RELEASE NOTES
What’s new? All you need to know about prerequisites,
architecture and improvements
MIS-6.0 | Mainframe Integrator Suite 6.0
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4 require a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.4.jar :
Installer English/French of Mainframe Integrator 4.4 - DEMOS-4.4 : Installer English/French of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, a emulator of the z/OS system.
PREREQUISITE:
Mainframe Integrator Suite 6.0 (MIS 6.0) requires a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-17 specification, i.e. a JDK 17, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-6.0.0.jar : Installer of Mainframe Integrator 6.0
- DEMOS-6.0.0.jar : Installer of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, an emulator for z/OS systems.
- ES-6.1.0.jar : Installer of Enterprise Studio
- mx400-windows_setup_(v1.0.26).exe : Installer of MXi module
- mx400-iseries-setup-co422.exe or mx400-iseries-setup-co422S.exe : Installer of co400 engine on the IBM i, helper for MXi module
DIFFERENCES WITH THE PREVIOUS VERSION (MI 4.5)
If you wish to upgrade your application from an older version, please refer to the delivery notes accompanying each version since this one.
Here the history of Mainframe Integrator still around :
- SCORT MI 2.0 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 2.5 (not maintained since release of 4.0)
- SCORT MI 3.0 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 3.1 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 4.0 (not maintained since release of 4.3)
- SCORT MI 4.1 (maintained)
- SCORT MI 4.2 (not released)
- SCORT MI 4.3 (maintained)
- SCORT MI 4.4 (maintained)
- MIS 4.5 (maintained)
- MIS 6.0 (shipping).
ARCHITECTURE
NEW FEATURES
Now available on Java 17, JakartaEE 10 platforms.
DOCUMENTATIONS
New documentation are now available:
- Mainframe Integrator Suite – QuickStart (EN) : It guides you through the full installation of all MIS components and demos. Available from the resources section.
MIS-4.5 | Mainframe Integrator Suite 4.5
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4 require a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.4.jar :
Installer English/French of Mainframe Integrator 4.4 - DEMOS-4.4 : Installer English/French of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, a emulator of the z/OS system.
PREREQUISITE:
Mainframe Integrator Suite 4.5 (MIS 4.5) requires a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.5.0.jar : Installer of Mainframe Integrator 4.5
- DEMOS-4.5.0.jar : Installer of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, an emulator for z/OS systems.
- ES-5.5.2.jar : Installer of Enterprise Studio
- mx400-windows_setup_(v1.0.26).exe : Installer of MXi module
- mx400-iseries-setup-co422.exe or mx400-iseries-setup-co422S.exe : Installer of co400 engine on the IBM i, helper for MXi module
DIFFERENCES WITH THE PREVIOUS VERSION (MI 4.4)
If you wish to upgrade your application from an older version, please refer to the delivery notes accompanying each version since this one.
Here the history of Mainframe Integrator still around :
- SCORT MI 2.0 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 2.5 (not maintained since release of 4.0)
- SCORT MI 3.0 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 3.1 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 4.0 (not maintained since release of 4.3)
- SCORT MI 4.1 (maintained).
- SCORT MI 4.2 (not released).
- SCORT MI 4.3 (maintained).
- SCORT MI 4.4 (maintained).
- MIS 4.5 (shipping).
ARCHITECTURE
NEW FEATURES
- Have a better understanding of any logs in Mainframe Integrator Suite
With slf4j replacing Commons Logging, user experience has been updated to more recent standards. Beware of retro compatibility, any use of Commons Logging needs to be either removed or replaced.
Nb : the zero day vulnerability issue in log4j does not impact slf4j version we are using.
- Discover a brand new and astounding featured module : MXi
MXi is a wrapper that enables you to work with several programming languages such as Java, C, COBOL. This module works on windows and is on the verge to be fully supported by unix systems. It is also secured as it uses SSL3 norms.
- Use MXi integrated into MIS
MXi enables MIS to work with iBM i mainframes with several processes. For example, use MxCall400 to call any iBM i programs or MxCmd400 to invoke any remote command.
The full list is the following :
| MxCall400 | Calling remote IBM i programs | |
| MxCmd400 | Invoking remote IBM i commands | |
| MxDataqueue400 | Exchanges with data queues | |
| MxSpool400 | Reading the print spooler | |
| MxFile400 | File data access | |
| MxDataArea400 | DataArea managment | |
| MxMessageQueue400 | MessageQueue managment | |
| MxMembers400 | Libraries, objects and members access | |
| MxIFS400 | Filesystem access | |
| MxSql400 |
|
- Enjoy using powerful softwares as add-ons in MIS through MXi
MXi enables any project to be compatible with existing softwares. UiPath is a great example, with MXi a project and its dependencies will be handled easily.
DOCUMENTATIONS
New documentation are now available:
- Mainframe Integrator Suite – QuickStart (EN) : It guides you through the full installation of all MIS components and demos. Available from the resources section.
MI-4.4 | SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4 require a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.4.jar :
Installer English/French of Mainframe Integrator 4.4 - DEMOS-4.4 : Installer English/French of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, a emulator of the z/OS system.
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4 require a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.4.jar :
Installer English/French of Mainframe Integrator 4.4 - DEMOS-4.4 : Installer English/French of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, a emulator of the z/OS system.
