Release notes for Model 204 version 7.6
These release notes list the enhancements and other changes contained in Model 204 version 7.6.
Overview
These release notes contain installation and features information for the Rocket Model 204 version 7.6 release. Before beginning your installation, please read through this information about product installation and changes.
New in this release
This section summarizes the new features and enhancements for Model 204 version 7.6.
| Category | Feature |
|---|---|
| SOUL (User Language) |
|
| former-Sirius product enhancements |
|
| Performance |
|
| Debugging and testing |
|
Operating system and hardware requirements
Operating system requirements
Requirements for Model 204 version 7.6 are still being determined.
- IBM z/OS
- Versions supported: z/OS version 1.07 through 2.1.
- Large (1 MB) page support requires version 1.9.
- Extended address volumes (EAV) requires version 1.12.
Version 1.07 is sufficient for all functionality except for the following features:
On z/OS, Model 204 release 7.6 operates as an APF authorized load module, as required by many 7.6 features.
To run Model 204 unauthorized, contact Technical Support. - IBM z/VM
- Versions supported: z/VM version 5.4 through 6.3.
- IBM z/VSE
- Versions supported: z/VSE version 5.1 and 5.2.
Hardware requirements
Requirements for Model 204 version 7.6 are still being determined.
Model 204 version 7.6 requires the IBM z/890 or above processor, except for the following feature:
The large (1 MB) page support feature requires the IBM z10 or above processor.
Model 204 compatibility with operating systems
Content for version 7.6 is still being determined.
For information on Model 204 certification with IBM operating systems, see: http://www.rocketsoftware.com/products/rocket-model-204/technical-information
Connect* compatibility with Model 204
Connect★ version 7.6 is compatible with all versions of Model 204. For more information on Connect★ installation, see the Connect* Suite Installation and Programming Guide.
See also Connect★ enhancements.
SOUL enhancements
New SOUL statements
- The Private keyword has been added to class declarations and Friend declarations have been added to Class blocks.
Non-OO enhancements in SOUL
New and changed classes and methods
The LabeledArrayList (or TaggedArrayList) class is to be added.
Json class
The Json class has been created to facilitate exchange of data with other platforms using the JSON format. This class contains a large number of methods and also adds two new exception classes: InvalidJsonType and JsonParseError, and one new enumeration: JsonType. In addition, the JsonParse function was added to the Unicode intrinsic class.
Web class
The Web class has been created as a container for Janus Web Server specific methods. This class contains two new methods: ScreenInputCallback and ScreenOutputCallback. There is also an associated new system type: WebScreenCallback and a new WebScreenException exception class.
Utf8ToUnicode and Utf16ToUnicode string methods
The Utf8ToUnicode and Utf16ToUnicode string methods can now handle values that cannot be translated into EBCDIC. The AllowUntranslatable argument, now available for general use and True by default, specifies that such values will be stored into the target Unicode string rather than producing an exception.
New and changed $functions
Sirius products and product enhancements
This section describes enhancements to the former-Sirius products.
Changes to Janus Web Server
IPV6 Support for Janus TCP/IP Base is to be added.
SCREENTHROW setting for Janus Web Legacy
The new SCREENTHROW setting for Janus Web ports allows janus Web Legacy applications to trap client errors rather than deferring to the default Janus Web Legacy support error handling behavior.
Changes to Fast/Unload and Fast/Reload
These products are to be equipped with 64-bit addressing and Above The Bar (ATB) storage.
RockZap for VSE
Support is being added for running RockZap under z/VSE.
New field attributes
This section lists the new field attributes. For more information on how related attributes work together, see the Field design topic.
TBD
Support for OI CHUNK fields in field groups
The CHUNK attribute for DEFINE FIELD was introduced in Model 204 version 7.5 to improve the efficiency of range finds using Ordered Index (OI) processing. The CHUNK attribute can now be specified for fields in a field group.
System management enhancements
TBD
Performance enhancements
Massive zIIP offload
The approach to zIIP (IBM System z Integrated Information Processor) support in Model 204 prior to version 7.6 is to offload to zIIP only certain eligible code safe for execution on the zIIP engine. The V7.6 improvements to the zIIP offload make most of the Model 204 code zIIP tolerant: almost all MP-capable code (Model 204 code that may run on an MP subtask) is offloaded to zIIP. Code that cannot be executed on zIIP uses the MP subtask or a maintask.
Note: While a limited version of this capability is available to all customers, the fully improved zIIP support requires an additional license. For more information, contact Rocket Software.
This feature is for z/OS systems only. As previously, specifying a nonzero value for the NMPSUBZ parameter activates zIIP processing.
User-written $functions and zIIPs
Instead of having to indicate what code should run on zIIP, it is only necessary now to indicate what Assembler code may not run on zIIP. Customers planning to use zIIP processing must do either of these:
- Inspect any user-written $functions for non-tolerant code (code that uses an SVC instruction or system services that may use SVC, like BSAM, VTAM, task-mode z/OS macros), which must be bracketed with
SRBMODE OFFandSRBMODE ON. - Specify
MP=NO(the default) or no MP setting at all in the function table to cause $functions to run on a maintask. Any other value for MP enables $functions to run on zIIP subtasks.
