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OA48941: UNICODE CONVERSION INFORMATION SERVICE FAILS RC8 RSNB SYSTEM TOD CLOCK TIMESTAMP EXCEEDS 12/15/2015 13:24:57.238527 CUNLINFO

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APAR status

  • Closed as program error.

Error description

  • Unicode Services, Conversion Information Service (CUNLINFO or
    CUN4LINF) fails when the create time contained in the UCCB has a
    value of D0000000 00000000 or greater.  This timestamp
    represents a STCK value of 12/15/2015 13:24:57.238528.  The
    source of this value is the Time of Day (TOD) clock of the
    system and is initialized in Unicode at IPL.  If the system is
    IPL'd before this timestamp is reached when the UCCB is built
    then the problem will not occur.  This problem occurs with
    Unicode Services, Conversion Information Services at z/OS 1.10
    and higher.
    
    See APAR OA48989 for z/OS releases 1.10, 1.11, and 1.12
    
    In the reported problem, iconv() calls the Unicode Services,
    conversion information service, CUNLINFO or CUN4LINF, during a
    character conversion and receives RC8 RSNB when the create time
    of the UCCB time is D0000000 0000000 or greater.  An identical
    request does not fail when the time is CFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF
    (12/15/2015 13:24:57.238527) or less.  In both cases the
    conversion CCSID TO and FROM values represent a valid
    conversion.  With the TOD set as above, applications may fail
    with various messages, see IMPACTED USERS section below.
    
    Please note any application that invokes iconv() to request
    conversion services is affected.  The messages are reported
    since iconv() is returning an EINVAL errno 79 which is being
    returned to the application due to the underlying RC=8 RSNB
    returned by Unicode services on the CUNLINFO call issued by
    iconv().
    
    IMPACTED USERS:
    Impacted users will begin experiencing problems on systems that
    were IPL'd on 12/15/2015 13:24:57.238528 STCK time or later.
    
    1. Any application or system code that calls iconv() -
         The iconv() service only makes use of the Unicode
         Information Services at z/OS 2.1 and higher releases.
         iconv() is not exposed to this defect on z/OS 1.13 and
         lower.
    
         Multiple products utilize iconv.
         Those that we have seen to experience this and FAIL because
         of this error are:
    
                SSHD startup may fail on z/OS 1.13 or z/OS 2.1
                OpenSSH           ( failed with message FOTS2152 )
                Telnet            ( failed with message EZZ6023I )
                System Automation ( failed with message GEO252E  )
                BCPii             ( failed with message HWI008I Or
                                                        HWI022I )
                IP Printway       ( failed with message ANFM1198I )
                 ANFM1198I Data set:
                 XXXXXXXXXXXX?
                 There was an error loading one of the ICONV tables:
                 ICONV return code =  121
                 document code page = IBM-1047........
                 printer code page = ISO8859-1.......
                Pax command       ( failed with message EDC5121I )
                                  ( failed with message FSUM8842 )
        Sample ICONV job EDCICONV ( failed with message EDC4182  )
    
    SSL or TCPIP tracing may show:
           Errno 00000079 (121)
           Unable to open UTF-8 converter
    
         There are many IBM and OEM applications that interface
         between ASCII and EBCDIC platforms which invoke iconv(). A
         non-exhaustive list of exploiters of iconv() include:
    
                FTP / SFTP when they request data conversion
                Java / Websphere applications
                Printing related software (e.g. Infoprint )
                XML toolkit
                Connect::Direct
                LDAP
                DB2 stored procedures
    
         Any other invokers of iconv() will experience a failure
         after the UCCB time has reached the DATE and TIME
         described above.
    
    NOTE: Those wanting to recreate the error for testing purposes
          using the EDCICONV job might not fail for certain CCSIDs.
          An example pair which will fail is:  1148 -> 850
    
    2. Any application code that calls CUNLINFO or CUN4LINF at z/OS
       1.10 and higher, whether it is an OEM or home grown
       application.  Impact is unknown because it will depend on how
       this is implemented in their application.
    
