Types of failure

The following descriptions should help you determine which condition best describes the type of failure that has occurred. If you do not know which condition to select, choose one that best describes the failure. You should consult the CICS® Problem Determination Guide for additional information on abends, waits, loops, and incorrect output.

Abend
This type of failure occurs when a program terminates prematurely. This condition almost always produces a dump. When an abend occurs, collect the following information before calling IBM®:
  • The abend code of the dump
  • A brief description of what was entered to cause the abend to occur
  • If the abend was a program interrupt,
    • The program that abended
    • The displacement within the program where the abend occurred
    • The data which was being referenced when the abend occurred.
Documentation
This problem involves online and hardcopy documentation. Report a documentation problem when it falls into the categories listed below:
  • Documented descriptions of the CICS PA organization or operation do not match the actual organization or operation.
  • Information that is essential to the installation, operation, or service of CICS PA is missing from or incorrect in the documentation.
  • Information in the documentation is unclear and prevents the effective use of CICS PA.
    Note: If you have suggestions, comments, or questions concerning a CICS PA book, use the appropriate Reader's Comment Form at the back of the book.
IBM requires the following information to resolve a documentation problem:
  • The complete document number, including the revision number, or the message number or function in error, if the error is in the online help text
  • The section and page number of the error
  • The sentence or sentences in error
  • A brief description of what you think is correct.
Error
An error condition is normally detected by the presence of an error message. Information required to resolve this type of problem is:
  • The message number
  • The program that issued the message, if known
  • The data that caused the message to appear.
Incorrect output
This type of problem involves missing, extra and unnecessary, or incorrect data. CICS PA is not likely to recognize that a problem exists; therefore, an error message might not appear. IBM needs the following information to resolve this type of problem:
  • The report in error
  • The field or fields in error
  • Some indication of why you feel the information is incorrect, unnecessary, or needed.
Loop
A loop condition generally causes an abend to occur. MVS™ has specific abend codes to indicate loop conditions. These codes can be found in the appropriate books. When a loop occurs, the following information is required:
  • The program causing the loop
  • As many instructions as can be reasonably determined within the loop
  • A brief description of what caused the loop to occur.
Message
A message error occurs when a message:
  • Contains incorrect data
  • Is not documented, or is not documented correctly
  • Is generated when it shouldn't be
  • Is not generated when it should be
  • Is not the message which should occur.
The information required to resolve this type of error is:
  • The message number
  • A brief description of what is wrong with the message
  • A brief description of what the message should be.
Performance
A performance problem is generally one of the hardest problems to resolve. Typically, it does not occur in a batch job. If you feel you are having a performance problem with CICS PA, supply IBM with the following information:
  • Your operating environment, that is, the processor, the operating system, and any other factor which you feel might be contributing to the problem.
  • The CICS PA function
  • The CICS PA module(s), if it can be reasonably determined
  • Whether or not the problem always occurs, or only occurs at certain times
  • If the problem occurs occasionally, a description of what else was running in the system when the problem occurred.
Wait
This type of error normally occurs under the following conditions:
  • CICS PA is waiting for some condition to be satisfied.
  • CICS PA appears to be waiting for some event that is unlikely to occur.
  • CICS PA has not recognized the occurrence of an event for which it has suspended processing.
Sometimes a wait error condition generates a dump. You should refer to the appropriate operating system reference books to determine the abend code associated with this type of error condition. The information necessary to resolve this type of problem is:
  • The online function or report involved
  • A dump, if one was generated.