It is not always obvious if code may or may not run on a zIIP subtask. Even if all explicit SVCs and non-task-mode system macros issued by Model 204 have been identified and bracketed, some may be issued implicitly by z/OS or other services, so user testing is important.
Parameter changes for zIIP usage
The following are V7.6 changes to the documented recommendations for the parameters that initiate and control Model 204 zIIP processing:
- Parameter ZQMAX is deprecated. If you have specified a value for ZQMAX, it is now ignored.
- X'01' becomes the default value of the SIRFUNC parameter.
The X'01' bit of SIRFUNC must be set (explicitly or as the default value) for zIIP processing or the run is cancelled.
- The XMEMOPT X'02' bit was not documented as necessary for zIIPs. It is necessary as of V7.6.
- It is now strongly recommended that customers running MP/204 not set the X'40' bit of the SCHDOPT parameter as MP subtasks will no longer steal work from zIIP SRBs unless they seem overloaded, in which case one would probably not want the SCHDOPT X'40' bit to prevent MP subtasks from helping out.
Journal and checkpoint processing enhancements
New journal and checkpoint write PSTs (pseudo subtasks) are invoked by the SYSOPT2 parameter.
A dual mode of operation (with and without write PSTs) is available: if the new PSTs are not created (for any reason), the journal and checkpoint processing continues as it does in version 7.5 of Model 204.
The NSUBTKS parameter is also crucial: If SYSOPT2 indicates new PSTs but NSUBTKS is too low, the Online will not come up.
64-bit addressing and Above The Bar (ATB) storage
Storage above the (2G) bar increases scalability, performance, and growth potential. 64-bit addressing is the de facto standard for Model 204.
- ATB support for FTBL was released with Model 204 version 7.4.
- ATB support for GTBL, NTBL, and QTBL was released with Model 204 version 7.5.
- ATB support for STBL and VTBL is added in Model 204 version 7.6.
When using non-swappable ATB server space, each user gets SERVNSSZ bytes of ATB space, even if the thread is logged out or running resident requests. For greater efficiency, Model 204 also provides swappable ATB server areas that can supplement or replace the non-swappable areas. These swappable ATB server areas are controlled by the SERVGA and SERVGSZ parameters.
STBL and VTBL in above the bar storage
STBL and VTBL can now be placed into swappable or non-swappable server storage area above the bar.
In order to store a table in ATB storage:
TBD: any changes to SERVNSSZ or SERVNSA for 7.6
- Increase the SERVNSSZ parameter by the corresponding table size.
- Set the proper bit in SERVNSA:
- for STBL set the xxx byte to
X'xx', so the value of SERVNSA isX'........' - for VTBL set the xxx byte to
X'xx', so the value of SERVNSA isX'........'
- for STBL set the xxx byte to
Note:
The settings for each server table above the bar are independent of each other.
So if FTBL, GTBL, NTBL, QTBL, STBL, and VTBL are all placed above the bar, then SERVNSA should be set to X'........'.
64-bit addressing support for TBO buffers, the Procedure dictionary, and Longstrings
This support will be new in version 7.6.
Debugging and testing enhancements
Unicode linefeed now causes line break on print
Printing or auditing a unicode string that contains a unicode linefeed character (u+000a) will now cause a new line to be started on the output device, rather than displaying
. This should make it much easier to look at unicode strings that contain formatting linefeeds. This feature works for any display-oriented statements such as Print, Audit, Trace, PrintText, AuditText, TraceText, Text, etc.
SoftSpy
As of version 7.5, the SoftSpy debugging, testing, and performance tuning product has been included as part of the Model 204 core product.
For more information about SoftSpy version 7.6, see the SoftSpy 7.6 release notes.
Connect★ enhancements
The 7.6 version of Connect★ for JDBC, Connect★ for .NET, and Connect★ for ODBC is now available.
For more information on Connect★ installation, see the Connect* Suite Installation and Programming Guide.
Each Connect★ interface contains the latest fixes and enhancements and is compatible with Model 204 version 7.6.
MQ/204 enhancements
TBD
Other features
TBD
Compatibility issues
Unicode linefeed now causes line break on print
Printing or auditing a unicode string that contains a unicode linefeed character (u+000a) will now cause a new line to be started on the output device, rather than displaying
. This should make it much easier to look at unicode strings that contain formatting linefeeds. This feature works for any display-oriented statements such as Print, Audit, Trace, PrintText, AuditText, TraceText, Text, etc..
While this feature is likely to make it much easier to examine unicode strings, in theory it could cause a backward-compatbility problem for applications that parse the results of a Print of unicode data, expecting the &x#000A; values to be present.
New and changed commands
TBD
Reliability enhancements
TBD
New and changed parameters
New CFROPTS system parameter
The new CFROPTS parameter makes it possible to request that Model 204 use strict fair share enqueuing for critical file resource lock conflicts.
Documentation conversion to wiki format
Rocket Model 204 documentation is being converted from individual manuals in PDF format to a set of cross-linked HTML articles in this integrated wiki, M204wiki.
As of Model 204 release 7.6, most manuals are now in wiki format. The rest remain in PDF format, available in the M204 folder of the Rocket Software Documentation Library.
For details, see Model 204 documentation.
New and updated messages
See New and updated messages in Model 204 version 7.6 for details.