Producing Master List and Buffer Dumps for Datacom Troubleshooting

Products

• Datacom
• DATACOM - AD
• Datacom/DB

Issue/Introduction

When you receive a Datacom return code, you may be asked by Support, to provide a Statistics and Diagnostics Report (PXX) dump for proper diagnosis of the problem. There are two types of dumps, Master List and Buffer. Some Datacom return codes do not automatically produce these dumps. This article describes how you can determine whether or not the return code you receive automatically produces one or both of these dumps, and if not, how to produce the dumps.

 

Resolution

When you receive a Datacom error message that begins with DB, i.e., DB00501E - OPEN ERROR - RETURN CODE rr(iii) CXX=cxxname SUBID=z SVC=www, etc., the 'rr' in the message is the external return code and the '(iii)' is the internal return code. Look up the 'rr' external return code in the  Datacom/DB Return Codes documentation, and then locate the '(iii)' internal return code. The column headings 'M' and 'B' represent the Master List Dump and Buffer Dump, respectively. When an N is in these columns it means that no Master List or Buffer dump is created automatically. 

What follows is an example of a return code that does NOT create a Master List or Buffer dump:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table   4-25   Return Code 25 Internal Return codes
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Dec     Hex        M     B    Explanation                                    User Response
 
020     14         N     N    INVALID DATABASE ID                            If an invalid database ID was specified in
                              If the request was an OPEN, the User           the request, correct it.
                              Requirements Table being opened probably
                              references a database which is not defined
                              to the Directory. The database is either in
                              the user URT or is a system database.
                              System databases are defined in the Multi-
                              User startup options.

If you want to have either or both dumps produced, the following DBUTLTY batch job can be used to modify the error table. The DBUTLTY COMM ALTER option modifies the error table which controls what traces Datacom/DB performs and what messages it generates. (See the sample below and the COMM ALTER (Modify Error Table) section in the DBUTLTY Reference Guide (either z/OS or z/VSE). This option writes the trace output to either the Datacom/DB Multi-User Facility (MUF) SYSOUT (when a MUF 'SYSOUT' startup option is present) or the Statistics and Diagnostics (PXX) area when it is not.

     COMM OPTION=ALTER,RCERROR=eeiii,BUFFERS=YES,MASTERL=YES
 
     Where:
 
          ee     Return Code
          iii      Internal Return Code (use Decimal value, not the HEX value)

After you execute DBUTLTY with this option, rerun the job that received the Datacom return code to have the Master List and/or Buffer dumps captured. If the dumps were written to the PXX, use the following DBUTLTY function to report on the information:

     REPORT AREA=PXX,DUMPS=FULL

Once the dumps have been produced, submit them to Technical Support for diagnosis. To stop the capture of additional dumps, run DBUTLTY with the following SYSIN statement:

     COMM OPTION=ALTER,RECERROR=eeiii,BUFFERS=NO,MASTER=NO

Additional Information

Data Messages Documentation