COMPAQ Software Product Description ___________________________________________________________________ PRODUCT NAME: ACMSxp Version 3.2A for OpenVMS Alpha SPD 60.53.07 DESCRIPTION Compaq ACMSxp for OpenVMS Alpha is middleware that makes client/server business applications run more reliably, efficiently, and securely. ACMSxp works with other Compaq Computer Corporation commercial soft- ware products to provide users with a complete and customizable de- velopment and runtime environment for transaction processing appli- cations such as order tracking, accounting and billing, shop floor con- trol, and insurance claims processing. Many of the concepts and features incorporated in ACMSxp have evolved from the Compaq ACMS TP monitor, which has been available on the Open- VMS VAX platform since 1984. However, ACMSxp is a different and sep- arately orderable product that runs on multiple platforms and does not share any common source or binary ACMS files. ACMSxp has been designed to take advantage of open transaction processing technology, incor- porating the latest industry standards for data communications and dis- tributed computing. ACMSxp also conforms to widely accepted Spirit and X/Open industry standards for transaction processing. ACMSxp documentation helps guide users through the entire application development life cycle, including the installation, planning, design, development, testing, implementation, management, and maintenance of complex TP applications. ACMSxp provides a high-level structured trans- action definition language (STDL) that defines TP application func- tions and runtime characteristics. June 1999 AE-QRFYH-TE ACMSxp makes efficient use of the operating system and associated hard- ware resources, making itself particularly suitable for running mission- critical applications that require high throughput and performance. ACMSxp is closely integrated with the following Compaq layered soft- ware products: o Compaq DCE client/server data communication o Compaq TP Desktop Connector for ACMSxp for multivendor client ac- cess to ACMSxp o Compaq TP Web Connector for web-enabling ACMSxp applications o Compaq C language compiler for OpenVMS Because ACMSxp is designed to allow for modular implementation as well as development, users can separate and distribute front-end process- ing (data input/output operations such as forms processing) from back- end processing (data calculations and database storage). In addition, ACMSxp allows developers to implement applications using nonstandard terminal or I/O devices (such as barcode readers and ATMs). ACMSxp sup- ports the deployment of TP applications in a production environment. Features o Application development environment o Runtime system o System and application administration o Front-end/back-end processing o Database management o Japanese text data support o Documentation set 2 Application Development Environment The ACMSxp development environment is based on a modular approach to application development. When creating an application with ACMSxp, pro- grammers can clearly delineate the behaviors of the various functional portions of the application, including user interface capture and dis- play, data calculation, access to data storage, and higher-level trans- action block responsibilities. To support programmers in adhering to this modular approach, ACMSxp provides a high-level programming language called the Structured Trans- action Definition Language (STDL). STDL is a compiler-based, English- like definition language that replaces lower-level system service calls for most TP application functions. Because the STDL syntax is simi- lar to English, programmers can more easily define the sequence and style in which the various functions of an application occur. Using STDL, programmers can specify as much or as little application control as they choose, depending on their preferences for configur- ing the application environments. Some environments require that most of the control occur at the client, with the server dedicated to database access. In this case, relatively little STDL programming is required. Other applications require more stringent control at the server, to provide more sophisticated security, reliability, or availability fea- tures. A more robust high-level definition of the application using STDL is warranted in this case. The basic functional components of STDL are: o Exchange step definition and invocation for display interaction o Processing step definition and invocation for database access and general computation activities o Data resource definition of entities such as servers, tasks, workspaces, and logs o Transaction demarcation and resource manager recovery specifica- tion 3 o Execution flow control specification such as IF ... THEN ... ELSE and loop statements. Runtime System ACMSxp, when integrated with other layered products, provides all fea- tures required for the execution of TP applications in a