ENFSNMPM gets mainInit: node name 'NODEA' is not valid, getaddrinfo() rc=1

Products

• COMMON SERVICES FOR Z/OS
• 90S SERVICES
• Common Services

Issue/Introduction

Had been using ENFSNMPM previously with no problem. Today the ENFSNMPM startup fails with RC=0004. The only indication of a problem are the following messages in the CAW1LOG sysout:

09:50:52 CAIENF SAPI/SNMP Trap Service, Version 3.0 - Feb 17 2012

09:50:52 MAIN: Started on Fri Mar 4, 2016 - asid(###x)

09:50:52 MAIN: Sysname: z/OS

09:50:52 MAIN: Nodename: NODEA

09:50:52 MAIN: Version: 01

09:50:52 MAIN: Release: 12.00

09:50:53 mainInit: node name 'NODEA' is not valid, getaddrinfo() rc=1

09:50:53 MAIN: main_init return rc=4

Environment

Product: Common Components and Services for z/OS
Release: ANY

Cause

This is generally a problem trying to resolve the hostname of the system.

Basically, the current level of the code is issuing a standard gethostname() function and it is returning the HOSTNAME of the system, NODEA. This is then passed on a getaddrinfo() request, which results in a DNS call. Based on the failure, there was a DNS problem resolving the name.

Resolution

Many times we see this simply due to a timing issue where ENFSNMPM starts prior to your TCP/IP network or RESOLVER task fully being initialized. If you are able to restart the ENFSNMPM task to get past the problem than this is the likely concern. Try to delay the start of ENFSNMPM until TCP/IP and RESOLVER are fully initialized.

If it is not a timing problem, check with your network administrator to verify the system hostname, and that it is properly defined to DNS.

Additional Information

Take a look at your TCP/IP task to see whether it is picking up it's Host name from the TCPIP.DATA file. Look for the following message:

EZZ0162I HOST NAME FOR tcpstackname IS host_name

This message displays the host name for a TCP/IP stack. The host name is determined in the following way:

1. The name on the stack's TCPIP.DATA HOSTNAME statement is used. The z/OS® UNIX search order is used to find the stack's TCPIP.DATA statements. See information about the search orders that are used in the z/OS UNIX environment in z/OS Communications Server: IP Configuration Guide for a description of this search order.
2. If there is no valid HOSTNAME statement, the VMCF node name with which VMCF was started is used.
3. If VMCF was not active when the stack was started, the CVTSNAME value (the SYSNAME=value in IEASYSxx that was IPLed) is used.