Software Product Description _________________________________________________________ PRODUCT NAME: VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Man- agement System) DESCRIPTION VAX ACMS is a transaction processing (TP) monitor designed for the VMS Operating System. VAX ACMS works with other Dig- ital Equipment Corporation commercial application software products to provide users with a complete and customizable development and run-time environment for transaction pro- cessing applications such as order tracking, accounting and billing, shop floor control, and insurance claims process- ing. VAX ACMS software helps users through the entire applica- tion development life cycle, including the installation, plan- ning, design, development, testing, implementation, manage- ment, and maintenance of complex TP applications. VAX ACMS provides a special-purpose application definition language for structured definition of TP application functions and run-time characteristics. VAX ACMS makes efficient use of the VMS Operating System and associated hardware resources, making VAX ACMS particularly suited to mission-critical applications that require high throughput and performance. VAX ACMS provides integration with the following Digital lay- ered products: o DECforms or VAX TDMS for forms management o VAX CDD/Plus for the creation, analysis, and administra- tion of metadata DIGITAL May 1991 AE-Y995K-TE VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) o VAX Rdb/VMS, VAX DBMS, and VMS RMS for data management o DECtrace for VMS for performance event data collection o DECtp Desktop for ACMS for multi-vendor client access to ACMS applications o All VAX languages and tools for application development Because VAX ACMS is designed to allow for modular implemen- tation as well as development, users can separate and dis- tribute front-end processing (data input/output operations such as forms processing) from back-end processing (data cal- culations and database storage). In addition, VAX ACMS al- lows users the use of non-standard terminal or I/O devices (such as bar-code readers and ATMs). Features o Application Development Environment o Run-time System o Application Management and Control o Front-End/Back-End Processing o Presentation Services o Database Management o Data Dictionary o Queuing o Security o VAXcluster Environment/Availability o ACMS Run-time Option o ACMS Remote Access Option o Documentation Set Application Development Environment 2 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) VAX ACMS uses a high-level, English-like definition language that replaces system service calls for most TP application functions. Using the VAX ACMS Application Definition Util- ity, a programmer can: o Structure all application work into three basic steps: - Exchange steps for terminal I/O processing - Processing steps for database access and general com- putation - Block steps for performing work common to several pro- cessing and exchange steps o Control task execution and flow using conditional state- ments such as IF THEN ... ELSE, WHILE DO, SELECT FIRST, and CONTROL FIELD syntax in conjunction with Boolean ex- pressions o Define and implement subroutine transactions using the CALL TASK syntax o Create menus and hierarchies of menus o Define resources used to execute transactions, such as servers, workspaces and audit trails o Start and end database RECOVERY units VAX ACMS also includes the ACMS Task Debugger to debug VAX ACMS definitions and servers. Run-time System VAX ACMS includes a complete run-time system for implement- ing application definitions. The VAX ACMS Run-time System is made up of eight specialized processes (four manage the processing of a transaction, and four monitor and control the run-time system). 3 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) The following VAX ACMS processes manage the work within ACMS transactions: o Command Process (CP) - Manages logins and interaction be- tween terminals and VAX ACMS. CPs can be multi-threaded (one CP process can handle menuing and forms I/O for many VAX ACMS terminals simultaneously). The CP passes input data to the Application Execution Controller (EXC) for processing by a server. o Application Execution Controller (EXC) - Controls task execution for all the tasks in an application. Each ap- plication has its own EXC process, which starts up and controls the server processes needed to handle process- ing work for tasks. o Server Process (SP) - Carries out the high-level program- ming language routines or DCL routines that handle a task's processing work and database or file I/O. Programmers link their routines to the VAX ACMS-supplied main program to create customized servers for database access, computa- tion and other functions. o Queued Task Initiator (QTI) - Removes task elements from a task