Why does CICS Preprocessor DFHECP1$ abend with S013-20 when run in a PX task but not in base task?

Products

• Alchemist
• TPX - Session Management
• Vman Session Management for z/OS

Issue/Introduction

Why does CICS Preprocessor DFHECP1$ abend with S013-20 when run in a PX task but not in base task?

Environment

Release:
Component: ALCMST

Resolution

It is recommended that the DCB parameter be included in PCL for all SYSOUT allocations. It is mandatory that it be included for all PCL to be executed in a remote PX task.

In this particular case, the Cobol version of the CICS translator requires the following DCB for SYSPRINT:

    //SYSPRINT DD   SYSOUT=*,DCB=(RECFM=FBA,LRECL=121,BLKSIZE=12100)

The base Alchemist task opens a SYSOUT data set directly to spool so the DCB information is coming from the DCB hardcoded in the CICS Preprocessor program. In a PX engine, Alchemist allocates a temporary data set for the SYSOUT as LRECL=133 (when no DCB is coded) which conflicts with the program's hardcoded LRECL=121.

So to avoid this problem, you should hardcode the above DCB information in your PCL if you use PX tasks. This is not required if simply using multiple base tasks.

If this is not coded, here are some of the indications you might see for this problem:

Entity Message Log:
ZDE1000I: 2/yourCICSpcl; STEP 'CICSTRAN' EXECUTED PGM 'DFHECP1$' - ABENDED S013-020
PX STC log (get IEC141I message for temp & perm datasets):
IGD101I SMS ALLOCATED TO DDNAME (SYS00005)  034
        DSN (SYSyyddd.Thhmmss.RA000.jobname.dsname.Hgg )
        STORCLAS (SC###) MGMTCLAS (        ) DATACLAS (        )
        VOL SER NOS= volser
IGD101I SMS ALLOCATED TO DDNAME (SYS00007)  035
        DSN (SYSyyddd.Thhmmss.RA000.jobname.Rggnnnnn    )
        STORCLAS (SC###) MGMTCLAS (        ) DATACLAS (        )
        VOL SER NOS= volser
IGD101I SMS ALLOCATED TO DDNAME (SYS00008)  036
        DSN (SYSyyddd.Thhmmss.RA000.jobname.Rggnnnnn    )
        STORCLAS (SC###) MGMTCLAS (        ) DATACLAS (        )
        VOL SER NOS= volser
IGD101I SMS ALLOCATED TO DDNAME (SYS00009)  037
        DSN (SYSyyddd.Thhmmss.RA000.jobname.dsname.Hgg )
        STORCLAS (SC###) MGMTCLAS (        ) DATACLAS (        )
        VOL SER NOS= volser
IEC141I 013-20,mod,jjj,sss,ddname,dev,volser,SYSyyddd.Thhmmss.RA000.jobname.Rggnnnnn

20                                                                        
    An OPEN macro instruction was issued for a sequential data set using  
    queued access. BLKSIZE is not a multiple of LRECL, or LRECL is 0 with 
    RECFM=FB or RECFM=FBS, or BLKSIZE is not at least four bytes greater  
    than LRECL with RECFM=V.                                              

IEA995I SYMPTOM DUMP OUTPUT  039
SYSTEM COMPLETION CODE=013  REASON CODE=00000020
 TIME=12.05.27  SEQ=17963  CPU=0000  ASID=0111
 PSW AT TIME OF ERROR  075C1000   80E166A0  ILC 2  INTC 0D
   NO ACTIVE MODULE FOUND
   NAME=UNKNOWN
   DATA AT PSW  00E1669A - 41003B02  0A0D41F0  391056F0
   AR/GR 0: 80D12C40/00E1689C   1: 00000000/A4013000
         2: 00000000/0004F11C   3: 00000000/00E15D9A
         4: 00000000/00ADC410   5: 00000000/00ADC7A4
         6: 00000000/00ADC74C   7: 00000000/00ADC7A4
         8: 00000000/00ADC76C   9: 00000000/00AD303C
         A: 00000000/00EF9C30   B: 00000000/00000000
         C: 00000000/00000078   D: 00000000/0000000A
         E: 00000000/80E15ECA   F: 00000000/00000020
 END OF SYMPTOM DUMP

This Frequently Asked Question applies to all supported releases of ESP Alchemist beginning with 5.2.1.