Invoking RTM (ABEND macro)

Any routine can issue the ABEND macro to direct the recovery termination services to itself (cause entry into its recovery routine) or to its callers. The issuer of ABEND should remove its own recovery routine if it wishes its caller to be ended abnormally or to enter recovery. Control does not return to the issuer of the macro (except as a result of a retry).

The position within the job step hierarchy of the task for which the ABEND macro is issued determines the exact function of the abnormal termination routine. If an ABEND macro is issued when the job step task (the highest level or only task) is active, or if the STEP parameter is coded in an ABEND macro issued during the performance of any task in the job step, all the tasks in the job step are terminated. For example, if the STEP parameter is coded in an ABEND macro under TSO/E, the TSO/E job is terminated. An ABEND macro (without a STEP parameter) that is issued in performance of any task in the job step task usually causes only that task and its subtasks to be abnormally terminated. However, if the abnormal termination cannot be fulfilled as requested, it might be necessary for the system to end the job step task abnormally.

If you have provided a recovery routine for your program, the system passes control to your routine. If you have not provided a recovery routine, the system handles the problem. The action the system takes depends on whether the job step is going to be terminated.

If the job step is not going to be terminated, the system:

Releases the resources owned by the terminating task and all of its subtasks, starting with the lowest level task.
Places the system or user completion code specified in the ABEND macro in the task control block (TCB) of the active task (the task for which the ABEND macro was issued).
Posts the event control block (ECB) with the completion code specified in the ABEND macro, if the ECB parameter was coded in the ATTACHX macro issued to create the active task.
Schedules the end-of-task exit routine to be given control when the originating task becomes active, if the ETXR parameter was coded in the ATTACHX macro issued to create the active task.
Calls a routine to free the storage of the terminating task's TCB, if neither the ECB nor ETXR parameter were specified by the ATTACHX macro.

If the job step is to be terminated, the system:

Releases the resources owned by each task, starting with the lowest level task, for all tasks in the job step. The system does not give control to any end-of-task exit.
Writes the system or user completion code specified in the ABEND macro on the system output device.

The remaining steps in the job are skipped unless you can define your own recovery routine to perform similar functions and any other functions that your program requires. Use either the ESTAE or ESTAEX macro, or the ATTACHX macro with the ESTAI option to provide a recovery routine that gets control whenever your program issues an ABEND macro. If your program is running in AR ASC mode, use the ESTAEX or ATTACHX macro.