What timer states can be checked?

Timer states include active states (RUNNING, WAITING, SUSPENDED, BLOCKED), completion states (COMPLETED, TERMINATED, ABENDED, CANCELLED), error states (ERROR, FAILED, TIMEOUT, DEADLOCK), and resource states (ALLOCATED, DEALLOCATED, LOCKED, UNLOCKED).

How do I handle errors with CICS CHECK TIMER?

Always check the response code and implement appropriate error handling, including validation of timer existence, proper handling of state errors, and resource cleanup on check failures.

What is the purpose of timer checking?

Timer checking ensures timers are running correctly, validates timer states, monitors timer health, tracks resource usage, and provides timer status information for system management.

When should I use CICS CHECK TIMER?

Use this command when you need to validate timer states, monitor timer health, check timer status, verify resource allocation, or perform timer diagnostics in CICS applications.

CICS CHECK TIMER - Timer Checking and Validation

Q: What is CICS CHECK TIMER command used for?

CICS CHECK TIMER is used to check timers, validate timer states, and monitor timer operations in CICS applications for timer validation and monitoring.

CICS CHECK TIMER provides timer checking and validation capabilities in CICS environments. It enables programs to check timers, validate timer states, and monitor timer operations in CICS applications.

What is CICS CHECK TIMER?

CICS CHECK TIMER is a command that allows programs to check timers, validate timer states, and monitor timer operations in CICS environments. It provides timer validation capabilities, state checking, and timer monitoring for CICS applications.

Command Syntax

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EXEC CICS CHECK TIMER
    TIMERID(timer-id)
    [STATE(state-value)]
    [RESP(response-code)]
END-EXEC

Parameters

Required Parameters

TIMERID - Timer ID to check

Optional Parameters

STATE - Expected timer state
RESP - Response code variable

Timer States

Active States

Timers currently running

• RUNNING - Timer is currently executing and performing its operations
• WAITING - Timer is waiting for resources or events to become available
• SUSPENDED - Timer execution has been temporarily paused by the system
• BLOCKED - Timer cannot proceed due to resource constraints or dependencies

Completion States

Timers that have finished

• COMPLETED - Timer finished successfully and completed all its tasks
• TERMINATED - Timer was stopped by external intervention or system shutdown
• ABENDED - Timer terminated abnormally due to an error or exception
• CANCELLED - Timer was cancelled before completion by user or system request

Error States

Timers with errors

• ERROR - Timer encountered an error condition that prevented normal execution
• FAILED - Timer failed to complete its intended operation due to system or application issues
• TIMEOUT - Timer exceeded its maximum allowed execution time and was terminated
• DEADLOCK - Timer is stuck waiting for resources that are held by other timers

Resource States

Resource-related states

• ALLOCATED - Resources have been assigned to the timer and are available for use
• DEALLOCATED - Resources have been released by the timer and returned to the system
• LOCKED - Resources are locked by the timer to prevent access by other timers
• UNLOCKED - Resources are available for use by other timers

Programming Examples

Basic Timer Check

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. CHECK01.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  TIMER-ID         PIC X(8) VALUE 'TIMER01'.
       01  TIMER-STATE      PIC X(8).
       01  RESPONSE-CODE    PIC S9(8) COMP.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           EXEC CICS CHECK TIMER
               TIMERID(TIMER-ID)
               STATE(TIMER-STATE)
               RESP(RESPONSE-CODE)
           END-EXEC
           
           IF RESPONSE-CODE = DFHRESP(NORMAL)
               DISPLAY 'Timer check completed successfully'
               DISPLAY 'Timer state: ' TIMER-STATE
           ELSE
               DISPLAY 'Failed to check timer'
           END-IF
           
           EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.

State Validation

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. CHECK02.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  TIMER-ID         PIC X(8) VALUE 'TIMER02'.
       01  EXPECTED-STATE   PIC X(8) VALUE 'RUNNING'.
       01  ACTUAL-STATE     PIC X(8).
       01  RESPONSE-CODE    PIC S9(8) COMP.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           EXEC CICS CHECK TIMER
               TIMERID(TIMER-ID)
               STATE(ACTUAL-STATE)
               RESP(RESPONSE-CODE)
           END-EXEC
           
           IF RESPONSE-CODE = DFHRESP(NORMAL)
               IF ACTUAL-STATE = EXPECTED-STATE
                   DISPLAY 'Timer is in expected state'
               ELSE
                   DISPLAY 'Timer state mismatch'
                   DISPLAY 'Expected: ' EXPECTED-STATE
                   DISPLAY 'Actual: ' ACTUAL-STATE
               END-IF
           ELSE
               DISPLAY 'Failed to check timer state'
           END-IF
           
           EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.