DIFFERENCES WITH THE PREVIOUS VERSION (MI 4.3)
If you wish to upgrade your application from an older version, please refer to the delivery notes accompanying each version since this one.
Here the history of Mainframe Integrator still around :
- SCORT MI 2.0 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 2.5 (not maintained since release of 4.0)
- SCORT MI 3.0 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 3.1 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 4.0 (not maintained since release of 4.3)
- SCORT MI 4.1 (maintained).
- SCORT MI 4.2 (not released).
- SCORT MI 4.3 (maintained).
SCORT MI 4.4 does not present any incompatibilities with SCORT MI 3.1 but brings many improvments since the version MI 4.0.
ARCHITECTURE
NEW FEATURES
SCORT MI 4.4 notably brings :
- SCORT Fastrack IMS: this new mode of access to IMS makes it possible to exchange messages described by MIDs and MODs described in MFS formats with IMS screen applications through IMS Connect.
- SCORT Fastrack CICS: this new mode of access to CICS makes it possible to exchange messages described by Application Data described bymaps BMS with CICS screens application through the ECI.
- SCORT BMSaaS:A RESTFul API which is based on SCORT Fastrack CICS offering an API for accessing variable fields in input and output of a BMSMAP, thus allowing the integration of CICS application with Angular clients for example.
- SCORT SMPaaS :A RESTFul API offering an API for accessing variable fields on input and output of a 3270 or 5250 screen via SmartPublishing, thus allowing the integration of CICS applications with Angular clients for example.
- SCORT AOXaaS : A RESTFul API that allows you to run AccessObjects defined and generated with SCORT Enterprise Studio.
- SCORT DBCS : DBCS support for 3270/5250 applications working on Asian character setspour les applications 3270/5250 travaillant sur jeux de caractères asiatiques (Kanji, Takatana, Koreen, Chinois simplifié).
SCORT MI 4.3 lnow delivers JCA 1.5 compliant Resources Adapters to exchange through IMS Connect, ECI, IBM Bridge3270 via ECI, and Open7Gateway: it is to make these work in a JCA manager that it embeds WildFly -22.0.0-Final, a real J2EE application server instead of the Apache Tomcat web server.
DOCUMENTATIONS
New documentation are now available:
- SCORT Components – Quick Reference Guide (EN and FR) : his guide describes the components required for applications based on SCORT products.
- SCORT Deployment Guide (EN and FR) : this documentation explains how to deploy the SCORT Resource Adapters.
- SCORT IMS Connect Prerequisites (EN) : this guide explains what are the prerequisites for interoperating with an application via IMS Connect, whether this application is serviced (Service Mapper) or not (Fastrack).
- SCORT CICS External Call Interface Prerequisites (EN) : this guide explains what are the prerequisites for interoperating with an application CICS via ECI, whether this application is serviced (Service Mapper) or not (Fastrack).
- SCORT IMS Fastrack Exit Routines Programming Guide (EN) : this document indicates why and how it is necessary to implement in java the possible exit-routines of your MFS.
- SCORT Passticket Quick Reference Guide (EN) : this document indicates why and how it is necessary to implement in java the possible exit-routines of your MFS.
New French translations of documentations are now delivered :
- SCORT Connector Framework – Guide de configuration
- SCORT Connector Framework – Application d’administration
MAIN IMPROVMENTS
The improvements listed here are the improvements made since the versions SCORT MI 3.1.
All modes
• PassTicket generator: with the product is delivered a passticket generator (authentication token) compatible with that of IBM RACF. In addition, the Resource Adapters IMS Connect and CTG / ECI are designed to authenticate optionally with a passticket, depending on its configuration (replay authorized or not, time difference with the host, application name etc.).
All screen modes
• log4j usage: it is now possible to configure the logs via log4j, even in the SCF infrastructure of SCORT (addition of a RASService « Log4JRASService »).
• Flexible choice of security provider: until now (to communicate over TN3270 secured over SSL, for example) the required security provider was Sun’s, which posed incompatibility issues with IBM WebSphere Application Server, for example , since the latter embeds the IBM security provider. The choice of security provider is now left to the initiative of the JVM.
• Reliability of event detection: in previous releases, certain events (keyboard unlocking, synchronization, etc.) were ignored depending on their timing of arrival. Although this problem only occurred exceptionally, the SCORT MI 4.4 version guarantees more robust operation.
Smart Publishing
• Maintain the last screen arrived: after the execution of an Access Object, when returning to automatic conversion, a bug sometimes caused the display of a screen prior to the last arrived. This problem has been corrected
• JasperException on Tomcat> = 5.5: the Smart module can now be used on versions of Tomcat equal to or later than 5.5.
• Addition of the « counter » filter type: the anchors of the Smart modules can now be specified thanks to a « counter » type filter (of the « page n / m » type).
• Integration in a portal via an IFRAME: to allow this mode of integration, the accesses to window.status have been moved to a JavaScript function “Autoskip.js”.
• Multi-repository mode with fixed URL (« __INDEX »): when calling the Smart’s servlets in fixed URL mode (by specifying the connection number in the « __INDEX » parameter, it is now possible to manage several repositories by having set the initialization parameter « updateTerminalContextParams » to true, please see SCORT Smart Serlvets – Quick Reference Guide for more details.
