Re: Activation Groups/SQL Suggestions

Mark S. Waterbury

Hi, Joe:

If it was my shop or my decision, I would try something like this first.

1. ensure that each top-level RPGLE program always returns with *INLR =
*ON (so that it closes all files, etc.) and specify ACTGRP(*NEW) as was
suggested previously. That way, each time the program exits, the AG gets
cleaned up. Then see if any users complain about the extra time it
takes when they return to a menu option they have visited recently.

2. if many users complain, then you could change the above to
ACTGRP(named) and set *INLR = *OFF. Then, you leave everything open, as
you are doing now.

Thanks for the feedback (Mark & everyone else)...

In limited testing this morning, we have settled on the following
configuration:
* Our initial program and menu system all run in a named Activation Group
* When a menu item is launched it does so from a CLLE compiled as
ACTGRP(*NEW)
* The launching CLLE includes a RCLSRC(*) to cleanup OPM remnants
* All new/converted ILE apps use *CALLER so that they run in the ACTGRP of
the launching CLLE

So far, everything seems to be working quite nicely. Our box is pretty
fast, so I do not anticipate complaints about program launch speed, but if
they arise we will deal with them.

A deciding factor on using *NEW was our codebase. We are not starting a
new application from scratch, so using *NEW seemed to fit in with the
original program design. They were all OPM programs and very few (if any)
ever exit with *INLR = *OFF.

*NEW helps keep things clean and seems to have a lower risk factor when
dealing with the legacy apps.

Thanks again to all for your ideas and suggestions.
JD