This document covers the following topics:
EntireX now supports Microsoft Windows Server 2019.
EntireX Java ACI and Java RPC clients now support both Java 8 and Java 11.
EntireX now supports scenarios where you have a REST API and want to call this from a COBOL or Natural application:
Extraction of REST Consumers (introduced with Integration Server 10.5) has been added. Additional object wrapper types and default values for service input parameters are now supported. See Integration Server Data Types to IDL Mapping in the EntireX Adapter documentation and also REST Enhancements below.
It is now possible to extract services with field names containing special characters such as ":" and "*". Extraction of Web Service Connectors is now supported.
The Application Monitoring Data Collector is now available as a component running inside an Integration Server using the EntireX Adapter. See Application Monitoring.
Parameters messageID and correlationID have been added for EntireX Adapter services. See Using Adapter Services.
The log files created by the Adapter (wmentirex*.log) are now written using the character set UTF-8 (instead of the default character set).
It is now possible to use both object wrapper types and string types with a content type in the same program. At runtime the listener inspects the input signature of the service to be called in order to determine the data type required by the Integration Server.
Application Monitoring Data Collector
The Application Monitoring Data Collector is now available as a component running inside an Integration Server using the EntireX
Adapter. See Application Monitoring.
Dynamic Configuration
Dynamic configuration of Application Monitoring is now possible while the EntireX Broker is running.
New KPIs
The message ID and correlation ID of a message are now available as Application Monitoring KPIs. See KPI Definitions for Application Monitoring.
CIS version 11 provides commands to enable/disable the Application Monitoring feature and to define the collector Broker ID
for Application Monitoring.
See APPMON-OFF, APPMON-ON and SET-COLLECTOR under Broker Command and Information Services in the EntireX Broker documentation.
The information reply structure BROKER was enhanced to return the current status of Application Monitoring and the collector Broker ID.
See BROKER-OBJECT (Struct INFO_BKR).
New Operator Commands for Broker
Broker supports operator commands DISPLAY APPMON, APPMON=NO|YES and COLLECTOR=host:port. Currently for z/OS only.
Changing Data Collector Settings Dynamically
Using Command Central you can now change Data Collector settings dynamically. The change is effective immediately; there is
no need to restart the broker.
See Changing the Application Monitoring Settings Dynamically using the Command Central GUI | Command Line.
Setting the Margins and Max. Values of Monitoring KPIs
The setting of margins and max. values used for displaying EntireX Broker KPIs has been reworked. See Monitoring KPIs using the Command Central GUI | Command Line.
Displaying Broker Statistics
You can now display the current statistics of a running EntireX Broker. See Displaying the Statistics using the Command Central GUI | Command Line.
The Broker Administration service (UNIX and Windows) has been replaced by a more lightweight implementation. The registration, name and usage of the service remains the same.
The new Broker Administration Service uses one port instead of a TCP and an SSL port.
You can specify the port during installation. Make sure the port is unique. See Ensuring Unique Port Numbers under Port Numbers in EntireX in the EntireX installation documentation.
Alternatively, you can change the port after installation. See Configuring the Administration Service under UNIX | Windows.
The former executables defaultbroker[.exe] and etbsrv[.exe] have been replaced by scripts with the same name, i.e. defaultbroker[.bat] and etbsrv[.bat]. The usage is unchanged.
The broker autostart handling is now defined in the corresponding attribute file. See AUTOSTART under Broker Attributes.
The ports of the default broker are now also defined in the attribute file ETB001.atr, and not in the config file entirex.config as in previous versions.
You can now extract a subset of services from the desired package. See Step 3: Select the Integration Server Package to Extract under Using the IDL Extractor for Integration Server.
It is now possible to extract services with field names containing special characters such as ":" and "*". Extraction of Web Service Connectors is now supported.
Testing Tool for RPC Server for XML/SOAP
A pop-up message is issued if the EntireX XML Tester is about to communicate with the RPC Server for XML/SOAP.
In this case we recommend using the EntireX IDL Tester instead.
Additional ping Command for RPC Servers
An additional ping command is now available for all EntireX RPC servers to test the server's availability.
You do not need a running Broker to execute this command. For example, see Pinging the RPC Server in the RPC Server for Java documentation.
This is particularly useful in a high availability cluster context.
Note:
The ping command via ETBINFO of earlier EntireX versions is still available.
New broker stub ARFETB for exclusive use by Adabas Replication Services. This stub is zIIP-eligible.
New broker stub NATETBZ for exclusive use by Natural RPC Server. This stub is zIIP-eligible.
Broker stub CICSETB no longer needs module EXAMEM.
Container Orchestration
In a high availability context, container orchestration allows automated deployment, scaling and management of EntireX Brokers
and EntireX RPC Servers running in Docker containers.
See High Availability with Container Orchestration in the High Availability documentation.
AT-TLS
Direct SSL/TLS support (using GSK) inside the Broker under z/OS will be dropped in the next version. We strongly recommend
using AT-TLS instead.
See new documentation sections Using IBM's Application Transparent Transport Layer Security (AT-TLS) and Migration from Broker's Direct SSL/TLS Support to AT-TLS in the z/OS Administration documentation.
Broker Restart Behavior with Update Manager
If you install updates for EntireX Broker using the Software AG Update Manager,
all brokers that were stopped by the Update Manager before the update will be restarted automatically;
the broker's AUTOSTART setting is ignored in this context.
Note:
In versions prior to 10.5, all brokers with AUTOSTART=YES were restarted,
irrespective of whether they were running prior to the update or not.
c-tree-specific Broker Attributes COMPATIBILITY and FLUSH-DIR
These attributes have been introduced to be compatible with c-tree behavior prior to EntireX Broker version 10.5. See COMPATIBILITY and FLUSH-DIR under Broker Attributes.
Service-specific Broker Attribute APPLICATION-MONITORING
The default value for service-specific attribute APPLICATION-MONITORING has been changed from NO to YES.
Trace Utility Default Output
The EntireX Trace Utility now uses "Full" instead of "Standard" as the default output format.
License Handling
EntireX checks only the major number of the version number. This means that EntireX version 10.5 works with all 10.x license
files.
This applies to EntireX Broker and RPC servers at runtime and also to installation.
Docker Healthcheck
A script healthcheck.sh is now provided for the EntireX RPC servers that support Docker technology.
(This was previously available only for EntireX Broker.) Execution of this script pings the component and returns the
result of the ping command.
See Healthcheck for RPC Server for Java and RPC Server for XML/SOAP.
Unique Message ID
Message IDs and Correlation IDs available since ACI version 11 (EntireX 10.1) can now be accessed with the following EntireX
components:
COBOL Wrapper, see The RPC Communication Area (Reference) in the COBOL Wrapper documentation.
.NET Wrapper, see Properties under .NET Wrapper Reference
See Unique Message ID in the EntireX Broker ACI Programming documentation.
Long Broker Password Support
You can use long Broker passwords with COBOL RPC clients built with the COBOL Wrapper.
See Copybook ERXVSTR and Logging on Using Long Broker Passwords (z/OS with Call Interface).
Long RPC User ID/Password Support
You can now use long RPC user IDs and passwords with COBOL RPC clients built with the COBOL Wrapper.
See Copybook ERXVSTR and RPC Authentication Using Long RPC User ID/RPC Password (z/OS with Call Interface).