Master CICS dumps including transaction dumps, system dumps, Abend-AID integration, and dump analysis techniques for effective troubleshooting.
CICS dumps are snapshots of memory contents, program state, and system information captured when errors occur or for diagnostic purposes. They provide essential information for troubleshooting CICS applications and resolving system issues.
By the end of this tutorial, you'll understand different types of CICS dumps, how to generate and analyze dumps, Abend-AID integration, and effective dump analysis techniques for troubleshooting CICS applications and system issues.
CICS dumps are comprehensive snapshots of system state captured at specific points in time. They contain detailed information about memory contents, program execution state, control blocks, and system configuration for diagnostic and troubleshooting purposes.
Think of CICS dumps like taking a photograph of everything happening in your house at a specific moment. If something goes wrong (like a power outage), you can look at the photo to see exactly what was happening - which lights were on, what was running, and what state everything was in.
CICS dumps work the same way - when something goes wrong with your program or system, CICS takes a "snapshot" of everything in memory, showing exactly what programs were running, what data they were using, and where the problem occurred. This helps you figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
Transaction dumps are captured when specific transactions encounter errors or abends. They provide detailed information about the transaction's execution state, variables, and the point of failure for debugging purposes.
Detailed information about program execution state:
1234567891011121314151617181920212223Transaction Dump Contents: - Program name and version - Execution point (line number) - Register contents - Program counter value - Condition code settings - Error condition details Example Transaction Dump: TRANSACTION: ACCT PROGRAM: ACCTINQ VERSION: V1.2 EXECUTION POINT: Line 150 ERROR: ASRA abend REGISTER 15: 00000000 PROGRAM COUNTER: 00001234 CONDITION CODE: 2 Variable Values: WS-ACCOUNT-NUMBER: 1234567890 WS-CUSTOMER-ID: CUST001 WS-ERROR-FLAG: Y WS-BALANCE: 00001234.56
Memory contents and data areas at the time of error:
1234567891011121314151617Memory Contents: - Working storage variables - Linkage section data - File buffer contents - Database record data - Control block information - Stack and heap contents Example Memory Dump: ADDRESS: 00001234 CONTENTS: 1234567890CUST001Y00001234.56 HEX: F1F2F3F4F5F6F7F8F9F0C3E4E2F3F1F1F1F0F0F0F0F1F2F3F4F5F6 Data Interpretation: - F1F2F3F4F5F6F7F8F9F0: 1234567890 (Account Number) - C3E4E2F3F1F1F1: CUST001 (Customer ID) - F0F0F0F0F1F2F3F4F5F6: 00001234.56 (Balance)
System dumps provide comprehensive snapshots of the entire CICS system's memory, including all programs, data areas, control blocks, and system state. They're used for analyzing system-wide issues and complex problems.
System control blocks and their contents:
12345678910111213141516171819202122Control Blocks in System Dump: - TCB (Task Control Block) - TCA (Task Control Area) - TCT (Terminal Control Table) - PPT (Program Processing Table) - PCT (Program Control Table) - FCT (File Control Table) Example Control Block Information: TCB Contents: - Task ID: 00001234 - Transaction ID: ACCT - Program Name: ACCTINQ - User ID: TELLER01 - Priority: 5 - Status: ACTIVE TCA Contents: - COMMAREA address: 00005678 - Return code: 00000000 - Error condition: NONE - Syncpoint status: COMMITTED
Overall system state and configuration:
123456789101112131415161718192021System State Information: - Active transactions count - Resource utilization - Memory usage statistics - I/O operation status - Database connection state - Security information Example System State: ACTIVE TRANSACTIONS: 25 MEMORY USAGE: 75% CPU UTILIZATION: 60% I/O OPERATIONS: 150 DATABASE CONNECTIONS: 8 SECURITY STATUS: ACTIVE Resource Status: - Files: 12 open, 3 closed - Programs: 45 loaded, 5 unloaded - Transactions: 25 active, 0 queued - Terminals: 8 active, 2 inactive
Abend-AID integration in CICS provides automated analysis of dumps and abends, offering intelligent diagnosis of problems, suggested solutions, and detailed analysis reports. It significantly reduces the time required to identify and resolve CICS issues.
Intelligent analysis of dumps and abends:
123456789101112131415161718192021Abend-AID Automated Analysis: - Root cause identification - Error pattern recognition - Suggested solutions - Historical analysis - Performance impact assessment Example Analysis Report: ABEND: ASRA ROOT CAUSE: Division by zero at line 150 PROGRAM: ACCTINQ SUGGESTED SOLUTION: Add input validation HISTORICAL OCCURRENCES: 3 times in last month PERFORMANCE IMPACT: Medium PRIORITY: High Recommended Actions: 1. Add input validation for divisor 2. Implement error handling 3. Add logging for debugging 4. Review similar programs
Historical analysis and trend identification:
1234567891011121314151617181920Trend Analysis Features: - Historical abend patterns - Frequency analysis - Performance trend tracking - Resource usage trends - Error correlation analysis Example Trend Report: ABEND TRENDS (Last 30 Days): - ASRA abends: 15 occurrences - ASRB abends: 8 occurrences - ASRC abends: 3 occurrences - Peak occurrence: Tuesday 2-4 PM - Most affected program: ACCTINQ Performance Trends: - Average resolution time: 2.5 hours - Trend: Decreasing (was 4 hours) - Most common cause: Input validation - Resolution success rate: 95%
CICS dumps provide essential diagnostic information for troubleshooting and resolving system issues. Through transaction dumps, system dumps, Abend-AID integration, and effective dump analysis techniques, system administrators can identify and resolve problems efficiently.
The combination of comprehensive dump facilities and automated analysis tools provides powerful capabilities for maintaining optimal CICS system performance and resolving complex issues quickly.