Fault Analyzer for z/OS

Real-time abend analysis
When a program fails, the abend processing (MVS or subsystem) is intercepted and Fault Analyzer for z/OS® is automatically activated from an appropriate exit of the processing environment.

Fault Analyzer for z/OS performs fault analysis processing, and then records details about the abend in a fault history file. Fault Analyzer for z/OS writes the fault analysis report to the job and a summary to the system log (SYSLOG). In the fault history file, it saves the analysis report and a "minidump" that consists of a copy of all virtual storage pages that were referenced during the analysis process.

If you have specified SYSMDUMP, SYSABEND or SYSUDUMP for the failing job step and the analysis is successful, then Fault Analyzer for z/OS tells MVS to suppress these dumps so that your processing resources aren't wasted.

Fault analysis report

The fault analysis report describes the fault in terms of the application code so that you don't have to interpret system dump or low-level error messages. Where possible, the report quotes the source statement where the abend occurred and, for COBOL and PL/I, the names and values of data items used in the statement.

Fault Analyzer for z/OS extracts message and abend code descriptions and other relevant information from manuals from the OS/390® online library and inserts them into the analysis report. In some cases, Fault Analyzer supplies its own message and abend code descriptions. These provide more specific information than the descriptions found in the manuals.

Generally, when the associated compiler listing (or side file) of the failing program is available online, then application abends are isolated to the program source statement involved in the abend. When the listing is not available, the problem is diagnosed down to program name and offset, with disassembly of the machine instructions.

Minidump

The minidump is written to the history file for any real-time activation of Fault Analyzer for z/OS so you don't have to specify any options or make changes to your JCL. The minidump permits reanalysis of faults that occurred in any processing environment, regardless of whether a SYSMDUMP was also written.

A minidump is suppressed when:

• The number of pages exceeds an installation-defined limit.

• The fault is a duplicate of another fault.

• An end processing user exit requested that the minidump be suppressed.

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