Intertest for CICS PROTSYM 'PROGRAM IS IN UPDATE MODE'?

Products

• InterTest - CICS
• InterTest - Batch

Issue/Introduction

A program in the InterTest for CICS PROTSYM file shows a status of 'PROGRAM IS IN UPDATE MODE' 

 

Cause

During the compile of an application program, the InterTest for CICS post processing programs copy the program listing information into the PROTSYM file. While executing this copy, the post processing program, (for example IN25COB2, the COBOL post processor), starts to update the PROTSYM file with the data and sets a flag "IN UPDATE MODE". The flag is removed once the update phase has completed successfully. However, if the post processing step is unsuccessful and fails during the update phase, the flag is left on which results in the 'PROGRAM IS IN UPDATE MODE' status.  

The update phase can fail if: 

• From a system failure, the LPAR-image comes down
• The end user cancels the compile during the update phase
• The PROTSYM file runs out of space
• The post processing step receives a Return Code greater than 4  
• The post processing program abends 

Resolution

There are two ways to see if a program is IN UPDATE MODE:

• Use InterTest for CICS online transaction ITST to display your PROTSYM file program entries
• Run the batch utility program IN25UTIL with the REPORT control card (see the example below)
  
  • The REPORT control card generates a report of all programs contained in the PROTSYM file along with their status, such as 'PROGRAM IS IN UPDATE MODE' 

To remove this flag you can either:

• Simply recompile the program and replace the failed entry

           or

• DELETE the program from the PROTSYM file using the IN25UTIL batch utility program before recompiling

An example of the IN25UTIL utility program JCL using both the REPORT and DELETE control cards follows. The REPORT is used twice to show the contents of the file before and after the DELETE takes place.  The first REPORT will show the program in update mode, the second verifies that the DELETE was successful.    
 JOBCARD
//DELETE     EXEC PGM=IN25UTIL,REGION=1024K
//STEPLIB    DD    DISP=SHR,DSN=your.intertest.loadlib
//PROTSYM  DD    DISP=SHR,DSN=your.protsym.file
//MESSAGE  DD    SYSOUT=*
//SYSPRINT  DD    SYSOUT=*
//OUTPUT     DD    SYSOUT=*,DCB=(RECFM=FBA,LRECL=121,BLKSIZE=2420)
//CARDS      DD     *
PASSWORD=12345678 default password as shipped with the product - each IN25UTIL control card must begin in column 1
REPORT
DELETE=program name
REPORT
/*
//