• Multi-Session Mode: Smart Publishing’s API integrates features to facilitate Multi-Session management within a single browser. These features have been integrated into the “smart” demo WebApp.
• JavaScript: addition of the Jquery, Ajax libraries for managing exchanges via the form and Bootstrap for the GUI of the demonstration WebApps.
Service Mapper
• Sync Alignment: A fix establishes correct alignment on records containing a SYNC clause.
Resource Adapter IMS and CICS
• Socket multiplexing: sometimes, the request-response exchange time is much less than the retention time of a connection. This is for example the case in Fastrack mode since a user can stay connected all day (as he would do in 3270) while each exchange is very brief (it barely lasts longer than the execution time of a transaction. ). In this case, there is no need to establish a different physical connection for each user. The Resource Adapters IMS Connect and CTG / ECI now offer the possibility of chaining requests / responses from several different users on the same socket.
Resource Adapter IMS Connect
Note: IMS Connect is used by both Data Mapper (access to an IMS service) and Fastrack IMS (exchange of MIDs and MODs with a screen application).
• Reconnection attempt: when the remote has closed a previously established connection, this causes an error when sending a new request. From now on, in this case and only out of conversation, the Resource Adapter makes one (and only one) reconnection attempt: if it succeeds, it sends the request on this new connection transparently, otherwise it returns an error.
EVOLUTION FROM MI 4.3 TOWARDS MI 4.4
The evolution from SCORT MI 4.3 to SCORT MI 4.4 requires replacing, in your WebApp or your Resource Adapter, the SCORT jars by those of the same name which are supplied with SCORT MI 4.4.
Maven GroupId: The Maven groupId of all MI-4.4 artifacts has changed from <groupId> com.scort</groupId> to <groupId>com.scort.mi</groupId>
Maven BOM: In order to get the correct version number of each artifacts, please use the Maven BOM pattern that brings into your Maven project all MI-4.4 <dependency> thru the code below
<dependencyManagement>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.scort</groupId>
<artifactId>mi</artifactId>
<version>4.4.0</version>
<scope>import</scope>
<type>pom</type>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
</dependencyManagement>
Please refer to this Apache documentation on Maven BOM
The SCORT Components-Quick Reference Guide will tell you how useful each jar is.
It is now possible to configure applications based on SCORT SCF so that SCORT traces are driven by log4j. To do this, you must edit the « scortinfrastructure.properties » file and configure the appropriate « RASService » there:
« RASService.default.class = com.scort.connector.infrastructure.basic.Log4JRASService »
The advantage of using this service is that all the log configuration is then centralized by log4j. The loggers taking the name of RASService:
• RASService.Smart,
• Smart.Engine,
• Smart.Servlet,
• RASService.Infrastructure,
• RASService.Connector,
• RASService.Connector.Terminal,
• RASService.AO.level designating the loggers replacing the old RASService SCF.
Regarding the levels, the traces of level RAS 1 are generated as soon as the logger is configured at least in level FATAL, the traces of level RAS 2 appear.For INFO, and the RAS 3 level traces are triggered by the DEBUG or TRACE levels
Note that it is perfectly possible to continue to use the old RASService with SCORT MI 4.4.
LIMITATIONS
Remaining issues
All screen modes
Logout after a certain period of inactivity on Windows platform : On the Windows platform, user disconnections can occur in a currently inexplicable way after a certain period of inactivity. If you encounter this problem, please configure the Extra parameter of your connectionSpec SCF with « [Com1] Service.Timeout = 0: » this causes a blocking read on the socket, which helps prevent these untimely disconnections. See SCORT Connector Framework – Configuration Guide for more details on this configuration.
Smart Publishing
• Interblocage under IBM Websphere Application Server & Oracle Weblogic Server: deadlock occurs when a thread executes a user request (TerminalSessionServlet, in particular) and that another thread invalidates the http session during this execution
For Oracle Weblogic Server 8.1, the solution is to switch to Service Pack 2, for IBM Websphere Application Server you must configure « Serialize Session Access » to true.
Resource Adapter IMS Connect et CICS CTG/ECI
• CP1147 UnsupportedEncodingException: Some versions of the JDK are not international. However, many French central applications make use of the code page « cp1147 » which denotes the French EBCDIC character set, with accents and the € symbol. If you get this exception, it means that your JVM does not know this character set: you will then have to download and install an international version of the JDK or else replace « cp1147 » by « cp297 » (EBCDIC France without the character €) in the « codePage » property of the connectionFactory of your Resource Adapter.
Known limitations
IMS & CICS Fastrack
• Extended colors and rendering : the color and extended presentation characteristics (underlining, reverse video, etc.) are not reproduced in the screens composed by Fastrack.
IMS Fastrack
• MID formating options: SCORT MI 4.4 does not support MID compression options 3.
• MID multi-segments: SCORT MI 4.4 ignore MID segmentation.
• Pagination: pagination managed by MFS (and not by the transaction), typically via the PA keys, is not supported by SCORT MI 4.4.
CICS Fastrack
• DATA=BLOCK : This option is ignored in BMS maps: SCORT MI 4.3 cannot exchange a map with this option with a CICS transaction. If your application has such maps, please report it to support@scort.com.
