Java z/OS Agent: FT job fails with java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: "Dangling meta character '?'

Products

• CA Automic Workload Automation - Automation Engine

Issue/Introduction

When running a FT job on the Java-based MVS Agent using a complex regex expression, with different wildcards to select datasets, the following occurs:

• The FT job remain in status Transferring or Connecting
• The z/OS Agent log contains the following error:
  

  20260318/170923.198 - U02000446 List of files, for path 'XXX.XXX.XXXX.X???.XXXX.*' were requested, Run-Id: '905425162'
  20260318/170923.321 -           Thread 38 ended.
  20260318/170923.321 - U00045014 Exception 'java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException: "Dangling meta character '?' near index 19
  20260318/170923.321 - XXX\.XXX\.XXXX\.X???\.XXXX\..*
  20260318/170923.321 -                    ^"' in 'java.util.regex.Pattern.error():2055'.
  20260318/170923.321 - U00003620 Routine 'com.uc4.ex.ThreadPool$RunnableDecorator' forces trace because of error.
  20260318/170923.322 - U00003450 The TRACE file was opened with the switches '0000000000000000'.
  20260318/170923.441 - U00003449 Output to the TRACE file is finished.

 

Environment

Java-based z/OS Agent v24.x

Cause

DE184595

Resolution

Solution:

Update to a fix version listed below or a newer version if available.

Fix version:

Component(s): Agent MVS

Automation.Engine 24.4.4 HF1 - Available
Automation.Engine 24.4.5 - Planned release June 2026
Automation.Engine 26.0.0 HF1 - Planned release May 2026
Automation.Engine 26.1.0 - Planned release June 2026

 

 

 

Additional Information

Public description: A bug was fixed where MVS globs containing ? were not resolved correctly.