How can I track down the cause of S04C abends in the Alchemist started task?
This is most likely to occur in a PCL step that executes PGM=IKJEFT1A or IKJEFT1B.
The program needed to execute TSO/E commands from the background is a terminal monitor program (TMP), which may be one of the following: IKJEFT01, IKJEFT1A, or IKJEFT1B. The EXEC (execute) statement is used to execute program IKJEFT01 or the alternate programs IKJEFT1A and IKJEFT1B that provide additional return code and abend support.
If a command or program being processed by IKJEFT1A or IKJEFT1B ends with a system or user abend, IKJEFT1A or IKJEFT1B causes the job step to terminate with a X'04C' system completion code and also returns to the caller the completion code from the command or program in register 15.
Steps to Resolve:
Here is an example to step through. Let's say this is what you see in the Alchemist started task log:
15.46.44 STC21937 ZDE9600I SR.RX{luname.request-id} PROCESSING 0502011848222-REFNO123.0001-MYPGM.POST-IMPLEMENTAT 15.46.44 STC21937 IEA995I SYMPTOM DUMP OUTPUT 310 310 SYSTEM COMPLETION CODE=04C 310 TIME=15.46.44 SEQ=23258 CPU=0000 ASID=00B8 310 PSW AT TIME OF ERROR 078C1000 8B8035D2 ILC 2 INTC 0D 310 NO ACTIVE MODULE FOUND 310 NAME=UNKNOWN 310 DATA AT PSW 0B8035CC - 00181610 0A0D4100 00840A3C 310 AR/GR 0: 00AFB01F/40000000 1: 00000000/4004C000 310 2: 00000000/00000080 3: 00000000/00000003 310 4: 00000000/8B803168 5: 00000000/00000000 310 6: 00000000/00000000 7: 00000000/26D23F80 310 8: 00000000/00AB8968 9: 00000000/0017E728 310 A: 00000000/8B802050 B: 00000000/0B80304F 310 C: 00000000/0017BC58 D: 00000000/0017BC58 310 E: 00000000/8B803478 F: 00000000/000C4000 310 END OF SYMPTOM DUMP
So we want to find change request with reference number REFNO123, and look for entity MYPGM. Browsing the message log for this entity we see the step that resulted in S04C:
ZDE1000I: 2/DB2BND; STEP 'DB2EXEC' EXECUTED PGM 'IKJEFT1B' - ABENDED S04C-000
When we now look at the listing for this entity and specifically the output from this step DB2EXEC, we find the root cause of the problem is a S0C4 in program AMTALCBC (not an Alchemist program, which all start with 'Z'):
RUN PROGRAM(AMTALCBC) PLAN (BATCHPLN) PARMS('PROD,MYPGM,MSS,CICS,N') IKJ56641I DSN ENDED DUE TO ERROR+ IKJ56641I SYSTEM ABEND CODE 0C4 REASON CODE 00000004 *** PROGRAM AMTALCBC WAS LAST COMPILED ON 12/14/0414.18.17 CEE3204S The system detected a protection exception (System Completion Code=0C4). From compile unit AMTALCBC at entry point AMTALCBC at statement 1234 at compile unit offset +00002F10 at entry offset +00002F10 at address 257E2C68. <> LEAID ENTERED (LEVEL 07/09/2002 AT 11.37) <> LEAID IGNORED BY ABNLIGNR <> LEAID PROCESSING COMPLETE.
Note that Register 15 (F) in the symptom dump indicates 0C4, which corresponds to these error messages.
To resolve this particular problem, the programmer for program AMTALCBC needs to see what is coded at OFFSET 2F10 in the AMTALCBC compile listing, resolve that, then re-release the Alchemist request.
This Frequently Asked Question applies to all supported releases of ESP Alchemist.