Z/OS 2.4: BACKUP will abend S0C1

Products

• Disk Backup and Restore - MVS
• DISK BACKUP AND RESTORE- ADD-ON OPTIO
• DISK BACKUP AND RESTORE

Issue/Introduction

After upgrade to Z/OS 2.4 RSU 2003, it can happen that the BACKUP runs fail with ABEND CODE  S0C1 or even other unpredictable ABEND CODES  like S0C2,  S0C4 and S0C6, always during the backup of VSAM datasets.

In addition, the EREP Log when the BACKUP gets the abend will show:

RIDS/IDA0192A#L RIDS/IDA0192B AB/S00C4 PRCS/00000004 REGS/0F026 REGS/B6B19    
RIDS/IDAOCEA1#R                                                               
                                                                              
SYMPTOM                DESCRIPTION                                               
----------------               -----------                                               
RIDS/IDA0192A#L     LOAD MODULE NAME: IDA0192A                                
RIDS/IDA0192B         CSECT NAME: IDA0192B                                      
AB/S00C4                  SYSTEM ABEND CODE: 00C4                                   
PRCS/00000004        ABEND REASON CODE: 00000004 

How to bypass/fix this problem?

Environment

Release : Disk Backup and Restore 12.5

Resolution

It has been discovered that Z/OS 2.4 RSU 2003 level causes ABENDS S0C1 managing VSAM datasets due to a bug introduced with this Z/OS PUT Level. 

In this scenario, the IBM PTF  UJ03359 should be applied to solve this problem. Notice that this solution requires an IPL to be correctly activated.

As a bypass, all the DISK BACKUP runs should be executed setting the SYSPARM VSVERIFYA instead of the default VSVERIFYY so that a VSAM VERIFY is forced against all the VSAM files managed by the backup (this is also the circumvention suggested in the IBM APAR Description) 

Please check the HIPER PIB SI14003.