• Passage from COMMAREA to MRO : the IBM DFHL3270 bridge does not know how to manage COMMAREA passages from one transaction to another if they are not located on the same AOR, see CICS External Interface Guide, chapter 2 « Transaction routing consideration ».
• PICIN et PICOUT : these edition PICTURES are not taken into account by SCORT MI 4.4.
• ASIS : As this CICS RECEIVE option is not transmitted by the bridge, SCORT MI 4.4 ignores it (the values entered in the unprotected fields are transmitted in upper case.
MI-4.3 | SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.3
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4 require a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.4.jar :
Installer English/French of Mainframe Integrator 4.4 - DEMOS-4.4 : Installer English/French of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, a emulator of the z/OS system.
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4 require a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.4.jar :
Installer English/French of Mainframe Integrator 4.4 - DEMOS-4.4 : Installer English/French of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, a emulator of the z/OS system.
DIFFERENCES WITH THE PREVIOUS VERSION (MI 4.3)
If you wish to upgrade your application from an older version, please refer to the delivery notes accompanying each version since this one.
Here the history of Mainframe Integrator still around :
- SCORT MI 2.0 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 2.5 (not maintained since release of 4.0)
- SCORT MI 3.0 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 3.1 (not maintained)
- SCORT MI 4.0 (not maintained since release of 4.3)
- SCORT MI 4.1 (maintained).
- SCORT MI 4.2 (not released).
- SCORT MI 4.3 (maintained).
SCORT MI 4.4 does not present any incompatibilities with SCORT MI 3.1 but brings many improvments since the version MI 4.0.
ARCHITECTURE
NEW FEATURES
SCORT MI 4.4 notably brings :
- SCORT Fastrack IMS: this new mode of access to IMS makes it possible to exchange messages described by MIDs and MODs described in MFS formats with IMS screen applications through IMS Connect.
- SCORT Fastrack CICS: this new mode of access to CICS makes it possible to exchange messages described by Application Data described bymaps BMS with CICS screens application through the ECI.
- SCORT BMSaaS:A RESTFul API which is based on SCORT Fastrack CICS offering an API for accessing variable fields in input and output of a BMSMAP, thus allowing the integration of CICS application with Angular clients for example.
- SCORT SMPaaS :A RESTFul API offering an API for accessing variable fields on input and output of a 3270 or 5250 screen via SmartPublishing, thus allowing the integration of CICS applications with Angular clients for example.
- SCORT AOXaaS : A RESTFul API that allows you to run AccessObjects defined and generated with SCORT Enterprise Studio.
- SCORT DBCS : DBCS support for 3270/5250 applications working on Asian character setspour les applications 3270/5250 travaillant sur jeux de caractères asiatiques (Kanji, Takatana, Koreen, Chinois simplifié).
SCORT MI 4.3 lnow delivers JCA 1.5 compliant Resources Adapters to exchange through IMS Connect, ECI, IBM Bridge3270 via ECI, and Open7Gateway: it is to make these work in a JCA manager that it embeds WildFly -22.0.0-Final, a real J2EE application server instead of the Apache Tomcat web server.
DOCUMENTATIONS
New documentation are now available:
- SCORT Components – Quick Reference Guide (EN and FR) : his guide describes the components required for applications based on SCORT products.
- SCORT Deployment Guide (EN and FR) : this documentation explains how to deploy the SCORT Resource Adapters.
- SCORT IMS Connect Prerequisites (EN) : this guide explains what are the prerequisites for interoperating with an application via IMS Connect, whether this application is serviced (Service Mapper) or not (Fastrack).
- SCORT CICS External Call Interface Prerequisites (EN) : this guide explains what are the prerequisites for interoperating with an application CICS via ECI, whether this application is serviced (Service Mapper) or not (Fastrack).
- SCORT IMS Fastrack Exit Routines Programming Guide (EN) : this document indicates why and how it is necessary to implement in java the possible exit-routines of your MFS.
- SCORT Passticket Quick Reference Guide (EN) : this document indicates why and how it is necessary to implement in java the possible exit-routines of your MFS.
New French translations of documentations are now delivered :
- SCORT Connector Framework – Guide de configuration
- SCORT Connector Framework – Application d’administration
MAIN IMPROVMENTS
The improvements listed here are the improvements made since the versions SCORT MI 3.1.
All modes
• PassTicket generator: with the product is delivered a passticket generator (authentication token) compatible with that of IBM RACF. In addition, the Resource Adapters IMS Connect and CTG / ECI are designed to authenticate optionally with a passticket, depending on its configuration (replay authorized or not, time difference with the host, application name etc.).
All screen modes
• log4j usage: it is now possible to configure the logs via log4j, even in the SCF infrastructure of SCORT (addition of a RASService « Log4JRASService »).
• Flexible choice of security provider: until now (to communicate over TN3270 secured over SSL, for example) the required security provider was Sun’s, which posed incompatibility issues with IBM WebSphere Application Server, for example , since the latter embeds the IBM security provider. The choice of security provider is now left to the initiative of the JVM.
• Reliability of event detection: in previous releases, certain events (keyboard unlocking, synchronization, etc.) were ignored depending on their timing of arrival. Although this problem only occurred exceptionally, the SCORT MI 4.4 version guarantees more robust operation.
