Loader services

RMS offers a closed loader service function for the maintenance of all components of a system loader.

The central element is a system loader definition. This is where all settings are saved which are required for the creation or installation of a system loader file.

Contents of a system loader definition

• The associated products.
  Normally, only one product is in the subsystem loader; in a so-called “BS2000 loader”, several products can be merged together and classified according to REP class.

• How the installation features are to be installed.
  A system loader file is installed under the path name defined in the system loader definition and receives the contents and settings defined there.

• Which, if any, OPT-REP packets are to be used.
  An OPT-REP packet is a selection of corrections which should be taken into account whenever a loader is generated. If a correction is not in the selected supply component version, this does not lead to an error.

• Which, if any, loader modification packets are to be used.
  A loader modification packet is a selection of corrections which should be taken into account at every loader generation, regardless of its status. A system-specific or taskspecific setting is possible in this case - e.g. hardware-specific corrections which must always be present in the system loader file.

Setting the scope and contents of a new system loader definition

The definition procedure consists of 7 steps:

1. Enter loader definition name and select “Administration”

2. Assign software configuration (optional)

3. Select product (mandatory)

4. Assign loader modification packets (optional)

5. Assign OPT-REP settings (optional)

6. Adapt installation attributes (optional)

7. Confirm settings and save system loader definition in depot

The following is an explanation of steps 2 to 7.

Assign software configuration

An overview displays all software configurations contained in this depot.
A software configuration can be selected to: simplify the product selection accept the default settings of the loader.

 

Select product

If no software configuration is selected, then all the products saved in the depot are offered for selection. Any combination is possible.

A system loader file can never be created if the combination does not conform to any software configuration!

Select the desired products or supply component version. If only the product is selected, then the current supply component packet will always be used for every system loader generation.

Assign loader modification packets

Overview of all the loader modifications to be found in the depot from which a selection can be made.

The current settings in the loader modification packets are taken into account at every system loader generation.

Assign OPT-REP setting

Overview of all the OPT-REP settings to be found in the depot from which a selection can be made.

The current settings in the OPR-REP packets are taken into account at every system loader generation.

Adapt installation attributes

The following are displayed:

• the already adapted attributes from an existing system loader definition

• an empty setting, if no software configuration was assigned

• the default settings for the assigned software configuration.

These can be modified for the system loader definition. A description of the installation attributes can be found in the following table.

 

Description of the installation attributes:

Attribute	Value	Remark
Password		A password can be used to protect the attributes from being overwritten. The password consists of up to 8 characters. If 8 blanks are entered, they are ignored. To delete a password, enter *NONE. If a password has been forgotten, it can be reset under TSOS.
Share	yes no	Definition of access authorization
Backup	yes no	Backup of the system loader file which is overwritten at installation. System loader files in BS2LOADER format are always backed up.
Installation	yes no	Installation should be carried out under the installation path name.
Information	Max	The following information is displayed on-screen when the system loader is installed: Name of the system loader and the generation version of the products in the loader, as well as the supply component version they used. All correction numbers for notebook entries which were active at creation. The system loader modifications carried out. All activated OPT-REPs.
Information	Med	The following information is displayed on-screen when the system loader is installed: Name of the system loader and the generation version. The products in the loader and the supply component version they used.
Information	Min	The following information is displayed on-screen when the system loader is installed: Name of the system loader and the generation version.
Function name	yes no	For the SUBNOs of the activated OPT-REPs, the function names are output. Only the PM numbers are output.
PUBLIC or PRIVATE		The output file can be PRIVATE if volume and device are entered.
Installation path name		Can be modified; *OWN as the user ID means that the user ID of the caller is always used. If *STD is input in the file name field, the values from the last supply component are used.
LOADER-FORMAT	BS2000 SUB-SYSTEM	BS2000 format is required at system loading; the subsystem is processed by DSSM.

Table 15: Description of installation attributes

 

Confirm and save

The settings for the system loader definition are now completely defined, but not yet saved in the depot. The following options are available:

DUE	Outputs an overview of the defined settings for further decisions
F1	Repeats modification process
F2	Saves
F3	Saves and then checks the system loader
K1	Terminates a process

Loader creation and installation

At system loader generation, an installable loader file is generated. The installation catalogs this loader file under the file name given in the system loader definition and extends the file with information about its predecessors.

The specifications required for operation, such as contents, scope and installation attributes, are contained in the system loader definition.

