Printing and viewing dumps

You can print or view the different types of ABEND dumps as follows:

SYSABEND and SYSUDUMP dumps: These two dumps are formatted as they are created. They can be:

In a SYSOUT data set. The system can print the dump when printing the output class. To view at a terminal, use a facility that allows the viewing of JES SPOOL data sets.
On a tape or direct access data set. Print the dump in a separate job or job step or view the dump at a terminal by browsing the data set containing the dump.
A convenient way to print the dump is in a later job step that runs only if an earlier job step abnormally ends and, thus, requests a dump. For this, use the JCL EXEC statement COND parameter.
Sent directly to a printer. Note this is not recommended; the printer cannot be used for anything else while the job step is running, whether a dump is written or not.

Figure 1 shows JCL that uses the IEBPTPCH facility to print a formatted dump data set. In this example, a SYSABEND dump is printed. The same JCL can be used for a SYSUDUMP. Because the system formats the dump when creating it, the IEBPTPCH utility program can print the dump. The dump is in a data set named DUMPDS on tape.

Figure 1. Example: Using IEBPTPCH to print a dump

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//PRINT     EXEC  PGM=IEBPTPCH
//SYSPRINT  DD    SYSOUT=A
//SYSUT1    DD    DSN=DUMPDS,UNIT=TAPE,DISP=(OLD,DELETE)
//SYSUT2    DD    SYSOUT=A
//SYSIN     DD    *
   PRINT    PREFORM=A,TYPORG=PS
/*

SYSMDUMP dumps: This dump is unformatted when created. The system can write the dump to tape or direct access. Use IPCS to format the dump and then view it at a terminal or print it. SYSMDUMP dumps are especially useful for diagnosing errors because IPCS can produce specific information for specific requests. See z/OS MVS IPCS User's Guide for more information.