Smart Publishing
• Maintain the last screen arrived: after the execution of an Access Object, when returning to automatic conversion, a bug sometimes caused the display of a screen prior to the last arrived. This problem has been corrected
• JasperException on Tomcat> = 5.5: the Smart module can now be used on versions of Tomcat equal to or later than 5.5.
• Addition of the « counter » filter type: the anchors of the Smart modules can now be specified thanks to a « counter » type filter (of the « page n / m » type).
• Integration in a portal via an IFRAME: to allow this mode of integration, the accesses to window.status have been moved to a JavaScript function “Autoskip.js”.
• Multi-repository mode with fixed URL (« __INDEX »): when calling the Smart’s servlets in fixed URL mode (by specifying the connection number in the « __INDEX » parameter, it is now possible to manage several repositories by having set the initialization parameter « updateTerminalContextParams » to true, please see SCORT Smart Serlvets – Quick Reference Guide for more details.
• Multi-Session Mode: Smart Publishing’s API integrates features to facilitate Multi-Session management within a single browser. These features have been integrated into the “smart” demo WebApp.
• JavaScript: addition of the Jquery, Ajax libraries for managing exchanges via the form and Bootstrap for the GUI of the demonstration WebApps.
Service Mapper
• Sync Alignment: A fix establishes correct alignment on records containing a SYNC clause.
Resource Adapter IMS and CICS
• Socket multiplexing: sometimes, the request-response exchange time is much less than the retention time of a connection. This is for example the case in Fastrack mode since a user can stay connected all day (as he would do in 3270) while each exchange is very brief (it barely lasts longer than the execution time of a transaction. ). In this case, there is no need to establish a different physical connection for each user. The Resource Adapters IMS Connect and CTG / ECI now offer the possibility of chaining requests / responses from several different users on the same socket.
Resource Adapter IMS Connect
Note: IMS Connect is used by both Data Mapper (access to an IMS service) and Fastrack IMS (exchange of MIDs and MODs with a screen application).
• Reconnection attempt: when the remote has closed a previously established connection, this causes an error when sending a new request. From now on, in this case and only out of conversation, the Resource Adapter makes one (and only one) reconnection attempt: if it succeeds, it sends the request on this new connection transparently, otherwise it returns an error.
EVOLUTION FROM MI 4.3 TOWARDS MI 4.4
The evolution from SCORT MI 4.3 to SCORT MI 4.4 requires replacing, in your WebApp or your Resource Adapter, the SCORT jars by those of the same name which are supplied with SCORT MI 4.4.
Maven GroupId: The Maven groupId of all MI-4.4 artifacts has changed from <groupId> com.scort</groupId> to <groupId>com.scort.mi</groupId>
Maven BOM: In order to get the correct version number of each artifacts, please use the Maven BOM pattern that brings into your Maven project all MI-4.4 <dependency> thru the code below
<dependencyManagement>
<dependencies>
<dependency>
<groupId>com.scort</groupId>
<artifactId>mi</artifactId>
<version>4.4.0</version>
<scope>import</scope>
<type>pom</type>
</dependency>
</dependencies>
</dependencyManagement>
Please refer to this Apache documentation on Maven BOM
The SCORT Components-Quick Reference Guide will tell you how useful each jar is.
It is now possible to configure applications based on SCORT SCF so that SCORT traces are driven by log4j. To do this, you must edit the « scortinfrastructure.properties » file and configure the appropriate « RASService » there:
« RASService.default.class = com.scort.connector.infrastructure.basic.Log4JRASService »
The advantage of using this service is that all the log configuration is then centralized by log4j. The loggers taking the name of RASService:
• RASService.Smart,
• Smart.Engine,
• Smart.Servlet,
• RASService.Infrastructure,
• RASService.Connector,
• RASService.Connector.Terminal,
• RASService.AO.level designating the loggers replacing the old RASService SCF.
Regarding the levels, the traces of level RAS 1 are generated as soon as the logger is configured at least in level FATAL, the traces of level RAS 2 appear.For INFO, and the RAS 3 level traces are triggered by the DEBUG or TRACE levels
Note that it is perfectly possible to continue to use the old RASService with SCORT MI 4.4.
LIMITATIONS
Remaining issues
All screen modes
Logout after a certain period of inactivity on Windows platform : On the Windows platform, user disconnections can occur in a currently inexplicable way after a certain period of inactivity. If you encounter this problem, please configure the Extra parameter of your connectionSpec SCF with « [Com1] Service.Timeout = 0: » this causes a blocking read on the socket, which helps prevent these untimely disconnections. See SCORT Connector Framework – Configuration Guide for more details on this configuration.
Smart Publishing
• Interblocage under IBM Websphere Application Server & Oracle Weblogic Server: deadlock occurs when a thread executes a user request (TerminalSessionServlet, in particular) and that another thread invalidates the http session during this execution
For Oracle Weblogic Server 8.1, the solution is to switch to Service Pack 2, for IBM Websphere Application Server you must configure « Serialize Session Access » to true.