distributed environment. The ACMSxp runtime system is based on DCE. ACMSxp uses DCE for remote procedure call (RPC) communication, naming resolution (CDS), threading (DECthreads), and security. The runtime system is composed of the following components, which man- age applications and the control of the runtime system itself: o Request execution A request performs work for an ACMSxp end user. A request is always executed on behalf of a particular ACMSxp end user and is created when the end user invokes an application procedure. When a client performs a remote procedure call, the call is redirected to a backup or sec- ondary server if the intended server is not reachable (due to node fail- ure, for example). This behavior is called failover. o Exception handling An exception is the occurrence of an error or other unexpected con- dition during the execution of a request. Exceptions may be raised by the application or the ACMSxp runtime system. When an exception oc- curs, it is either propagated back to the client that initiated the request, or it is handled at the task level without the client know- ing an exception occurred. o Servers An ACMSxp system has two types of servers; system servers defined by ACMSxp, and user-defined application servers. System servers provide ACMSxp runtime features and are managed by the ACMSxp system. An ap- plication server provides a set of application procedures and is man- aged through ACMSxp system administration. The set of application pro- cedures provided by a particular server is defined by an STDL group specification. 4 o Security To invoke a server, ACMSxp software uses an authorization mechanism. If authorization fails, invocation is rejected. Any authorization fail- ure is logged as a security event. o RPC communication The ACMSxp runtime environment provides full support for the DCE RPC protocol supplied with the DCE RPC product. The DCE RPC protocol sup- ports full interoperation between ACMSxp clients and servers resid- ing in separate address spaces. o Transactional coordination The ACMSxp runtime environment provides full transactional coordina- tion of resources across all Compaq platforms including Windows NT[R], OpenVMS, and Tru64 UNIX[R]. o Process management Runtime server process termination is detected by the ACMSxp runtime system and may cause the creation of a new server process to replace the terminated one. System and Application Administration ACMSxp provides facilities for managing the runtime system environ- ment and includes the following administrative features: o System configuration Scripts are provided for creating, deleting, starting, and stopping the TP system. Most management operations can be performed remotely using the ACMSxp GUI. o Centralized administration System and application servers can be managed from a central location. This can be done from either the command line interface or from the GUI (Graphical User Interface) running on the Windows NT platform. The operations that can be performed from one location include: creating, deleting, starting, and stopping servers; showing and modifying at- tributes of TP systems, servers, and other objects within TP systems. 5 o Multiple TP systems A single node can host multiple TP systems. Each TP system and the ap- plication components within it are completely isolated from other TP systems on the node. For example, test and production versions of an application can run in separate TP systems on the same node. o Access control Access control lists (ACLs) control who can invoke procedures or in- sert elements into queues at runtime. ACLs can also control who can perform administration operations. o Event logging Exceptions and trace information in the runtime environment can be con- figured to capture events and record them in an event log. A tool is provided for examining the contents of the event log. o Performance monitoring ACMSxp performance monitoring software allows you to collect data con- cerning processing activity within a particular TP system on an as needed basis. o Selectable Resource Manager (RM) model Allows the configuration of ACMSxp with or without transactional sup- port. Allows selection of several transaction management configura- tions depending on the number and type of resource managers being used. Front-End/Back-End Processing With the aid of customer-written presentation servers, ACMSxp appli- cations can be developed with a centralized or client/server config- uration. Customer-written presentation servers enable customers to in- terface with client devices or nonstandard devices. ACMSxp routes ex- change I/O to the device that originated the request and supplies the device with the context necessary for the customer-written presenta- tion server to access the device. 