TRACE controls runtime library tracing activity, the size of the in-storage trace table, the type of trace events to record, and it determines whether a dump containing, at a minimum, the trace table should be unconditionally taken when the application terminates. When you specify TRACE(ON), user-requested trace entries are intermixed with Language Environment trace entries in the trace table.

Under normal termination conditions, if TRACE is active and you specify DUMP, only the trace table is written to the dump report, independent of the TERMTHDACT setting. Only one dump is taken for each termination. Under abnormal termination conditions, the type of dump taken (if one is taken) depends on the value of the TERMTHDACT runtime option and whether TRACE is active and the DUMP suboption is specified.

Non-CICS default

TRACE=((OFF,4K,DUMP,LE=0),OVR)

CICS® default

TRACE=(OFF,4K,DUMP,LE=0)

AMODE 64 default

TRACE=(OFF,,DUMP,LE=0)

Syntax

                   .-OFF-.                    .-DUMP---.      
>>-TRACE--=--(--(--+-ON--+--,--table_size--,--+-NODUMP-+--,----->

   .-LE=0--.        .-OVR----.      
>--+-LE=1--+--)--,--+-NONOVR-+--)------------------------------><
   +-LE=2--+                        
   +-LE=3--+                        
   '-LE=20-'                        

OFF

Indicates that the tracing facility is inactive.

ON

Indicates that the tracing facility is active.

table_size

Determines the size of the tracing table as specified in bytes (nK or nM). The upper limit is 16M - 1 (16777215 bytes).

Restriction: This suboption is ignored for AMODE 64 applications and the size is set to 1M.

DUMP

Requests that a Language Environment-formatted dump (containing the trace table) be taken at program termination regardless of the setting of the TERMTHDACT runtime option.

NODUMP

Requests that a Language Environment-formatted dump not be taken at program termination.

LE=0

Specifies that no trace events be recorded.

LE=1

Specifies that entry to and exit from Language Environment member libraries be recorded (such as, in the case of C, entry and exit of the printf() library function).

LE=2

Specifies that mutex init/destroy and locks/unlocks from Language Environment member libraries be recorded.

LE=3

Activates both the entry/exit trace and the mutex trace.

LE=20

Specifies that XPLINK/non-XPLINK transition should be recorded.

OVR

Specifies that the option can be overridden.

NONOVR

Specifies that the option cannot be overridden.

Usage notes

• When running PL/I with POSIX(ON), no PL/I-specific trace information is provided.
• When you specify LE=20:
  • AMODE 64 applications have no transitions.
  • Transitions across OS_UPSTACK linkage are not recorded.
• Under abnormal termination, the following dump contents are generated:

  TERMTHDACT(TRACE)

  Generates a dump containing the trace table and the traceback and options report.

  TERMTHDACT(QUIET)

  Generates a dump containing the trace table only.

  TERMTHDACT(MSG)

  Generates a dump containing the trace table only.

  TERMTHDACT(DUMP)

  Generates a dump containing thread/enclave/process storage and control blocks (the trace table is included as an enclave control block) and an options report.

  TERMTHDACT(UADUMP)

  Generates a system dump of the user address space and an options report.

PL/I MTF considerations

The TRACE(ON,,,LE=2) setting provides the following trace table entries for PL/I MTF support:

• Trace entry 100 occurs when a task is created.
• Trace entry 101 occurs when a task that contains the tasking CALL statements is terminated.
• Trace entry 102 occurs when a task that does not contain the tasking CALL statements is terminated.

For more information

• For more information about the dump contents, see TERMTHDACT.
• For more information about using the tracing facility, see z/OS Language Environment Debugging Guide.