    Verification Steps:
    
    1. Caller of CUNLINFO / CUN4LINF receives RC8 RSNB when invoking
       the service.  The caller may handle that and issue its own
       Abend / Message
    
    2. Find the UCCB in a dump of the system or ACTIVE under IPCS,
       with the following commands:
    
       ip list 10?+220?+3C?+10 len(x'8')
    
       example output:
       LIST 28F03000. ASID(X'0029') POSITION(X'+10') LENGTH(X'08')
       AREA
       address   value
       28F03010. D0038037 8DEAB02A
                 -----------------
    3. If the value that is listed in step 2 contains non-zero value
       and is x'D00000000 00000000' or greater, then this APAR
       describes your problem.
    
    
    Additional Keywords
    RC04 RSN0B ICONV CUNMUNI MSGEZZ6023I MSGGEO252E MSGHWI008I
    MSGEDC4182  MSGEDC4182 ANFM1198I MSGANFM1198I MSGHWI022I
    

Local fix

  • 1. Do not change system TOD clock to 12/15/2015 13:24:57.238528
       or greater, during your IPL.
         - If you need to set TOD clock to 12/15/2015
           13:24:57.238528 or greater for testing, request the
           ++APAR fix from IBM
    
    2.  Do not IPL after 12/15/2015 without the fix for this
        problem.
         - This is the date when the TOD clock will automatically
           exceed D0000000 00000000 and you will experience the
           problem.
    

Problem summary

  • ****************************************************************
    * USERS AFFECTED: All users of Unicode Services                *
    *                 conversion information service               *
    *                 CUNLINFO or CUN4LINF.                        *
    *                                                              *
    *                 Any application that calls iconv at          *
    *                 z/OS 2.1 and higher.                         *
    *                                                              *
    *                 Any application that uses system code        *
    *                 that calls iconv at z/OS 2.1 and higher.     *
    *                 (For example Telnet or FTP and many          *
    *                 others see the APAR for more detail.)        *
    ****************************************************************
    * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Unicode Services conversion information *
    *                      service fails when the TOD clock for    *
    *                      the IPL has a value of                  *
    *                      D0000000 00000000 or greater, this      *
    *                      timestamp represents a STCK value of    *
    *                      12/15/2015 13:24:57.238528.             *
    *                                                              *
    *                      The iconv function uses the information *
    *                      service so it also fails.               *
    ****************************************************************
    * RECOMMENDATION: Install this fix until before 12/15/2015.    *
    *                                                              *
    *                 This is the date when the TOD clock          *
    *                 will automatically exceed                    *
    *                 D0000000 00000000 and this problem           *
    *                 will occur without this fix.                 *
    ****************************************************************
    Correct the code involved to move the timestamp field to
    allow the Unicode services active indicator to remain valid.
    

Problem conclusion

  • After this fix is applied, Unicode Services conversion
    information service will behave correctly when the TOD
    clock exceeds D0000000 00000000.
    

Temporary fix

  • *********
    * HIPER *
    *********
    

Comments

APAR Information

  • APAR number

    OA48941

  • Reported component name

    UNICODE SUPPORT

  • Reported component ID

    5752SCUNI

  • Reported release

    790

  • Status

    CLOSED PER

  • PE

    NoPE

  • HIPER

    YesHIPER

  • Special Attention

    NoSpecatt / Xsystem

  • Submitted date

    2015-09-24

  • Closed date

    2015-09-28

  • Last modified date

    2016-05-27

  • APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

  • APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

    UA79202 UA79203 UA79204

Modules/Macros

  • CUNMIDAC CUNMIIN2 CUNMZIMG
    

Fix information

  • Fixed component name

    UNICODE SUPPORT

  • Fixed component ID

    5752SCUNI

Applicable component levels

  • R7A0 PSY UA79202

       UP15/10/13 P F510 Ž

  • R780 PSY UA79203

       UP15/10/13 P F510 Ž

  • R790 PSY UA79204

       UP15/10/13 P F510 Ž

Fix is available

  • Select the PTF appropriate for your component level. You will be required to sign in. Distribution on physical media is not available in all countries.

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Document Information

Modified date:
27 May 2016