Knowledge Base > Automation Engine and Target Systems > NSK > Agent - Combining the AE and NSK

Agent - Interaction Between Automation Engine and NSK

The NSK agent works together with the AE system via a TCP/IP interface.

The NSK agent provides the following functions:

Job Processing
Execution of file transfers
CallAPI

Processing Jobs

In AE, jobs are defined and maintained in the form of objects which include various tabs. Commands and statements are stored in the Process tab. It can be provided with a complex logic using the AE Script elements.
See: User Guide - Job and Job Execution

Depending on the type of command (Guardian, NetBatch and OSS), several sub-types are available for NSK jobs.

In AE, jobs can start either manually or via control mechanisms such as workflows or schedules. Thus, an executable job is generated and transferred to the NSK agent via file transfer.
See: Inside AE Guide - Executing Objects

Jobs are processed with the login information (group name.user nameName of the Automation Engine user.) specified in the Login object which can be selected in the Attributes tab.

The table below lists passwordA secret combination of characters for a Automation Engine user. requirements for the Login object.

Agent's User ID	Entry in Login object
GROUP.USER	A password is required if the job runs under another group name.user name
GROUP.255	A password is required if the job runs under another group name
255.255	No password is required

Recommended Configuration:

Start the NSK agent with the User ID. SUPER.SUPER is usually not required. User settings must be adjusted to working requirements.
Define group name.user name in Login objects.
Set parameter logon=1 in the INI file of the NSK agent.
Specify the default user ERP_LOGIN in the client 0000. Use a valid User ID/password combination but make surel to select a user who has been assigned very few rights. This user only serves to equip TACL processes intended to be reused with as few rights as possible. These TACL processes are then very safe and less error-prone).

Each job notifies the agent about the beginning and end of an execution. The agent then passes this information on to the Automation Engine. The job's return code can be accessed in AE via Headers and Trailers.

Header and Trailer contents are automatically added to the script defined in the job. The variable "RETCODE" is defined in an NSK-specific Header. The content of this variable is transferred to the Automation Engine when the job ends. This value is the job's return code. It can be used to define dependencies between individual jobs in a workflow.

The following user-defined Header and Trailer can be used to set the "RETCODE" to "1" if a syntax error occurs in the script: HEADER.NSK.USER.HEAD, TRAILER.NSK.USER.HEAD and RESTART.NSK

The agent creates files for job reports (if specified at the object) and the jobs on the computer. Their names are structured as shown in the table below:

	Description
Job file	<UC_EX_PATH_TEMP>J<RunID>
Job-report file	<UC_EX_PATH_JOBREPORT>O<RunID>

UC_EX_PATH_TEMP and UC_EX_PATH_JOBREPORT are agent variables. The RunID is a string consisting of 7 to 10 digits which can be used in the statistics search or converted to the appropriate number using the script function ALPHA2RUNNR.

Execution of File Transfers

In AE, file transfers are defined and maintained in the form of objects which include various tabs. They are executed with their defined character conversion (e.g. "UC_CODE").

Peculiarities: The NSK agent handles each file transfer order with an extra process if the new file transfer protocol is used. The agent has an additional listener port to provide this function. This port has the next higher number when compared to the agent port.

You can specify additional attributes for the target file in the FileTransfer object (target - attributes) or assume the source file's attributes (option "Keep original file attributes"). The original attributes can be overwritten with additional definitions in the FileTransfer object. The following NSK file attributes are supported:

Attribut	Description
CREATE_OPTS	Options for file creation, bit mask (<15> is the lowest bit of a 2-byte word): <10>Refresh EOF - has the effect that the file label is immediately written to the hard disk. <11> Index compression - entries in the index block of key sequenced files are compressed. For other file types, use the value 0. <12> Data compression - keys of entries in the data blocks of key sequenced files are compressed. Value 0 is required for other file types. <13> Audit compression - data of audited files is compressed. <14> Audited - checks the file in the Transaction Management Facility (TMF) subsystem. Systems without TMF require value 0. <15> Odd unstructured - number of I/O transfers of unstructured files. With this option not being set, the transfers are rounded to an even byte limit. Other file types require the value 0.
File format	This attribute is automatically set, based on the file's current size. 1 - for files below 2GB, 2 - for all other files
FILECODE	Not relevant if only text and binary files are transferred.
FILETYPE	0 - unstructured 1 - relative 2 - entry sequenced 3 - key sequenced Not relevant if only text and binary files are transferred.
KEY_LEN	Not relevant if only text and binary files are transferred.
KEY_OFFS	Not relevant if only text and binary files are transferred.
MAXEXT	Maximum number of extents for the file.
PEXT	Number of 2k pages for the primary extent.
RECLEN	Not relevant if only text and binary files are transferred.
SEXT	Number of 2k pages for secondary extents.

See: User Guide - File Transfer

Call Interface

The CallAPI enables you to execute calls in AE from your own programs. You can also use a CallAPI without any programming being required if you use a utility which you can call from the command line of the OS or from an executable file, for example.