The NOMAD IMS Interface is a powerful tool for unlocking the information held in IMS databases. |
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For all these companies, the NOMAD IMS Interface delivers the resource control, security and seamless access to multiple data sources needed for their productive use of IMS data. Using the IMS Interface Schema Generation The NOMAD IMS Interface is easy to use. NOMAD's Schema language is used to describe an IMS database. NOMAD provides an automated IMSSCHEM facility that retrieves the necessary information from the IMS libraries and the Interface Control file and generates a skeletal NOMAD Schema. The user then edits the Schema file, adding additional NOMAD attributes such as headings and display formats, allocates the dataset and compiles the Schema. The user can then access this data with no knowledge of IMS structure. Access to Multiple File Types You can define a database that contains descriptions of multiple file types so that your database can, for example, contain NOMAD files, IMS files, DB2 tables and VSAM files. You always have a consistent view of the data, because NOMAD retrieval and analysis commands operate identically on all supported file types, and there are no special sub-environments to access. Interface Facilities Centralized Data Definition Control The Schema, NOMAD's internal data dictionary, provides data validation checks, security constraints, null values and display and internal formats. Automatic Data Synchronization NOMAD protects the integrity of your data by checking the NOMAD definition against the definition of the file you are accessing (IMS, DB2, etc.) and denies access if there is a mismatch. This is an important capability for preventing corruption of databases, or, in the case of a read-only interface, of reporting incorrect information. Important Security Features Complete control of the data-down to the item level-is provided with NOMAD's powerful security features, which can be combined with any in-house security package. In addition, users such as a Database Administrator (DBA) can create a control file tailored to specific needs. This file can control password access, the number of simultaneous users and the limit on DL/I calls generated without interruption by a specific user. Audit Facility for Tracking Data Access and Security Violations The IMS Interface automatically tracks all attempted connections (successful or not) and writes them to a NOMAD database where they can be easily queried. Other captured information includes databases accessed, userids and accounts with time stamps, number of DL/I calls, number of positioning commands (FIRST record, NEXT record, LOCATE, etc.) and use of the NOMAD SELECT command, which performs efficient data screening. Optionally, the IMS DIAGNOSE command causes the interface to track each DL/I command code and Segment Search Argument (SSA) in the audit file. These DIAGNOSE records are time-stamped when passed to IMS and again when data is returned. This is a useful feature in performance tuning. With this information, the efficiency of IMS access by NOMAD users can be monitored to help achieve better resource control. Query and Control Commands The NOMAD IMS Interface provides special commands for database allocation, server quiescence, server shutdown and database activity monitoring. The number of records retrieved for NOMAD and the number of DL/I calls initiated by a single request are also controllable. This ensures a fairer distribution of database access to users requesting simultaneous retrieval. In addition, the DBA can set limits on the number of accesses both DL/I calls and record limits by an individual user, thus avoiding inadvertent attempts to withdraw huge amounts of data. NOMAD for the Production Environment The NOMAD IMS Interface has many performance features as well as two modes of operation to facilitate use in a production environment. Resource Efficiency Facilities NOMAD has several facilities for improving the efficiency of data retrieval. These include the SELECT command, TEST clause and &INSTANCE_LIMIT variable. |
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Optional Selection Strategies The Interface can be used in either single- or multi-user mode, based on installation requirements and user need for data. |
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The Interface Environment The NOMAD IMS Interface executes as an interactive program providing read-only access to IMS databases. The Interface can be used with IMS databases being updated through IMS/DC, CICS or IMS Batch. The interface runs under ISPF, TSO, MVS Batch or TSO Batch. When run as a batch program under the Batch Message Processor, it provides flexibility for maintaining databases while reporting is performed. Additionally, in combination with the NOMAD MVS Session Manager, which allows multiple users to share the same address space outside TSO, access from CICS and VTAM is supported. |
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