When selecting the system loader definition to be set up, you can stipulate whether:

1. all system loaders are to be installed regardless of their definition

2. no system loaders are to be installed, also regardless of their definition

3. the system loaders are to be generated/installed in accordance with the settings in their definitions.

Another option is the specification of an alternative catalog ID and/or user ID, with its prefix if applicable. This has the following consequences:

1. The path name of the loader file to be generated/installed is modified accordingly.

2. The “backup” parameter is ignored if

   • a prefix is entered, or

   • a user ID is entered which is not identical to the user ID in the system loader definition, or

   • *OWN is entered as the user ID in the system loader definition and the specified user ID is not identical to the caller ́s user ID.

System loader generation

An installable loader file with the following file name is created under the calling user ID: loaderdefname.loaderversion

 

System loader installation

When a system loader is installed, the selected system loader is created and cataloged under the installation name contained in the system loader definition.

Unless it has been modified manually, this installation name is the same as the loader file name required by the respective product. If a file with the same name already exists in the system, then this file will only be overwritten if it is a SAM file and also a loader file with the same product and product version. If there is a version change, such a check is not necessary and can be prevented by activating an RMS option. In interactive mode, this is performed by selecting OFF under “Check last product/version in loader file” in the “RMS options” function mask. In batch mode, this is performed by specifying NO-PRODUCT-CHECK=YES in the CREATE-RMS-OPTIONS statement.

With BS2000 system loader files and system loaders which have the setting backup = yes in their system loader definition, a file created by RMS that is to be overwritten is always backed up under the generation name. Other files are always backed up under their file names plus the suffix .RMS.ddmmyy.hhmmss. If this construction is too long for BS2000, the default file name LOADER.BACKUP.RMS.ddmmyy.hhmmss is used. This file name is incorporated into the new REP file as a comment and output at startup (REP processing), so that the old REP file can be used for a startup in case of emergency.

Unless otherwise specified, the loader files are created with predefined file protection criteria.

Repeat system loader generations

1. The System loader field must be selected in the loader generation mask.

2. Items are selected by being marked.
   In addition, the field Old version must also be marked.

3. Then an overview of all the system loaders generated with this name is output, together with the creation dates. After the desired loader version has been selected, the same system loader is generated as at the initial generation.

OPT-REP setting

All selectable corrections that are to be taken into account when the system loader is set up can be specified here. A selectable correction can be classified as belonging to one of the following groups:

• Type: O or U (an expansion of BS2000 functionality)

• Type: O or U (the reconstruction of an old procedure)

• Type: T (activates or deactivates a trace)

• Type: D (generates documents for the analysis of a problem)

To avoid problems during a version change, the selection of optional (functional) corrections is always carried out according to “family”, i.e. BS2000-GA (basic configuration) is offered, but without version designation.

Only the corrections which are found in the newest supply component version for each member of a family are offered.

Loader modifications

A loader modification packet offers the option of defining system loader-specific operations irrespective of the REP type. An example of this is a hardware-dependent REP which may only be used with certain systems.

 

Modifications options

Elements of the system loader functionality can be modified, duplicated, renamed and deleted.

• Modify everything (default)
  All settings and logical operations saved under the appropriate name in the depot can be modified.

• Modify attributes
  This field is only output for system loader definitions and software configurations. If this field is selected, the attribute settings can be edited.

• Delete
  The selected name is deleted when marked and sent off with the F1 key. If an OPT-REP setting management group or system loader modification which has already been linked with a system loader is involved, the DEL operation is performed in all system loader definitions containing this name.

• Rename
  The selected name can be given another name. All links are given the new name. The old name is no longer available.

• Copy
  The selected name can be copied under a new name. This is then available for further processing. The old name is not modified. You can only rename or copy to a name which is not already in the depot for the management group.

• Password
  This field is only output if the selected name is password-protected. To continue, the password must be entered.

Software configuration

A software configuration contains the default assignment of products to the installation file (system loader). This prevents erroneous merging and indicates any dependencies.

The product-specific software configuration is a fixed component of the delivery file. Whenever a new delivery is added, the configurations found in the depot are automatically brought up to date.

Modifying installation attributes

All the settings, except the file name, are forwarded to the next user level upon acceptance (delivery) of an REP packet.

The values modified by the user are not changed at the next acceptance (input) of the software configuration. A description of the installation attributes can be found in the table on "Loader services".

With the aid of the function “Administration software configuration”, the user can change the supplied installation attributes for every software configuration and thus set his or her own default values.