Why are multiple VTAT transactions seen when monitoring a program with Intertest for CICS?
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Why are multiple VTAT transactions seen when monitoring a program with Intertest for CICS?

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Article ID: 106173

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Updated On:

Products

InterTest - CICS InterTest - Batch InterTest VSE - CICS

Issue/Introduction

An application programmer may notice multiple messages similar to the following written to the CICS //MSGUSR DD while stepping through code.
20:18:12 CTSREGION TERMID USERID VTAT SET TASK(nnnn)
20:18:13 CTSREGION TERMID USERID  VTAT SET TASK(nnnn) 
20:18:13 CTSREGION TERMID USERID VTAT SET TASK(nnnn)
What is the reason for all these messages and multiple VTAT task numbers?

Why are multiple VTAT transactions, each with a separate task number, executed while stopping at breakpoints and stepping through a program?

Environment

Monitoring a CICS program with InterTest for CICS release 11.

Cause

The VTAT transaction is used for handling breakpoints and a separate VTAT is created for each breakpoint.   

Resolution

  • The VTAT transaction is an internal InterTest for CICS transaction used only for handling breakpoints
    • A separate VTAT task is created and executed at each stop in a program. 
    • This can occur either at a breakpoint or while single stepping through code.
    • It is possible to see many VTAT tasks created and executed during program monitoring 

Additional Information

A description of the VTAT transaction can be found under the IN25OPTS keywords (VTATT =) in the InterTest and Symdump r11.0 documentation