queue and initiates their execution in a speci- fied application. Queued tasks are tasks placed in a queue for later execution. Queued tasks cannot collect input data, but otherwise are the same as any other VAX ACMS task. The VAX ACMS processes that monitor and control the run-time system are: o VAX ACMS Application Central Controller (ACC) - Acts as the central control point for VAX ACMS run-time systems. The ACC starts and controls the Terminal Subsystem Con- troller, the QTI, the EXC, and the audit trail log. The ACC process must be started and running on each computer system where VAX ACMS applications are used. 4 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) o Audit Trail Log (ATL) - Writes information about a run- ning VAX ACMS system to the audit trail log file. The ATL keeps a record of when the VAX ACMS system starts and stops, when users log in, and when applications and tasks start and stop. o Terminal Subsystem Controller (TSC) - Creates and con- trols the number of active Command Processes (CPs) and assigns terminals to CPs. The TSC starts and stops CPs as needed, and controls which terminals can access VAX ACMS. o Software Event Logger (SWL) - Records all ACMS internal software errors and event messages that occur during the execution of VAX ACMS application programs. Communications among these run-time processes can occur on a single computer system or between more than one computer in a VAXcluster system or DECnet network. For example, a Com- mand Process (CP) on one computer system can initiate a task within an application on another computer system. Application Management and Control Once an application is developed, the user moves that ap- plication into a production (real-use) environment. VAX ACMS provides support for VAX ACMS applications used in a pro- duction environment. VAX ACMS includes seven utilities for defining, monitoring and modifying application management characteristics: o VAX ACMSGEN - Modifies and displays VAX ACMS system pa- rameters. o Application Authorization Utility (AAU) - Authorizes ap- plications to be installed. o User Definition Utility (UDU) - Authorizes users to log in to VAX ACMS and assigns login displays, including de- fault menus, to VAX ACMS users. 5 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) o Device Definition Utility (DDU) - Authorizes VAX ACMS ter- minals and, optionally, defines captive terminals to log in directly to VAX ACMS. o Queue Manager (QUEMGR) - Creates and manages VAX ACMS task queues and queued task elements. o Software Event Log Utility Program (SWLUP) - Creates re- ports of selected events recorded by the Software Event Logger. o Audit Trail Report Utility (ATR) - Returns records of ap- plication and user activity. In addition to the utilities, VAX ACMS also provides users with the following additional support for application man- agement and control: o VAX ACMS Operator Commands - Perform standard operator functions such as starting and stopping the VAX ACMS sys- tem, the TSC (Terminal Subsystem Controller) process, the QTI process and ACMS applications o Command Procedures - Evaluate and modify the values of VMS and VAX ACMS system parameters, and VAX ACMS run-time process quotas Front-End/Back-End Processing (Client/Server Processing) In VAX ACMS, terminal, menu, and other I/O functions are sep- arated from database or file processing and computational functions. The terminal and menu functions are handled on the front-end of the transaction processing system, while task flow control, data processing, and computations are per- formed on the back-end of the system. The separation of functions in VAX ACMS (called the client /server model) can be implemented on a single node or on mul- tiple nodes in a DECnet network. Because the VAX ACMS client /server model always provides separate front and back ends, 6 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) users can at any time off-load the front-end to another com- puter system without reprogramming the application code. The VAX ACMS Systems Interface (SI) lets users write front- end programs, or agents, to support specialized devices such as bar-code readers and automatic teller machines. VAX ACMS includes support for failover in a distributed en- vironment. If one VAX processor is not available to process a transaction, VAX ACMS can automatically route the trans- action to another application running on an available pro- cessor. Presentation Services Users select and run VAX ACMS tasks from menus. To create menus, VAX ACMS supports DECforms as its primary presenta- tion service. In addition, VAX ACMS provides support for VAX TDMS and other presentation service products. VAX ACMS also provides support for other presentation ser- vice products through the VAX ACMS Request Interface and Sys- tems Interface. The Request