Error Handling with Timer Check

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. CHECK03.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  TIMER-ID         PIC X(8) VALUE 'TIMER03'.
       01  TIMER-STATE      PIC X(8).
       01  RESPONSE-CODE    PIC S9(8) COMP.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           EXEC CICS CHECK TIMER
               TIMERID(TIMER-ID)
               STATE(TIMER-STATE)
               RESP(RESPONSE-CODE)
           END-EXEC
           
           EVALUATE RESPONSE-CODE
               WHEN DFHRESP(NORMAL)
                   DISPLAY 'Timer check completed successfully'
                   DISPLAY 'Timer state: ' TIMER-STATE
               WHEN DFHRESP(NOTFND)
                   DISPLAY 'Timer not found'
               WHEN DFHRESP(INVREQ)
                   DISPLAY 'Invalid check request'
               WHEN DFHRESP(TIMERERR)
                   DISPLAY 'Timer-specific error occurred'
               WHEN DFHRESP(STATEERR)
                   DISPLAY 'State-specific error occurred'
               WHEN OTHER
                   DISPLAY 'Unexpected error occurred'
           END-EVALUATE
           
           EXEC CICS RETURN END-EXEC.

Timer Monitoring

State Monitoring

• Current state checking - Verify the current operational state of the timer
• State transition tracking - Monitor changes in timer state over time
• State validation - Ensure the timer is in the expected state for operations
• State reporting - Generate reports on timer state information

Timer Validation

• Timer existence check - Verify that the specified timer exists in the system
• Timer status validation - Confirm the timer is in a valid operational state
• Timer health check - Assess the overall health and performance of the timer
• Timer integrity check - Ensure the timer data and configuration are intact

Resource Monitoring

• Resource allocation check - Verify that required resources are properly allocated to the timer
• Resource usage monitoring - Track how resources are being utilized by the timer
• Resource availability check - Ensure resources are available when needed by the timer
• Resource status validation - Confirm resources are in the correct state for timer operations

Performance Monitoring

• Timer performance check - Evaluate the efficiency and speed of timer execution
• Execution time monitoring - Track how long timers take to complete their operations
• Resource efficiency check - Assess how effectively the timer uses allocated resources
• Performance validation - Ensure the timer meets performance requirements and benchmarks

Error Handling

Common Response Codes

DFHRESP(NORMAL) - Timer check completed successfully
DFHRESP(NOTFND) - Timer not found
DFHRESP(INVREQ) - Invalid check request
DFHRESP(TIMERERR) - Timer-specific error
DFHRESP(STATEERR) - State-specific error
DFHRESP(CHECKERR) - Check-specific error

Performance Considerations

Check Frequency

• Optimize check frequency - Balance between monitoring needs and system performance impact
• Minimize check overhead - Reduce the computational cost of timer checking operations
• Use efficient check patterns - Implement checking strategies that minimize resource usage
• Monitor check performance - Track the performance impact of checking operations on the system

Resource Impact

• Monitor resource usage - Track how checking operations consume system resources
• Optimize resource allocation - Ensure efficient allocation of resources for checking operations
• Manage resource cleanup - Properly release resources after checking operations complete
• Track resource utilization - Monitor the overall resource consumption patterns of checking activities

Best Practices

Timer Check Best Practices

• Always check response codes
• Use appropriate check parameters
• Implement proper error handling
• Validate timer states
• Monitor timer health
• Optimize check operations
• Clean up resources properly

Explain It Like I'm 5 Years Old

Think of CICS CHECK TIMER like checking on your alarm clock:

• Alarm: "Your alarm clock" - The timer to check
• Check: "Is it working?" - Check the timer
• State: "Is it running or stopped?" - Check the state
• Status: "Tell me how it is" - Get the status
• Result: "It's working fine" - Timer is healthy

Exercises

Exercise 1: Basic Timer Check

Create a program that checks the state of a specific timer.

Exercise 2: State Validation

Write a program that validates whether a timer is in the expected state.

Exercise 3: Error Handling

Implement comprehensive error handling for timer check failures and state errors.

CICS CHECK TIMER - Timer Checking and Validation

What is CICS CHECK TIMER?

Command Syntax

Parameters

Required Parameters

Optional Parameters

Timer States

Active States

Completion States

Error States

Resource States

Programming Examples

Basic Timer Check

State Validation

Error Handling with Timer Check

Timer Monitoring

State Monitoring

Timer Validation

Resource Monitoring

Performance Monitoring

Error Handling

Common Response Codes

Performance Considerations

Check Frequency

Resource Impact

Best Practices

Timer Check Best Practices

Explain It Like I'm 5 Years Old

Exercises

Exercise 1: Basic Timer Check

Exercise 2: State Validation

Exercise 3: Error Handling

Related Concepts

Timer Management

Timer Monitoring

Resource Management

State Management

Error Handling

Related Pages