Software AG Glossary

Access Control Facility 2. A complete security and access control software suite designed for IBM mainframes.

Software AG’s high-performance database for large-scale transaction processing on IBM z/OS, Linux, and cloud environments.

In Adabas, a file is the database structure that stores records and fields for an application’s data.

The virtual memory area the system creates for a user, batch job, or system task to run programs and hold data.

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. Although the original term includes JavaScript in its name, all programming languages can fetch data asynchronously.

Application Programming Interface. A defined way for one application or service to communicate with another.

Software that provides a managed environment for running business applications and handling services such as security, transactions, and data exchange.

A NaturalONE capability used to test Natural objects and create unit tests so teams can validate behavior earlier in the lifecycle.

A predefined set of processing steps submitted to the system to run with little or no user interaction.

Running one or more jobs in the background with minimal user interaction, often for scheduled or high-volume work.

A reusable service interface created from business logic so applications or integrations can call it more easily.

The CONNX repository that stores metadata about connected data sources and helps present them in a usable, business-friendly form.

A commonly used term for the physical mainframe hardware “box” that includes processors, memory, timers, and channels.

IBM’s transaction processing and application server environment on z/OS for running high-volume business applications online.

Command-Line Interface. Text-based interaction with a computer system.

Common Business-Oriented Language. A long-established business programming language that is still widely used for core transaction processing on IBM Z.

Editor help in NaturalONE that speeds development with features such as syntax coloring and content assistance.

Tools that create program components, such as subprograms or data areas, from models or definitions to accelerate development.

Converts one programming language to another.

Software AG’s data integration solution for accessing, virtualizing, and moving data across mainframe, legacy, distributed, and cloud systems.

The client-side component, often based on ODBC or JDBC, that submits requests to CONNX and returns results to applications.

The server component that translates SQL requests into the native requests understood by the target database.

Central Processor. A general-purpose processing engine that can run most types of workloads in a mainframe environment.

Central Processing Complex. Physical collection of hardware components used in a computing system.

Central Processing Unit. The brain of the computer. The more power it has, the more computations in can perform in a given time period.

Direct Access Storage Device. The most common type of mainframe storage device, it allows data to be written/read directly without processing it sequentially first.

The ability to retrieve or update data from source systems, ideally through standard interfaces instead of custom point-to-point code.

A NaturalONE feature for quickly querying Adabas or SQL databases and viewing the results during development or testing.

A structured catalog of metadata about data structures, fields, rules, and related definitions.

Presenting data from multiple systems as if it were one unified source, without necessarily moving the data first.

Connecting data across systems so applications, analytics, and business processes can use it more easily.

Copying or transferring data from one platform or database to another for analytics, cloud, modernization, or operational use.

Keeping copies of data synchronized across systems, often to support analytics, availability, or cloud use cases.

Keeping data in two or more systems consistent as changes occur.

Giving users and applications a real-time view of data from many systems without first consolidating it into one physical database.

A logical representation of selected database fields used by Natural programs instead of the full physical file structure.

IBM’s database platform; on IBM Z, Db2 for z/OS is commonly used for high-volume enterprise data and SQL workloads.

Database Administrators. DBAs are tasked with maintaining, securing, and managing databases, ensuring data is properly stored and retrieved.

Data Definition Module. Natural’s logical definition of a physical database file, describing fields in a way Natural programs can use.

Finding and fixing problems in application code during development or testing.

Moving an application from development into a runtime environment where users or downstream systems can use it.

In Adabas and Natural, a field used to control logical reading or searching, similar to using a key or indexed access point.

Development Operations. A way of working that brings development and operations closer together to improve speed, quality, and repeatability.

The CONNX query engine that splits processing between client and server to improve scalability and reduce load on source systems.

Protecting data by converting it into a form that unauthorized users cannot easily read, helping support privacy and compliance.

External Security Manager. Security software, such as RACF, that protects systems and resources from unauthorized access.

Extract, Transform, Load. A workflow that copies, cleans, and transfers data from one location to another.

Field Definition Table. The Adabas structure that defines the fields and layout of a file.

General Processor. The same as a Central Processor

Graphics Processing Unit. A specialized processor designed to handle complex tasks that require simultaneous computation

Graphical User Interface. A visual interface with windows, views, and editors rather than command-line-only interaction.

The ability of a system or service to stay ready and usable when needed, with minimal downtime.

Increase computing capacity by adding more machines and distributing the work amongst those machines.

An operating model that connects on-premises systems with cloud services so applications and data can work across both.

Software that lets one physical system host many virtual machines, each with its own operating environment.

Input/Output. The movement of data between the system and devices, storage, or networks.

IBM’s current mainframe platform, used for secure, resilient, and highly scalable enterprise workloads.

A data structure used to speed up finding records or rows without scanning everything.

CONNX’s desktop query and reporting tool for accessing enterprise and legacy data without heavy IT involvement.

Internet of Things. A network of devices with sensors, software, and connectivity that collect and exchange data over the internet automatically.

Intrusion Prevention System. A network security tool that scans incoming traffic to block malicious activities like malware and attacks.

Internal Sequence Number. The Adabas internal record identifier used for physical or ISN-based access to records.

Independent Software Vendor. A company that develops and sells software to run on the IBM Z mainframe

Job Control Language. A scripting language employed on IBM mainframe computers to direct the operating system (such as z/OS) to execute batch jobs.

Java Database Connectivity. A Java-based way for applications to connect to and work with databases, supported by CONNX.

A Software AG product that compiles COBOL workloads into zIIP-eligible Java bytecode to free general processor capacity without changing source code.

Java Virtual Machine. An abstract machine providing the runtime environment for Java applications.

