Dispatch subtasks won't start due to "DC970012 CADDSPL Spool Interface Inactive" error shown in the STC logs

Products

• Dispatch Output Mgmt

Issue/Introduction

You are attempting to start the CA Dispatch subtasks and are seeing messages similar to the following:

DC900164 V1 RPI1 Task Started by User...          
DC900164 V1 MSG Task Started by User...            
DC900164 V1 Archive Task ARCH1 Started by User...  
DC970012 V1 CADDSPL Spool Interface Inactive             
DC980623 V1 Error Accessing LDS, RC = 000, See DSLOG     
DC980619 V1 MSG Foreground Task Has Ended Due To Error   
DC970012 V1 CADDSPL Spool Interface Inactive             
DC980223 V1 RPI1 Error Accessing LDS, RC = 000, See DSLOG
DC970014 V1 Update Error, RC = 20, Reas = 00             
DC980218 V1 RPI1 Closing Logical Bundles                 
DC980219 V1 RPI1 Foreground Task Has Ended Due To Error  
DC900164 V1 RPO Driver Task Started by User...
DC980219 V1 ARCH1 Foreground Task Has Ended Due To Error
DC980001 V1 Archive Task ARCH1 Ending

As a result, The Dispatch STC will be come active, however, you are unable to get the Dispatch subtasks (RPIn,MSG,ARCHn,RPO) started.

What causes these errors and how can they be prevented?

Environment

z/OS, Dispatch, CADZSPLn, CADDSPLn

Cause

The CADZSPLn task is not active.

Resolution

From all of the messages seen in this articles introduction, the KEY message, that then causes all of the others, is the "DC970012 CADDSPL Spool Interface Inactive" message.

The DC970012 error may contain either of the following error texts:    

- CADDSPL Spool Interface Inactive 
  Reason: The CADDSPL started task is not executing. 
  Action: Start the CADDSPL task.

- No Records, Possible Empty LDS 
  Reason: No records were found by CADDSPL. This will occur if no reports were sent to the interface. 
  Action:Send report output data to the class/destination values set on screen VSGMU105.

These errors may be received due to a simple "timing" problem and you may need to adjust your STARTUP and SHUTDOWN sequence.

Before any of the CA Dispatch subtasks can be started, the CADZSPLx and CADZSAPx tasks must be active FIRST! There must also be some REPORT or MSGCLASS data currently residing on the LDS files. This data can be either NEW data waiting to be processed by the CA Dispatch subtasks. Or, it can be data associated to what is being stored in online viewing.   

If the CADZSPLx task is not active first or if there is no data in the LDS files, these as well as other types of error and abend messages will be seen in the CA Dispatch started task logs. And the Dispatch subtasks (RPI,MSG,RPO,ARCH) will actually abend. 

The correct STARTUP procedure would be: 

1. Start the CADZSPLx task FIRST by issuing the /S CADDSPLx command to submit the initialization routine. This routine, when successful, will automatically start the CADZSPLx and CADZSAPx tasks.

2. After the CADZSPLx task is fully active, (Look for the "CADD031I SPLn CADDSPL initialization complete" message during CADZSPLx task startup), you can then start the CA Dispatch STC and it's associated subtasks. 

The correct SHUTDOWN procedure would be: 

1. Issue the STOPCADS command to bring the CA Dispatch STC and any of it's subtasks down first. 

2. Issue the SPLx,CLOSE or SPLx,CLOSE IMM command to bring down the CADZSPLx and CADZSAPx tasks. 

As long as you ensure the proper startup and shutdown sequence is followed, you can typically avoid receiving these types of error messages. 

If these messages are being received when you are starting CA Dispatch for the first time after an upgrade, an LDS unload/reload process, or some other type of environment rebuild that required the installation of new LDS files, then these messages would be expected and normal because upon initial startup, there may not be any report or MSGCLASS data in the LDS files.

To prevent these messages from being received, ensure that:

- The appropriate /S CADDSPLx command to start the CADZSPLx and CADZSAPx environments has been issued and make sure these STC's are ACTIVE first.

- Make sure there is actually something in the LDS files for CA Dispatch to process (or already in online viewing).

- Then try restarting CA Dispatch and/or the applicable CA Dispatch subtasks which include RPI, MSG, RPO and ARCH.