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Version 8.1.0 Beta Test II

Experiences

By Dieter W. Storr

Last update: 1 August 2006

Report started in July 2006 is still under development

  1. Copied all installation datasets from tape/cart to disk

  2. Copied documentation 'Version 8 Beta II' from CD to my harddrive C:

  3. Read Privious Release Notes
    • ADABAS Version 7.1
    • ADABAS Version 7.4

  4. Read Release Notes 8.1.0 ~ Beta Test II

    Enhancements

    • Limits Lifted
    • Expanded System File Numbers
    • Spanned Record Support
    • New Extended Adabas Control Block (ACBX)
    • New Adabas Buffer Description (ABD)
    • Direct Call Changes
    • Format Buffer Enhancements
    • FDT Enhancements
    • Command Changes
    • SVC Enhancements
    • New Utility Functions
    • New ADARUN Parameters
    • User Exit 11 and Sample Exit UEX11UX1
    • Long Alpha (LA) Field Changes
    • I/O Optimization

    Dropped Features 8.1.0 ~ Beta Test II

    • The prefetch feature is not supported -- use multifetch
    • The MAXPE191 parameter of ADACMP COMPRESS is no longer supported
    • Adabas containers on VSAM RRDS or linear data sets are no longer supported.
    • Support for VSAM containers is no longer available.
    • TP monitor link components are provided only in load module form, for example ADALCO.
    • ADARUN CLOGLAYOUT=4 settings will still run, but setting 4 is no longer supported. Use CLOGLAYOUT=5 instead. In addition, a new CLOGLAYOUT=8 will be supported in Adabas 8 to support the Adabas 8 format, but is not yet available in this Beta release.
    • Support for user exit 1 is dropped, as you are encouraged to use user exit 11 instead.

    Not in this Beta II Release 8.1.0

    • Large object field (LB)
    • LF command for LB fields
    • Hyperdescriptor conversion module, HEXV8V7
      Note: I would like to test for my Natural 2006 Conference presentation.
    • No Adabas add-on support for Adabas 8 features
    • The first record is returned at this time only, if attempt to perform a multifetch call using segmented buffers.
    • Spanned record support in some utilities is not yet available (ADADBS, ADAREP, ADASAV).
    • ADAM support, including ADAMER support, is not yet available.
      Note: I would like to test for my Natural 2006 Conference presentation.
    • No support for the ADASEL and ADACDC utilities is yet available.
    • The ADASAV RESTONL FMOVE function is not yet available.
    • At this time, you cannot use the ADAULD, ADASAV, ADALOD, or ADAORD utilities to load, unload, restructure or restore data from older Adabas versions to version 8 or from Adabas version 8 databases to older versions of Adabas.
    • ADARUN CLOGLAYOUT=8 support is not yet available.
    • IMS link routine support is not yet available.
    • The documentation for Adabas commands using the ACBX interface is ongoing. The direct call, ACBX, and ABD structures are documented in the Adabas Command Reference. However, specific documentation for each Adabas command using the ACBX interface and updated documentation for buffers is still in progress. This documentation should be provided in the next Beta version of the documentation.

    Installation and Migration Considerations

    • If started with Beta I version then I must use the Adabas 8 ADACNV REVERT utility to revert the Adabas 8 database to Adabas 7.4 database. Note: This was not the case at LA Times.
    • ADALNK and ADALNKR modules must be zapped (no source) to change
      • Default DBID
      • Site-specific DBID
      • Default Adabas SVC number
      • Site-specific Adabas SVC number
      • Default LUINFO value
      • Site-specific LUINFO value
      • Length of RVINFO
      • No RVINFO
      • UES-enabled
      • UES not enabled
    • Version 7 link routine modules have been renamed and still included in source, for example ADALNK7, ADALNKR7, ADALCO7.
    • New direct call interface is based on ACBX and ABD structure. Existing application programs that use the ACB-based direct call interface can continue to run in the same way.
    • Existing files must either be reloaded or reorganized if you want to take advantage of the increased limit for MU and PE fields provided with Adabas 8.
    • Increase LWP, LP, internal format pool.
    • Change the length of the counter in the format buffer, when using the extended MU or PE limits, for exammple FB='MUC,2,B.'.
    • Reassemble the hyperdescriptor exit if making use of extended MU or PE fields. However, if you are not using extended MU or PE fields, you only need to link the front-end stub provided with Adabas 8, HEXV8V7, to your hyperexits and it will automatically convert four-byte indexes to one-byte indexes, where necessary.
      HEXV8V7 is not available with ADABAS Version 8.1.0, Beta Test II.
    • All Adabas utilities have been updated to support the new extended features of Adabas 8. Some of this support appears in the form of new or modified utility parameters. In other cases, support was added internally that does not affect your use of the utility at all.

  5. Read Installation Manual 8.1.0

    ADABAS Installation z/OS

    • About This Document
    • Supported Environments
    • Installation Procedure
    • Installing Adabas with TP Monitors
    • Connecting UES-Enabled Databases
    • Device and File Considerations
    • Installing the AOS Demo Version
    • Installing the Recovery Aid (ADARAI)
    • Installing The Error Handling and Message Buffering Feature
    • Adabas Dump Formatting Tool (ADAFDP)
    • Translation Tables

  6. Prepared a test database with production data
    Used ADASAV SAVE and RESTORE to build new ADA74 database

  7. Added New Device Type 9990
    More information see Installation Manual, Device and File Considerations, Adding New Devices. Click here to read the documentation for ADABAS Version 8.1.1.
    • All databases run with user-defined block size 9990. Therefore, I had to apply special ZAP to modify ADAIOR. Click here to learn how to apply the special ZAP.
    • Opened request #617943 because of different/wrong values in the manual, for example TDCF, offset X'03' has new value X'60' instead of X'61' and TDCTSBPT has wrong comment 'not for z/OS'.
    • SAG will update the documentation

  8. Installed Temp ADASVC
    Problems with ADASIP: U0475, SSCT already exists
    New SVC must be copied under an unused SVC number into SYS1.LPALIB
    SVC 254 for ADA742, SVC 255 for ADA81
    SVC 255 was used for ADA526

  9. Linked ADARUN
    Link example with REUS, but IEW2609W ...conflict with reusable attribute
    RC 4 is OK

  10. Missed Features, for example
    • Format CLOG=8 not available
    • ADACNV doesn't work
    • Documentation needs lot of work
    • DSECTS are wrong
    • Large object fields (LB), one of SAG's important announcements, are not available
    • etc. see #4, Not in this Beta II Release 8.1.0

  11. SAG response from 26 July 2006 regarding open ADA810 requests
    "The Beta for ADA81 is over and the GA version will be available shortly. Please retest when you have the GA product."

  12. Tests will continue with ADA811
    Because of many missed features, SAG will send ADA811 at first to beta testers only. After their "beta" tests are successful, ADA811 will be distributed to all customers, as SAG explained.

  13. ADA811 test report.
    Click here to view.

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