JR42922: PROBLEMS WITH TRANSFORMER NULL TESTING EXPRESSIONS WHEN RUNNING WITH APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING is set

IBM InfoSphere Information Server, Version 8.5 Fix Pack 3

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Information Server 8.5 changed how the parallel
  engine
  Transformer stage handles columns that contain null values.
  These changes were described in Tech Note 1514921.
  
  After InfoSphere Information Server 8.5 shipped,  issues in the
  default null handling behavior of Version 8.5, and problems with
  the implementation of the InfoSphere Information Server 8.1
  compatibility mode  were discovered .
  Jobs that process nulls in Transformer stages show different
  behavior when migrated from 8.1 to 8.5, even when legacy null
  handling (APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING ) is set.
  
  In IS 8.1 Nulls can be converted to other values using any of
  the following 3 functions
   NullToEmpty()
   NullToZero()
   NullToValue()
  
  Even with  APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING  set, in IS
  8.5 these functions do not work the same way they did in
  InfoSphere Information Server 8.1 .  In particular, without this
  fix some rows which were not rejected in IS 8.1  were being
  rejected in IS 8.5
  The fix for this APAR makes the treatment of rows containing
  NULL columns the same in IS 8.5 and IS 8.1, when
  APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING is set. .
  
  NOTE:S
  1. The patch for this APAR also includes the fix for APAR
  JR40637.
  APAR JR40637 concerns problems in transformer compilation  when
  APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING  is not set.
  
  2. This APAR replaces  APAR JR42336.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• After InfoSphere Information Server 8.5 shipped,  issues in the
  default null handling behavior of Version 8.5, and problems with
  the implementation of the InfoSphere Information Server 8.1
  compatibility mode  were discovered .
  Jobs that process nulls in Transformer stages show different
  behavior when migrated from 8.1 to 8.5, even when legacy null
  handling (APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING ) is set.
  
  In IS 8.1 Nulls can be converted to other values using any of
  the following 3 functions
  ú   NullToEmpty()
  ú NullToZero()
  ú NullToValue()
  
  Even with  APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING  set, in IS
  8.5 these functions do not work the same way they did in
  InfoSphere Information Server 8.1 .  In particular, without this
  fix some rows which were not rejected in IS 8.1  were being
  rejected in IS 8.5
  The fix for this APAR makes the treatment of rows containing
  NULL columns the same in IS 8.5 and IS 8.1, when
  APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING is set. .
  
  NOTES
  1. The patch for this APAR also included the fix for APAR
  JR40637.
  APAR JR40637 concerns problems in transformer compilation  when
  APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING  is not set.
  2. This APAR replaces  APAR JR42336.
  

Problem conclusion

• Install the patch associated with this APAR
  NOTES
  1. The patch for this APAR also included the fix for APAR
  JR40637.
  APAR JR40637 concerns problems in transformer compilation  when
  APT_TRANSFORM_COMPILE_OLD_NULL_HANDLING  is not set.
  2. This APAR replaces  APAR JR42336.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  WIS DATASTAGE

• Fixed component ID

  5724Q36DS

Applicable component levels

• R850 PSY

     UP

• R870 PSY

     UP