6 Customer-written presentation servers are serially reusable, single user, synchronous servers. However, the presentation server code de- veloper must be aware that the presentation procedures run in a mul- tithreaded environment. Database Management This release of ACMSxp for OpenVMS Alpha supports the Oracle[R] Rdb database management system. Japanese Text Data Support ACMSxp for OpenVMS Alpha allows the exchange of Japanese text data across different platforms through the use of code conversion functions. Documentation Set ACMSxp for OpenVMS Alpha includes a complete and comprehensive doc- umentation set. ACMSxp concepts and components are explained to new users in a Software System Overview. An STDL Encyclopedia is provided as a full reference to the STDL language. Additionally, a comprehen- sive three-part guide demonstrates how ACMSxp applications are designed, developed, and managed, using the example of a reservations process- ing application. The ACMSxp for OpenVMS Alpha documentation set consists of the fol- lowing manuals and online help: o ACMSxp Release Notes Specific information related to the current version of ACMSxp for Open- VMS Alpha and material added too late for publication in other ACM- Sxp documents. o Getting Started A manual containing a step-by-step tutorial for developing a simple ACMSxp application. o ACMSxp for OpenVMS Alpha Installation Guide Description of installation requirements, step-by-step installation instructions, and post-installation tasks, with full examples. 7 o Software System Overview An overview of the ACMSxp software system, including an introduction to the STDL language and a discussion of related products. o STDL Encyclopedia The reference material for the STDL application programming interface to the ACMSxp portable transaction processing monitor. o ACMSxp Developing and Managing Applications A three-part manual describing how to design, develop, and manage a transaction processing application that can be implemented using the ACMSxp portable TP monitor. o ACMSxp Help A comprehensive help file that describes the STDL language and how to develop and manage ACMSxp applications. o ACMSxp Management GUI Help A system administration GUI help file that provides information about managing ACMSxp entities through the GUI entity hierarchy window. CONFORMANCE TO STANDARDS ACMSxp conforms to formal industry standards set forth by the follow- ing standards bodies: o International Standards Organization (ISO) o American National Standards Institute (ANSI) ACMSxp conforms to the following industry specifications: o Open Software Foundation (OSF) DCE (part of The Open Group) o Multivendor Integration Architecture (MIA) o NMF/Spirit o X/Open (part of The Open Group) - DTP Model 8 - STDL HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS ACMSxp Version 3.2A for OpenVMS Alpha is supported on all Alpha hard- ware configurations running OpenVMS Version 6.2, 7.1, or 7.2. Refer- ence can be made to the configuration charts listed in the OpenVMS Op- erating System Software Product Description (SPD 25.01.xx) Hardware Support Tables. Disk Space Requirements (Block Cluster Size = 1): Disk space required on 30,000 blocks user disk for installa- tion: Disk space required on 24,000 blocks user disk for permanent use: The sizes are approximate; actual sizes may vary depending on the user's environment, configuration, and software options. Memory Requirements: The minimum memory supported is 128 Megabytes. However, the use of this software in conjunction with increased memory capability improves per- formance. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS ACMSxp for OpenVMS Alpha runs on all Alpha machines that use the Open- VMS operating system. Allowable configurations include: one Alpha pro- cessor for centralized configurations; multiple Alpha processors for client/server configurations. Software required on all OpenVMS Alpha nodes in ACMSxp environment: o OpenVMS Alpha Version 6.2, 7.1, or 7.2 o Compaq TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Version 4.1 (ECO 4) 9 o Compaq DCE Version 1.4 (ECO 1) Runtime Services for OpenVMS Alpha o RMS Journaling License o DECnet/OSI Version 6.3 (ECO 6) Additional software required on at least one additional node in the network: o Compaq DCE Version 1.4 (ECO 1) Cell Directory Server for OpenVMS Alpha o Compaq DCE Version 1.4 (ECO 1) Security Server for OpenVMS Alpha Additional software required on all OpenVMS Alpha nodes used for de- velopment: o Compaq C Version 5.3-006 o Compaq DCE Version 1.4 (ECO 1) Application Developer's Kit for Open- VMS Alpha SOFTWARE LICENSING INFORMATION ACMSxp for OpenVMS Alpha is available in either a Development or Run- time license offering. The Development license permits the use of the software to develop, test, and deploy ACMSxp applications. The Run- time license permits the use of the software to test and deploy ACM- Sxp applications. Both Development and Runtime license offering are available in two dif- ferent license types. These license types are Capacity and Conncurent Use: o The Capacity license offering permits the use of the software on a single system. o