Reason code (physical errors)

If a physical error occurs and you have no SYNAD routine (or the SYNAD exit is inactive), VSAM returns control to your program following the last executed instruction. The return code in register 15 indicates a physical error (12). The RPL feedback area contains a reason code identifying the error. The RPL message area contains more details about the error. Register 1 points to the request parameter list. The RBA field in the request parameter list gives the relative byte address of the control interval in which the physical error occurred. Table 1 lists the reason codes that can be in the feedback area and explains what each code indicates.

Table 1. Physical-error reason codes in the feedback area of the request parameter list. Physical-error reason codes in the feedback area of the request parameter list
Reason code (RPLERRCD) when register 15=12(X'0C')	Meaning
4(X'4')	Read error occurred for a data set.
8(X'8')	Read error occurred for an index set.
12(X'C')	Read error occurred for a sequence set.
16(X'10')	Write error occurred for a data set.
20(X'14')	Write error occurred for an index set.
24(X'18')	Write error occurred for a sequence set.
36(X'24')	For MACRF=RLS, a CF cache structure connectivity failure occurred.
40(X'28')	For MACRF=RLS, a CF cache structure failure occurred.
44(X'2C')	For extended format data sets, the suffix for a physical record in the CI at the RBA specified in the RPL is invalid.

Table 2 shows the format of a physical error message. The format and some of the contents of the message are purposely similar to the format and contents of the SYNADAF message, which z/OS DFSMS Macro Instructions for Data Sets describes.

Table 2. Physical error message format. Physical error message format
MESSAGE FORMAT FOR NON-RLS PROCESSING
Field	Bytes	Length	Description
Message Length	0-1	2	Binary value of 128.
	2-3	2	Unused (0)
Message Length-4	4-5	2	Binary value of 124 (provided for compatibility with SYNADAF Message).
	6-7	2	Unused (0)
Address of I/O Buffer	8-11	4	The I/O buffer associated with the data where the error occurred.

The rest of the message is in printable format
Date	12-16	5	YYDDD (year and day)
	17	1	Comma (,)
Time	18-25	8	HHMMSSTH (hour, minute, second, tenths and hundredths of a second.
	26	1	Comma (,)
RBA	27-38	12	Relative byte address of the record where the error occurred.
	39	1	Comma (,)
Component Type	40	1	"D"(Data) or "I"(Index)
	41	1	Comma (,)
Volume Serial Number	42-47	6	Volume serial number of the volume where the error occurred.
			For UNIX files, this field contains "********".
	48	1	Comma (,)
Job Name	49-56	8	Name of the job where the error occurred.
	57	1	Comma (,)
Step Name	58-65	8	Name of the job step where the error occurred.
	66	1	Comma (,)
Unit	67-70	4	The device number where the error occurred.
			For UNIX files, this field contains "****".
	71	1	Comma (,)
Device Type	72-73	2	The type of device where the error occurred. (Always DA for direct access.)
	74	1	Comma (,)
ddname	75-82	8	The ddname of the DD statement defining the data set where the error occurred.
	83	1	Comma (,)
Channel	84-89	6	The channel command that received the error in the first two bytes, followed by “-OP”
			For UNIX files, this field contains the request that resulted in the error.
			A GET, PUT, CHECK, POINT, or ENDREQ request.

Figure 1 shows information about messages 91–105.

Figure 1. Physical error message format

Message 91-105 15 Messages are divided according to ECB completion codes:

&tab;&tab;&tab;X'41' "INCORR LENGTH"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "UNIT EXCEPTION"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "PROGRAM CHECK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "PROTECTION CHK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "CHAN DATA CHK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "CHAN CTRL CHK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "INTFCE CTRL CHK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "CHAINING CHK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "UNIT CHECK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;     "SEEK CHECK"

If the type of unit check can be determined, the "UNIT CHECK" message is replaced by one of the following messages:

&tab;&tab;&tab;          "CMD REJECT"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "INT REQ"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "BUS OUT CK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "EQP CHECK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "DATA CHECK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "OVER RUN"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "TRACK COND CK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "COUNT DATA CHK"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "TRACK FORMAT"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "CYLINDER END"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "NO RECORD FOUND"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "FILE PROTECT"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "MISSING A.M."
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "OVERFL INCP"
&tab;&tab;&tab;X'48' "PURGED REQUEST"
&tab;&tab;&tab;X'4A' "I/O PREVENTED"
&tab;&tab;&tab;X'4F' "R.HA.R0. ERROR"
&tab;&tab;&tab;          "INVALID SUFFIX"

Table 3 shows information about messages 106–127.

Table 3. Physical error message format. This table shows information about messages 106–127.
Field	Bytes	Length	Description
For any other ECB completion code:
			"UNKNOWN COND".
			For UNIX files, this field contains the service that encountered the error, in the form "OMVS-`nnnnnnnn`", in which `nnnnnnnn` is the name of the service.
	106	1	Comma (,)
Physical Direct	107-120	14	BBCCHHR (bin, cylinder, head, and record)
Access Address			For UNIX files, this field contains the return and reason code from the failing service in the form "`xxxx-yyyyyyyy`" consisting of a 2-byte hexadecimal return code and a 4-byte hexadecimal reason code.
	121	1	Comma (,)
Access Method	122-127	6	"VSAM"
			For UNIX files, this field contains "VSAM"
MESSAGE FORMAT FOR CF FAILURE WITH VSAM RLS OR DFSMStvs PROCESSING
Field	Bytes	Length	Description
Message Length	0-1	2	Binary value of 128
	2-3	2	Unused (0)
Message Length-4	4-5	2	Binary value of 124 (provided for compatibility with SYNADAF Message).
	6-7	2	Unused (0)
Address of I/O Buffer	8-11	4	The I/O buffer associated with the data where the error occurred.
The rest of the message is in printable format:
Date	12-16	5	YYDDD (year and day)
	17	1	Comma (,)
Time	18-25	8	HHMMSSTH (hour, minute, second, tenths and hundredths of a second.
	26	1	Comma (,)
RBA	27-38	12	Relative byte address of the record where the error occurred.
	39	1	Comma (,)
Component Type	40	1	"D"(Data) or "I"(Index)
	41	1	Comma (,)
Volume Serial	42-47	6	For MACRF=RLS, this field does not apply and is set to asterisks.
	48	1	Comma (,)
Job Name	49-56	8	Name of the job where the error occurred.
	57	1	Comma (,)
Step Name	58-65	8	Name of the job step where the error occurred.
	66	1	Comma (,)
Unit	67-70	4	For MACRF=RLS, this field does not apply and is set to asterisks.
	71	1	Comma (,)
Device Type	72-73	2	For MACRF=RLS, this field is set to "CS" for CF cache structure.
	74	1	Comma (,)
ddname	75-82	8	The ddname of the DD statement defining the data set where the error occurred.
	83	1	Comma (,)
Channel	84-89	6	For MACRF=RLS, this field is set to "CFREAD" or "CFWRT" indicating if the CF operation is a read or write.
	90	1	Comma (,)
Message	91-105	15	For MACRF=RLS, you receive either CF structure failure message or loss of connectivity message.
			&tab;"CF STR FAILURE"
			&tab;"CF CON FAILURE"
	106	1	Comma (,)
Physical Direct Access Address	107-120	14	14-character cache structure name.
	121	1	Comma (,)
Access Method	122-127	6	"VSAM"