System Commands documentation) terminates after a syntax error is detected in the object source. In addition, `PECK` determines how the syntax errors are reported.

The default option is L. With the `PECK` option, compilation will not stop at `PCHECK`/`ECHECK` errors. Instead, it collect them. This can be viewed using the `LASTMSG` command.

Available options are: `L`, `WL`, `F`, `WF`, `S` and `WS`.

For further details, see `PECK` in the Parameter Reference.

### ECHECK Parameter

A new option has been added to the `COMPOPT` system command which checks for the existence of an object that is specified in an object calling statement, such as `FETCH [RETURN/REPEAT]`, `RUN [REPEAT]`, `CALLNAT`, `PERFORM`, `INPUT USING MAP`, `PROCESS PAGE USING`, function call and helproutine call.

The existence check is based on a search for the cataloged object or for the source of the object when it is invoked by a `RUN [REPEAT]` statement.

Available options are `ON` and `OFF`.

The default value is `OFF`.

For further details, see `ECHECK` in the Parameter Reference and the `COMPOPT` system command in the System Commands documentation.

### PCHECK Parameter

The behavior of the `PCHECK` parameter has changed for function calls. A parameter check between a function call and a function prototype is performed independently of the `PCHECK` option. Similarly, a parameter check between a function call and a function GP is also performed independently of the `PCHECK` option.

`PCHECK=ON`

- After a function call and function prototype parameter check, an additional check is done between the function call and the function GP (if present).

- If an `(IR=)` clause is present, a parameter check between the return data type of the function GP and `(IR=)` is done.

`PCHECK=OFF`

- After a function call and function prototype parameter check, no additional check is done between the function call and the function GP (if present).

- No check is done for a return datatype of an `(IR=)` clause and function GP.

`PCHECK`-dependent checks return Natural error with 9XX. For example, `NAT0935`, `NAT0936`, `NAT0966`, `NAT0969` and so on., whereas `PCHECK`-independent checks return the errors `NAT0648` and `NAT0651`.

For further details, see `PCHECK` in the Parameter Reference.

### Improved Buffer Pool Search Performance

An internal fast locate table is now used to allow execution of fast locate calls for objects loaded into the buffer pool. Fast locate calls improve load performance of objects that are frequently reloaded or searched in steplib libraries.

Use of the fast locate table depends on the setting of the `BPSFI` profile parameter. The fast locate table can also be actived or deactived with the new application programming interface USR3004N (see Application Programming Interfaces).

For more information, see Fast Locate in the Operations documentation.

### Adabas Support

#### Keywords ADA and ADA2 are Handled Synonymously

The former distinct database types ADA and ADA2 have been comprised into one database type.

The keywords ADA and ADA2 are handled synonymously now. ADA can be used in all situations where formerly ADA2 was required.

For detailed information refer to Adabas Database Management Interfaces ADA and ADA2 in section Accessing Data in an Adabas Database of the Programming Guide documentation.

#### Support of Adabas ADATCP

Natural has been enhanced to support Adabas ADATCP when accessing Adabas databases. For detailed information refer to section Natural and Adabas Access > Adabas ADATCP Access.

### Object Handler

The `FIND` direct command of the Object Handler now also considers the save and catalog date of a Natural object in an object search operation with specified date/time range.

For more information, see the new `DATECHECK` option of the select-clause described in Syntax of Natural Library Object and DDM Selection.

## Natural Development Server

Natural Development Server is released with the same version number as Natural for Windows. In addition, the following has been enhanced:

- SSL

- List Natural Mainframe Objects in the Studio Views

### SSL

The name of the certificate file has changed from server.cert.crt to ndv.server.cert.crt and the name of the key file has changed from server.cert.key to ndv.server.cert.key.

### List Natural Mainframe Objects in the Studio Views

When a huge number of objects are contained in a library, the listing of these objects in the Natural Studio views can take a long time. With Natural for z/OS version 9.1.2 on z/OS, a new hyperdescriptor is provided that can significantly improve the database access required for this purpose. The installation of the hyperdescriptor is described in NaturalONE in a Nutshell > Performance Aspects in the NaturalONE documentation.

## Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call)

Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is available as a separate subcomponent of Natural. It has its own version number. This measure takes into account that Natural RPC is a cross-platform component and makes it possible to provide new Natural RPC versions independent of new Natural versions for the various platforms supported.

With Natural Version 9.1.3, an enhanced Natural RPC Version 9.1.3 is delivered. This version contains error corrections. In addition, the following new functionality is provided.

- Extended Password Length

### Extended Password Length

It is now possible to use passwords with a length of up to 128 characters.

## Natural Security

The following enhancements are provided with Natural Security Version 9.1.3.

- Library Profiles - FDIC DBID Zero

- File/DDM Profiles - Copying With Links

- DDM Profiles - Selection List

- Natural Development Environment - DDMs in Natural Server View

- Natural Development Environment - Support of SYSLSO Command

### Library Profiles - FDIC DBID Zero

In the Library File section of library profile, you can now specify `0` (zero) as the FDIC database ID: this means that the DBID value of the FDIC profile parameter will apply.

### File/DDM Profiles - Copying With Links

The file/DDM maintenance functions Copy File and Copy DDM Profile provide the new option With Links. It allows you to also copy the links of libraries from the "old" file/DDM profile to the "new" one. Both functions allow you to select which links you wish to copy and which not.

### DDM Profiles - Selection List

The information displayed on the DDM selection list has been enhanced: Column P, which indicates whether a DDM security profile exists, now differentiates between DDM security profiles with and without corresponding DDMs. See Creating and Maintaining DDM Security Profiles.

### Natural Development Environment - DDMs in Natural Server View

The display of DDMs in the Natural Server view in an Eclipse environment under Natural Security has been changed: DDMs are no longer represented as a separate node, but are now displayed as a group node under the library node. See Protecting the Natural Server View under Protecting the Natural Development Environment in Eclipse.

### Natural Development Environment - Support of SYSLSO Command

The use of the NaturalONE command SYSLSO, which determines the library search order for private-mode libraries, can now be controlled by Natural Security. See Protecting the Navigator View under Protecting the Natural Development Environment in Eclipse.

## Removed Features

Features that have been removed, which had been announced in the Release Notes for Version 9.1.2 and are no longer available with Version 9.1.3.

### Database Servers Supported via Entire Access

As announced in the previous release, Entire Access does no longer support the database servers Informix and Sybase. No new features, patches or updates related to Informix and Sybase will be provided as of this release.

## Notice of Future Changes

The following will be changed in upcoming releases of Natural.

### Support for Natural Reporter on Windows

The Natural Reporter allows for comfortable graphical formatting and output of business data.

With the end-of-maintenance date (EOM) for Natural for Windows Version 9.1.2 on April 30, 2021, Software AG will drop the support for the Natural Reporter. The October 2020 release of Natural Version 9.1.3 will not include the Natural Reporter package.

### Objects Cataloged with Versions Below Natural Version 5

The execution of Natural objects cataloged with versions below Natural Version 5 will no longer be supported. A recatalog with Natural Version 5 or higher is required.

In order to identify Natural objects cataloged with versions below Natural Version 5, the new Natural system command `SYSLVERS` may be used. Please refer to the documentation of Natural System commands for further details.

### On this page

- Strategy Regarding the Legacy-Unix Platforms
- Installation
- New Features
- Changes and Enhancements
- Natural Development Server
- Natural RPC (Remote Procedure Call)
- Natural Security
- Removed Features
- Notice of Future Changes