The Concurrent Use license offering permits the use of the soft- ware by a single user. 10 This software is furnished only under a license. For more information about Compaq's licensing terms and policies, contact your local Com- paq office. LICENSE MANAGEMENT FACILITY SUPPORT This layered product supports the OpenVMS License Management Facil- ity. License units for this product are allocated on a Capacity and Con- current Use basis. Each Concurrent Use license allows any one individual at a time to use the layered product. For more information on the License Management Facility, refer to the OpenVMS Alpha Operating System Software Product Description (SPD 41.61.xx) or the License Management Facility manual of the OpenVMS Alpha Oper- ating System documentation set. For more information about Compaq's licensing terms and policies, con- tact your local Compaq office. OPTIONAL SOFTWARE o TP Web Connector Version 1.2 Enables seamless web access to business applications running on ACM- Sxp, ACMS, and Compaq Portable TP systems. For more information visit the web site located at: http://www.software.digital.com/tpwebconnect o Compaq COBOL Version 2.4 o Any database supported by OpenVMS Alpha Version 6.2, 7.1, or 7.2 11 o Compaq DECforms is an optional software product for the develop- ment and deployment of forms-based user interfaces for interactive applications running on OpenVMS systems. DECforms is a complete user interface management system (UIMS), providing applications with the look and feel of a forms interface and a robust set of dialog man- agement and validation functions to control the user interface dur- ing application execution. DECforms supports Motif-based worksta- tions, X terminals, VT-based character-cell terminals, and PostScript printers. o TP Desktop Connector Version 3.1 for ACMSxp Enables desktop system users to access ACMSxp, ACMS, and Compaq Portable TP applications from the native desktop system environment. For more information visit the web site located at: http://ww1.digital.com/tpdesktop GROWTH CONSIDERATIONS The minimum hardware/software requirements for any future version of this product may be different from the requirements for the current version. DISTRIBUTION MEDIA This product is distributed on an individual product CDROM, or part of the OpenVMS Consolidated Software Distribution on CDROM. YEAR 2000 READY This product is Year 2000 Ready. Year 2000 Ready is defined: "Year 2000 Ready" products are defined by Compaq as products capable of accurately processing, providing, and /or receiving date data from, into and between the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries, and the years 1999 and 2000, including leap 12 year calculations, when used in accordance with the associated prod- uct documentation and provided that all hardware, firmware and soft- ware used in combination with such products properly exchange accu- rate date data with the products. For additional information visit the DIGITAL Brand area on Compaq's Year 2000 Ready web site located at http://www1.digital.com/year2000 /warranty.asp. SOFTWARE WARRANTY This software is provided by Compaq with a 90 day conformance warranty in accordance with the Compaq warranty terms applicable to the license purchase. ORDERING INFORMATION Listed below is the ordering information for the ACMSxp Development and Runtime offerings. ___________________________________________________________________ Development________________________________________________________ Licenses QL-4WRA*-** Media/Documentation QA-4WRAA-H8 Documentation Only QA-4WRAA-GZ Product_Services_____________QT-4WRA*-**___________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Runtime____________________________________________________________ Licenses QL-4WSA*-** Media/Documentation QA-4WSAA-H8 Documentation Only QA-4WSAA-GZ Runtime_Services_____________QT-4WSA*-**___________________________ 13 * Denotes variant fields. For additional information on available li- censes, services, and media, refer to the appropriate price book. The above information is valid at time of release. Please contact your local Compaq office for the most up to date information. SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES A variety of service options are available from Compaq. For more in- formation, contact your local Compaq office. TRADEMARK INFORMATION Compaq and the Compaq logo are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trade- mark Office. ACMS, ACMSxp, OpenVMS, DECforms, DECthreads, and VAX are trademarks of Compaq Computer Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders. [R] Motif and OSF are registered trademarks of Open Software Foundation, Inc. [R] Oracle and Oracle Rdb are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. [R] UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Lim- ited. [R] Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. © 1999 Digital Equipment Corporation. All rights reserved. 14