Resource Adapter IMS Connect et CICS CTG/ECI
• CP1147 UnsupportedEncodingException: Some versions of the JDK are not international. However, many French central applications make use of the code page « cp1147 » which denotes the French EBCDIC character set, with accents and the € symbol. If you get this exception, it means that your JVM does not know this character set: you will then have to download and install an international version of the JDK or else replace « cp1147 » by « cp297 » (EBCDIC France without the character €) in the « codePage » property of the connectionFactory of your Resource Adapter.
Known limitations
IMS & CICS Fastrack
• Extended colors and rendering : the color and extended presentation characteristics (underlining, reverse video, etc.) are not reproduced in the screens composed by Fastrack.
IMS Fastrack
• MID formating options: SCORT MI 4.4 does not support MID compression options 3.
• MID multi-segments: SCORT MI 4.4 ignore MID segmentation.
• Pagination: pagination managed by MFS (and not by the transaction), typically via the PA keys, is not supported by SCORT MI 4.4.
CICS Fastrack
• DATA=BLOCK : This option is ignored in BMS maps: SCORT MI 4.3 cannot exchange a map with this option with a CICS transaction. If your application has such maps, please report it to support@scort.com.
• Passage from COMMAREA to MRO : the IBM DFHL3270 bridge does not know how to manage COMMAREA passages from one transaction to another if they are not located on the same AOR, see CICS External Interface Guide, chapter 2 « Transaction routing consideration ».
• PICIN et PICOUT : these edition PICTURES are not taken into account by SCORT MI 4.4.
• ASIS : As this CICS RECEIVE option is not transmitted by the bridge, SCORT MI 4.4 ignores it (the values entered in the unprotected fields are transmitted in upper case.
MI-4.1 | SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.1
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4 require a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.4.jar :
Installer English/French of Mainframe Integrator 4.4 - DEMOS-4.4 : Installer English/French of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, a emulator of the z/OS system.
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.1 can be installed on any platform with a JDK (Java Development Kit) of a version at least equal to 1.6, and with at least 1 GB of memory and 2 GB of free disk space.
The installers available are designed for Windows Linux or Unix platform: to install on another platform, it is necessary to manually copy the files previously installed on one of these.
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.1 embeds the Apache Geronimo 2.1.8 application server.
Geronimo 2.1.4 documentation is available here: http://geronimo.apache.org/GMOxDOC21/ index.html.
Do not hesitate to consult it, especially if you have problems starting up. For example, be aware that Geronimo requires the availability of a certain number of ports, see Changing the default port numbers (http://geronimo.apache.org/GMOxDOC21/installation and-configuration.html # Installationandconfiguration-Changingthedefaultportnumbers).
DIFFERENCES WITH THE PREVIOUS VERSION (MI 4.0)
If you wish to upgrade your application from an older version, please refer to the release notes accompanying each version since this one. Here is the version history of Mainframe Integrator still in circulation:
- SCORT MI 2.0
- SCORT MI 2.5
- SCORT MI 3.0
- SCORT MI 3.1
- SCORT MI 4.0 (under maintenance).
SCORT MI 4.1 does not present any incompatibilities with SCORT MI 4.0 but brings
MAIN IMPROVMENTS
All modes
- Automation of the version generation process
- Java 1.6 compilation
- Update of the version of Apache Geronimo to 2.1.8
- Improved compatibility of the installer with recent operating systems (Windows 8.x, Linux) and JVMs (1.7, 1.8).
Smart Publishing
It is now possible to detect popups whose top bar contains letters and spaces (in the java sense: including carriage return,.…):
- Popups containing a title in the top border are now identifiable.
- Characters not defined in the « borderChars » parameter must be located 5 characters from the edges (to the right and to the left) of this bar.
Demos
Modernization of the interface of demo applications with the use of:
- the Bootstrap library,
- jQuery,
- calls made in Ajax.
MAIN FIXES
Screen mode TN 3270
- Reliability of event detection: in previous releases, certain events (keyboard unlocking, etc.) were ignored depending on their timing of arrival. Although this problem only occurred exceptionally, the SCORT MI 4.1 version guarantees more robust operation.
- Corrections of field detection problems
Fastrack CICS
- Taking into account of the FacilityKeepTime configuration parameter
All modes
- Various fixes and improvements.
LIMITATIONS
Refer to MI 4.0 Release Notes, paragraphs 2.1. and 2.2.
MI-4.0 | SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.0
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.4 require a Java development kit – aka JDK – conforming to the JavaSE-1.8 specification, i.e. a JDK 1.8, and having at least 2 GB of memory and 4 GB of free disk space.
Installers in jar form are available for the Windows and Linux platforms:
- MI-4.4.jar :
Installer English/French of Mainframe Integrator 4.4 - DEMOS-4.4 : Installer English/French of the demonstration webapps and services as well as the ‘Virtual Server ‘, a emulator of the z/OS system.
PREREQUISITE:
SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.0 can be installed on any platform with a JDK (Java Development Kit) at least equal to 1.4.2, and with at least 1 GB of memory and 2 GB of disk space free.
The available installers are designed for Windows or Unix platform: to install on another platform, it is necessary to manually copy the files previously installed on one of these.
If you want to run SCORT Mainframe Integrator 4.0 with its embedded application server (Apache Geronimo 2.1.4), you need a JDK with a version at least equal to 1.5.