A streaming platform that CONNX can feed with real-time mainframe data to support event-driven applications, data pipelines, and analytics.

Kernel-based Virtual Machine. An open source virtualization technology that allows systems to run multiple virtual machines, each with its own operating system.

A measure of delay in a system; the time it takes for data or a request to travel from one point to another and come back with a response. Lower latency generally means faster response time.

Running Linux workloads directly on IBM Z hardware, often to consolidate applications, containers, and databases with strong security and scalability.

Logical Partition. A secure, isolated slice of a physical IBM Z system that can run its own operating system and workload.

A class of enterprise computer built for very high reliability, security, throughput, and large-scale transaction processing.

Data that describes other data, such as table structures, field names, types, and security rules.

Million Instructions Per Second. It is the raw processing power of a Central Processing Unit. It is analogous to horsepower in a car engine.

Updating applications, data access, tooling, or deployment approaches so existing systems work better with current business and technical needs.

Tracking system or application behavior so teams can see health, performance, and issues sooner.

Million Service Units. A measure of the mainframe’s consumption of resources, it’s analogous to the fuel consumed by a car. It’s typically used in capacity planning and software pricing,

An Adabas field that can hold more than one value within a single record.

Software AG’s programming language for building enterprise applications on IBM z/OS, Linux, and cloud platforms.

The execution environment that runs Natural applications after they are developed and deployed.

A server-side Natural environment that NaturalONE can connect to for editing, cataloging, executing, and debugging objects.

A callable service built with Natural logic, often exposed for reuse by other applications or interfaces.

The editable source code for a Natural application or object.

Software AG’s Eclipse-based development environment for developing and maintaining Natural applications, including testing, documentation, versioning, and deployment support.

Natural Development Server. A component by Software AG that enables developers to edit, test, and manage Software AG Natural applications in remote or mainframe environments from their local desktop

Natural Availability Server- HA Mode. A Software AG component that provides high availability for Natural applications, enabling failover without significant disruption.

Open Database Connectivity. A standard interface for connecting reporting, analytics, and development tools to data sources through drivers such as the CONNX ODBC driver.

Moving eligible workload from one processor type or execution path to another to improve efficiency or free constrained capacity.

OpenID Connect. An authentication protocol developed on the foundation of OAuth 2.0

Online Transaction Processing. Running transactions interactively and in real time as users or systems submit requests.

Periodic Group. In Adabas, a repeating group of related fields that can occur multiple times within one record.

Software AG’s documentation and design environment used to describe Natural sources, manage external objects, and maintain definitions such as DDMs.

The amount of processing headroom a system has available for current and future workloads.

Processing Unit. A generic term for any processing engine within a mainframe. It can be a CPU, zIIP, or several others.

A description of how a system intends to execute a query, which helps teams understand and improve performance.

Rolling 4-Hour Average Peak. The mainframe’s peak average CPU usage, measured in MSUs, over any four-hour rolling window during a billing cycle.

Resource Access Control Facility. IBM security software commonly used on z/OS to control access to users, systems, and resources.

Random Access Memory. Easy and fast for processors to access, but does not persist on system reset.

Using data or services immediately as changes happen, instead of waiting for scheduled batch movement.

Software used to query data and present it in reports, dashboards, or exports for business use.

The ability of a system to continue operating and recover quickly when hardware, software, or operational problems occur.

The ability of a platform or application to handle more work as demand grows without a major redesign.

The logical structure of a database, typically presented as a graphic or drawing

A system or process that provides another system or process (the client) with access to data, services, programs, or resources.

Service Level Agreement. A commitment to service targets such as uptime, response time, or transaction performance.

Structured Query Language. The standard language used to query and manage relational data.

A gateway layer that uses SQL as the access method to data that may not natively expose a relational SQL interface.

Secure Shell. A secure, encrypted network protocol that enables users to remotely access, control, and manage a computer over an insecure network.

Single Sign-On. An authentication approach that allows users to log in once and gain access to multiple systems without re-entering credentials for each one.

The amount of work a system can process in a given time, such as transactions or data requests per second.

A leading External Security Manager (ESM) software designed to safeguard IBM z/OS mainframes. It operates similarly to a mainframe-equivalent of Active Directory, managing user identities, controlling access to databases such as Db2, and maintaining compliance across enterprise, cloud, and transactional environments.

Transaction Processing. The coordinated execution of business transactions with attention to speed, accuracy, and data integrity.

A unit of business work, such as checking a balance or placing an order, that must be processed reliably and completely.

Managing source changes over time so teams can track revisions, merge work, and support controlled deployment.

The abilithy to add processing power or storage capacity to a single machine to expand its capabilities. It is critical when handling workload spikes.

Technology that lets one physical system run many isolated workloads, improving consolidation and resource use.

Virtual Machine. A software-defined system that behaves like a separate computer and runs its own operating system and applications.

Virtual Storage Access Method. A z/OS data access method commonly used for indexed and sequential business data sets.

The set of applications, jobs, and transactions a system is processing.

The Eclipse-based project area in NaturalONE where source files, objects, and related assets are organized for development.

IBM’s flagship mainframe operating system for mission-critical workloads and core enterprise applications.

IBM’s mainframe operating system that’s specifically designed to handle high-volume, real-time transaction processing

IBM’s mainframe virtualization operating system and hypervisor for running many virtual machines, including large numbers of Linux guests.

IBM’s mainframe operating system that is designed to be simple and lightweight for small to medium workloads.

Z Integrated Information Processor. A specialty engine that can run eligible workloads to help free up general-purpose processor capacity.

Z On-Premises Development. A program run by IBM that allows companies to innovate directly within an IBM Z environment that lives in their data center