Interface lets users use pre- sentation services other than DECforms or TDMS for I/O func- tions limited to one user per process. The Systems Inter- face lets users use presentation services for single-user or multiple-user I/O functions. Database Management VAX ACMS includes support in its definition language for start- ing and ending database transactions/recovery units through a database management system. Data products supported in- clude VAX Rdb/VMS (including SQL), RMS, and VAX DBMS. Using the DECdtm component of the VMS Operating System, VAX ACMS lets users coordinate operations on multiple recoverable re- sources (such as databases and files) within a single atomic transaction. Users can perform operations on multiple databases through a single transaction, and ensure atomicity (that is, 7 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) if the transaction fails, any changes made to databases, files, or VAX ACMS queues are rolled back to their previous state before the transaction started). Support for DECdtm is in- troduced in VAX ACMS V3.2. VAX ACMS applications can also access other data management products or file management systems that support the VMS call- ing standard. Data Dictionary VAX ACMS supports the VAX CDD/Plus data dictionary. VAX ACMS stores application definitions in VAX CDD/Plus directories and uses VAX CDD/Plus record definitions for its workspaces. Queuing Some VAX ACMS applications require that the data be collected and stored in a temporary storage area (queue) for the ap- plication to process at another time. The VAX ACMS queuing facility lets users create and manage VAX ACMS task queues. ACMS queue services are used to place/remove tasks on/off ACMS task queues. Security VAX ACMS ensures that the user's data remains secure by giv- ing the user control over which users have access to VAX ACMS. Using VMS and VAX ACMS authorization facilities users can: o Authorize users to use VAX ACMS o Control terminals connecting to VAX ACMS o Limit the applications a user can run VAX ACMS includes transaction security in the form of ac- cess control lists (ACLs) in the definition language. When- ever a user selects a transaction, that user's VMS identi- fier is checked against the ACL defined for that transac- tion to determine if that user is allowed to execute that transaction. 8 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) VAXcluster Environment/Availability In a VAXcluster environment, VAX ACMS applications support highly available configurations that help avoid single points of system failure. VAX ACMS includes support for failover in a VAXcluster en- vironment. If one VAXcluster processor is not available to process a transaction, VAX ACMS can automatically route the transaction to another application running on an available processor that shares the same data. VAX ACMS can improve the performance of a database manage- ment system in a VAXcluster environment by allowing the use of the client/server model to run database servers on a sin- gle processor. VAX ACMS Run-time Option The VAX ACMS Run-time Option is a subset of VAX ACMS, which lets users run existing VAX ACMS applications or programs and change application attributes (for example, menu def- initions). The purpose of the Run-time Option is to support the execution of applications developed on a host machine using the development version of this product, and to run on production machines. VAX ACMS Remote Access Option The VAX ACMS Remote Access Option is a subset of the Run- time Option and provides the ability to place users and the terminal I/O associated with them on a separate VAX system, offloaded from the application VAX or VAXcluster. Documentation VAX ACMS includes a complete and comprehensive documenta- tion set. Introductory manuals explain VAX ACMS concepts and components to new users. Advanced guides describe, in task- oriented style, how to design, build and manage VAX ACMS ap- plications. Complete reference information is also provided. 9 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) Included with VAX ACMS documentation is a transaction pro- cessing case study that describes each step in the design, development, implementation and testing of a sample reser- vations processing application. The VAX ACMS documentation (QA-079AA-GZ) set consists of the following manuals: VAX ACMS Getting Started Step-by-step tutorial for developing a simple VAX ACMS ap- plication using VAX DECforms, VAX CDD/Plus, and an RMS file. VAX ACMS Installation Guide Description of installation requirements, step-by-step in- stallation instructions, and post installation tasks. VAX ACMS Release Notes Specific information related to the most current version of VAX ACMS and material added too late for publication in other VAX ACMS documents. VAX ACMS Concepts and Design Guidelines