Do not hesitate to consult it, especially if you have problems starting up. For example, you should know that Geronimo requires the availability of a certain number of ports, see Changing the default port numbers.
DIFFERENCES WITH THE PREVIOUS RELEASE (MI 3.1)
If you wish to upgrade your application from an older version, please refer to the release notes accompanying each version since this one. Here is the history of Mainframe Integrator versions still in circulation: • SCORT MI 2.0 (excluding maintenance)
- SCORT MI 2.5
- SCORT MI 3.0
- SCORT MI 3.1
SCORT MI 4.0 does not present any incompatibilities with SCORT MI 3.1 but brings many improvements.
NEW FEATURES
SCORT MI 4.0 brings in particular:
- SCORT Fastrack IMS: this new mode of access to IMS makes it possible to exchange messages described by MIDs and MODs described in MFS formats with IMS screen applications through IMS Connect.
- SCORT Fastrack CICS: this new mode of access to CICS makes it possible to exchange Application Data described in the BMS maps with CICS screen applications through ECI.
Note: SCORT Fastrack is already operational on a certain number of sites, but until now it was necessary to enrich the installation of SCORT MI 3.1 thanks to the components supplied with SCORT Enterprise Studio (since version 5.0) to run applications SCORT Fastrack.
SCORT MI 4.0 now delivers JCA (1.0 and 1.5) compliant Resources Adapters to exchange through IMS Connect, ECI, IBM Bridge3270 via ECI, and Open7Gateway: this is to make them work in a JCA manager that it embeds a real application server (Apache Geronimo 2.1.4) instead of Apache Tomcat.
New documentation is now available:
- SCORT Components – Quick Reference Guide (EN and FR): this guide describes the components required for applications based on SCORT products. • SCORT Deployment Guide (EN and FR): this documentation explains how to deploy SCORT Resource Adapters
- SCORT IMS Connect Prerequisites (EN): this guide explains what are the prerequisites for interoperating with an application via IMS Connect, whether this application is serviced (Service Mapper) or not (Fastrack).
- SCORT CICS External Call Interface Prerequisites (EN): this guide explains what are the prerequisites for interoperating with a CICS application via ECI, whether this application is serviced (Service Mapper) or not (Fastrack).
- SCORT IMS Fastrack Exit Routines Programming Guide (EN): this document indicates why and how it is necessary to implement in java the possible exits routines of your MFS.
- SCORT Passticket Quick Reference Guide (EN): This guide explains the use of an authentication token (« passticket ») in a SCORT environment.
New French translations of documentations are now delivered:
- SCORT Connector Framework – Guide de configuration
- SCORT Connector Framework – Application d’administration
MAIN IMPROVEMENTS
The improvements listed here are the improvements made since version SCORT MI 3.1.
All modes
- Passticket generator: with the product comes a passticket generator (authentication token) compatible with that of IBM RACF. In addition, the Resource Adapters IMS Connect and CTG / ECI are designed to authenticate optionally with a passticket, depending on its configuration (replay authorized or not, time difference with the host, application name etc.).
All screen modes
- Generalization of the use of log4j: it is now possible to configure logs via log4j, even in the SCF infrastructure of SCORT (addition of a RASService « Log4JRASService »)
- Flexible choice of security provider: until now (to comminate with TN3270 secured over SSL, for example) the required security provider was that of Sun, which posed incompatibility issues with IBM Websphere Application Server, eg example, since the latter embeds IBM’s security provider. The choice of security provider is now left to the initiative of the JVM.
- Reliability of event detection: in previous releases, certain events (keyboard unlocking, management of the BULL tour, etc.) were ignored depending on their arrival timing. Although this problem only occurred exceptionally, the SCORT MI 4.0 version guarantees more robust operation.
Smart Publishing
- Retention of the last screen arrived: after the execution of an Access Object, when returning to automatic conversion, a bug sometimes caused the display of a screen prior to the last arrived. This problem has been corrected.
- JasperException on Tomcat> = 5.5: the Smart module can now be used on versions of Tomcat equal to or later than 5.5.
- Addition of the « counter » filter type: the anchors of the Smart modules can now be specified using a « counter » type filter (of the « page n / m » type).
- Integration in a portal via an IFRAME: to allow this mode of integration, the accesses to window.status have been moved to a javascript function of Autoskip.js.
- Multi-repository mode with fixed URL (__INDEX): when calling the Smart’s servlets in fixed URL mode (by specifying the connection number in the « __INDEX » parameter), it is now possible to manage several repositories by having set the « updateTerminalContextParams » initialization parameter to true. Please see SCORT Smart Serlvets – Quick Reference Guide for more details.
Service Mapper
- Sync Alignment: A correction establishes a correct alignment on records containing a SYNC clause
Resource Adapter IMS and CICS
- Socket multiplexing: sometimes, the request-response exchange time is much less than the retention time of a connection. This is for example the case in Fastrack mode since a user can stay connected all day (as he would do in 3270) while each exchange is very brief (it barely lasts longer than the execution time of a transaction. ). In this case, there is no need to establish a different physical connection for each user. The Resource Adapters IMS Connect and CTG / ECI now offer the possibility of chaining the requests / responses of several different users on the same socket.
