IBM Support

Understanding logs created in a TXSeries region

Preventive Service Planning


Abstract

The technote helps you to understand the details and significance of the files that are created as a part of a region.

Content

Region directory: Every TXSeries region you define has a central location where special files and subdirectories are found:
Open systems: /var/cics_regions/<region_name>
Windows: <install_drive>\var\cics_regions\<region_name>

Files found in the region directory:

console.nnnnnn: This is the primary log file for activities taking place in the region. All messages to stderr from the user applications and libraries are also redirected to this file, The size of the file can be limited by the MaxConsoleSize attribute in the region definitions (RD) stanza. The default value for MaxConsoleSize is 0 (unlimited).

Note: A new console.nnnnnn file (where nnnnnn is a sequential number) is created every time the region is started or console file size crosses the MaxConsoleSize setting.

symrecs.nnnnnn (symptom records): This file logs the messages that are related to potential software or system damage. Messages in this file can assist the IBM support organization while debuggin. This file does not exist until a record is written to it. Usually the signals sent to a region process gets logged in symrecs file.

console.msg: All messages to stdout from the user application and libraries are redirected to this file. For example, a COBOL program that uses DISPLAY statement gets redirected to this file..

<region name>.env: Logs the environment under which the CICS subsystem was started. This file is auto generated during region start. This file MUST NOTbe edited manually. To add an environment variable to be used within a region, you need to define the same in 'environment' file located in the same directory or system's environment file.

Region data directory: The TXSeries region data directory can be found at
Open systems: /var/cics_regions/<region_name>/data
Windows: <install_drive>\var\cics_regions\<region_name>\data

Files in the region data directory:

CSMT.out: This is a transient data queue that contains CICS messages about transactions or system errors mostly related to terminals . Applications can also write to CSMT.out using EXEC CICS commands. By default this file gets backed up when a region is restarted, The size of CSMT.out file, which is defined as an extra partition file in the TDD stanza, can be restricted by setting MaxSize attribute.

This log will be useful for detecting the storage violation errors, auto install messages of terminals, database errors, security setting issues related to web services, user application messages, transaction error messages, inter system communication errors

CCIN.out: This is an external transient data queue that contains information about client connections. This file gets overwritten on region restart. This file gives important information while investigating issues related to connections getting dropped from remote region or CTG connection.

statsfile: This file contains CICS region statistics output. You can format the files using the cicssfmt utility. The statistics gets logged every three hours by default. This file is important for debugging performance related issues and understanding the load on the region.

Region dumps/dir1 directory: The region’s dumps/dir1 directory is the current working directory for all the CICS processes. Hence, by default, you can find any files generated or created by third-party software running under CICS in this location.

Open systems: /var/cics_regions/<region_name>/dumps/dir1
Windows: <install_drive>\var\cics_regions\<region_name>\dumps\dir1

Files in the region dumps/dir1 directory:
core<pid>.<timestamp>: This file is generated by the operating system when a CICS process terminates abnormally. CICS then attempts to format the generated core file. If successful, this creates a file with the same name as the core file and suffix of .fmt. The formatted file contains the process/thread stack. This is useful for understanding the current state of threads.

cics<pid>.traceback: This file logs function stack information when an incorrect exception (SigILL, SigSEGV) occurs in an application or CICS internal code. This will be useful for determining the function name which caused the exception.

<regionName>.<processName>.n<processNumber>.p<processID>.t<threadID>.cicstrc: These files are created when trace is enabled to record the system trace. Use cicstfmt utility for formatting. This is useful for understanding the flow of the application execution and the arguments used for the system functions. This will be useful to determine the issues raised due to invalid arguments to the system function calls and the memory corruption created by the applications.

cicsas.AppProbe.<pid>.<timestamp>.log: This file logs the application trace of the execution of your application. EnableAppProbe needs to be set yes in region definitions (RD) stanza. This is useful to track the CICS API calls made by the applications, monitor the application memory usage and also to determine the application causing the memory corruptions.

CICS creates the dump files as aaaannnn.dmpmm. Where aaaa indicates how dump was initiated. Use cicsdfmt utility for formatting. This provides the current state and its data for all the CICS internal structures used by the region. These dumps will be useful to debug the CICS internal structure corruption issues.

- SYSA<nnnn>.dmp<mm>: This is a system dump file that contains region specific information generated on the abnormal termination of the region.

- ASRA<nnnn>.dmp<mm>: This is a transaction dump file that contains transaction related information generated when an ASRA abend occurs in the transaction.

- ASRB<nnnn>.dmp<mm>: This is a transaction dump file that contains transaction related information generated when an ASRB abend occurs in the transaction.

- <XXXX><nnnn>.dmp<mm>: This is a transaction dump file that contains transaction related information generated when a transaction transaction abnormally terminates. TransDump needs to be set yes in transaction definitions (TD) stanza for that particular transaction XXXX. This file also created if the four letter dumpcode XXXX passed with EXEC CICS DUMP or abnormal termination code XXXX set with EXEC CICS ABEND commands.

- SNAP<nnnn>.dmp<mm>: CICS produce this dump file if CEMT PERFORM SNAP is performed and SysDump needs to be set yes in region definitions (RD) stanza.

- SHUT<nnnn>.dmp<mm>: Initiated when CICS region shutdowns and SysDump needs to be set yes in region definitions (RD) stanza.

- DIRT<nnnn>.dmp<mm>: This file created when cicsedump utility has run to get a snapshot of the CICS region.

[{"Product":{"code":"SSAL2T","label":"TXSeries for Multiplatforms"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Component":"Documentation","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"},{"code":"PF010","label":"HP-UX"},{"code":"PF027","label":"Solaris"},{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"6.2;7.1","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB35","label":"Mainframe SW"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
02 August 2018

UID

swg21584716