Detailed description of VAX ACMS concepts and guidelines for designing a VAX ACMS application. VAX ACMS Writing Applications Description of how to write task, task group, application, and menu definitions using the Application Definition Util- ity (ADU). VAX ACMS Writing Server Procedures Description of how to write, debug, and run procedures for VAX ACMS applications, including procedures that access VAX Rdb/VMS, VAX DBMS, and RMS resource managers. VAX ACMS Systems Interface Programming 10 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) Description of how to use Systems Interface (SI) Services to submit tasks to a VAX ACMS system from outside VAX ACMS. VAX ACMS ADU Reference Manual Reference information regarding commands, phrases, and clauses of the Application Definition Utility (ADU). VAX ACMS Managing Applications Description of how to authorize, install, run, and manage VAX ACMS applications, and how to control the VAX ACMS sys- tem and its components. VAX ACMS AVERTZ Demo Guide Overview of the AVERTZ application, which is an online, run- ning sample that ships with the VAX ACMS kit. VAX ACMS Quick Reference Guide Complete list of VAX ACMS syntax with brief descriptions. VAX ACMS Master Index Comprehensive listing of all index entries in the documen- tation set. A TP System Case Study Detailed look at a sample AVERTZ application with an empha- sis on how users can use a suite of Digital products to de- velop a complete TP system. This manual shows how to design and develop a database and application for a fictional car rental company. VAX ACMS also includes two sample applications: AVERTZ which is based on the transaction processing requirements of a fic- tional car rental firm; and a Personnel Application from the VAX ACMS Getting Started tutorial. 11 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS VAX, MicroVAX, VAXserver or VAXstation configuration as spec- ified in the System Support Addendum (SSA 25.50.10-x). SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS* For VAX ACMS o VMS Operating System o VAX CDD/Plus For VAX ACMS Run-time Option o VMS Operating System For VAX ACMS Remote Access Option o VMS Operating System o DECnet-VAX * Refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA 25.50.10-x) for availability and required versions of prerequisite/optional software. ORDERING INFORMATION Software Licenses: Development System: QL-079A*-** Run-time: QL-076A*-** Remote Access: QL-Y30A*-** Software Media: Development System: QA-079A*-** Run-time: QA-076A*-** Remote Access: QA-Y30A*-** 12 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) Software Documentation: Development System: QA-079AA-GZ Run-time: QA-076AA-GZ Remote Access: QA-Y30AA-GZ Software Product Services: Development System: QT-079A*-** Run-time: QT-076A*-** Remote Access: QT-Y30A*-** * Denotes variant fields. For additional information on avail- able licenses, services, and media, refer to the appro- priate price book. SOFTWARE LICENSING VAX ACMS licenses also include the right to use the Desk- top Server for VMS component of DECtp Desktop for ACMS. DECtp Desktop for ACMS has separate documentation, media kits and service products. Refer to the DECtp Desktop for ACMS Soft- ware Product Description (SPD 34.81.xx) for further infor- mation. This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of Digital Equipment Corporation's Standard Terms and Con- ditions. For more information about Digital's licensing terms and policies, contact your local Digital office. LICENSE MANAGEMENT FACILITY SUPPORT This layered product supports the VMS License Management Fa- cility. License units for this product are allocated on a CPU-capacity basis. 13 VAX ACMS, Version 3.2 SPD 25.50.10 (Application Control and Management System) For more information on the License Management Facility, re- fer to the VMS Operating System Software Product Descrip- tion (SPD 25.01.xx) or the License Management Facility man- ual of the VMS Operating System documentation set. For more information about Digital's licensing terms and poli- cies, contact your local Digital office. SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES A variety of service options are available from Digital. For more information, contact your local Digital office. SOFTWARE WARRANTY Warranty for this software product is provided by Digital with the purchase of a license for the product as defined in the Software Warranty Addendum of this SPD. [TM]The DIGITAL Logo, ALL-IN-1, ACMS, CDD/Plus, CI, DEC, DECdtm, DECforms, DECnet, DECtp, DECtrace, MicroVAX, MicroVMS, VAX, VAX ACMS, VAX Ada, VAX BASIC, VAX C, VAX COBOl, VAX DATATRIEVE, VAX DBMS, VAX DIBOL, VAX FMS, VAX FORTRAN, VAX PASCAL, VAX RALLY, VAX Rdb/VMS, VAX TEAMDATA, VAXset, VAXcluster, VMS, VAXstation, and VAXserver are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. 14