Resource Adapter IMS Connect
Note: IMS Connect is used by both Data Mapper (access to an IMS service) and Fastrack IMS (exchange of MIDs and MODs with a screen application).
- Reconnection attempt: when the remote has closed a previously established connection, this causes an error when sending a new request. From now on, in this case and only out of conversation, the Resource Adapter does one (and only one) reconnection attempt: if it succeeds, it sends the request on this new connection transparently, otherwise it raises an error.
EVOLUTION FROM MI 3.1 TOWARD MI 4.0
The evolution from SCORT MI 3.1 to SCORT MI 4.0 requires replacing, in your webapp or your resource adapter, the scort jars by those of the same name which are supplied with SCORT MI 4.0. Warning: now the names of the jars include the version numbers, so remember to delete the old ones rather than counting on overwriting by the new ones.
The SCORT Components – Quick Reference Guide will tell you how useful each jar is.
Note: The IcomWJC-4.0.2.738.jar library replaces the old IcomWJC.jar and wid.jar libraries. Please remove these to upgrade to SCORT MI 4.0.
It is now possible to configure applications based on SCORT SCF so that SCORT traces are driven by log4j. To do this, you must edit the scortinfrastructure.properties file and configure the appropriate RASService there: RASService.default.class = com.scort.connector.infrastructure.basic.Log4JRASService The advantage of using this service is that all the configuration of the logs is then centralized by log4j. The loggers taking the name of RASService: RASService.Smart, Smart.Engine, Smart.Servlet, RASService.Infrastructure, RASService.Connector, RASService.Connector.Terminal, RASService.AO.level designating the loggers replacing the old RASService SCF.
With regard to the levels, the RAS 1 level traces are generated as soon as the logger is configured at least at FATAL level, the RAS 2 level traces appear for INFO, and the RAS 3 level traces are triggered by the DEBUG levels or TRACE. Note that it is perfectly possible to continue to use the old RASServices with SCORT MI 4.0.
LIMITATIONS
Due to an InstallAnywhere 2008 bug, SCORT MI 4.0 cannot be installed on Linux platform if the JVM 1.6 is the default JVM: a workaround is to specify a JVM 1.5 in the PATH environment variable before the JVM 1.6. Note that this is only the JVM that allows you to run the installer: you can perfectly choose a JVM 1.6 to run SCORT MI 4.0.
REMAINING PROBLEMS
All screen modes
Disconnection after a certain period of inactivity on a Windows platform: On a Windows platform, user disconnections can currently inexplicably occur after a certain period of inactivity. If you encounter this problem, please configure the Extra parameter of your SCF connectionSpec with [Com1] Service.Timeout = 0: this causes a blocking read on the socket, which helps prevent these unwanted disconnections. See SCORT Connector Framework – Configuration Guide for more details on this configuration.
Smart Publishing
Deadlock on IBM Websphere Application Server & Oracle Weblogic Server: Deadlock occurs when a thread executes a user request (TerminalSessionServlet, in particular) and that another thread invalidates the HTTP session during this execution (see http://support.scort.com/viewtopic.php?t=49). For Oracle Weblogic Server 8.1, the solution is to switch to Service Pack 2, for IBM Websphere Application Server you must configure « Serialize Session Access » to true.
Resource Adapter IMS Connect and CICS CTG/ECI
CP1147 UnsupportedEncodingException: some versions of the JDK are not international. However, many French central applications make use of the code page « cp1147 » which denotes the French EBCDIC character set, with accents and the symbol €. If you get this exception, it means that your JVM does not know this character set: you will then have to download and install an international version of the JDK or replace « cp1147 » by « cp297 » (EBCDIC France without the character €) in the « codePage » property of the connectionFactory of your Resource Adapter.
KNOWN LIMITATIONS
IMS & CICS Fastrack
- Colors and extended presentation: the color and extended presentation characteristics (underlining, reverse video, etc.) are not reproduced in the screens composed by Fastrack.
IMS Fastrack
- MID formatting options: SCORT MI 4.0 does not support MID compression options 3.
- Multi-segment MID: SCORT MI 4.0 ignores MID segmentation.
- Pagination: pagination managed by MFS (and not by the transaction), typically via the PA keys, is not supported by SCORT MI 4.0.
CICS Fastrack
- DATA = BLOCK: This option is ignored in BMS maps: SCORT MI 4.0 cannot exchange a map with this option with a CICS transaction. If your application has such maps, please report it to support@scort.com.
- Switching from COMMAREA to MRO: the IBM DFHL3270 bridge cannot manage the passage of COMMAREA from one transaction to another if they are not located on the same AOR, see CICS External Interface Guide, chapter 2 « Transaction routing consideration « .
- PICIN and PICOUT: these edition PICTURES are not taken into account by SCORT MI 4.0.
- ASIS: this CICS RECEIVE option not being transmitted by the bridge, SCORT MI 4.0 ignores it (the values entered in the unprotected fields are transmitted in upper case).
VERSION NUMBERING
As of this version 4.0 of SCORT Mainframe Integrator, the numbering of the product itself and its components follows new rules, in order to improve the readability of the product and facilitate its maintenance.
For this reason, library names now have their version number. ex: scortterminal.jar becomes scortterminal-2.5.0.jar for SCORT MI 4.0.