Recommended documentation for VTAM problems

Symptoms are often related to a particular device, command, or update to the system. If you suspect this is so, tell the IBM® Support Center of this relationship. The following information describes some possible relationships and the documentation you should have for each one.

APAR or PTF number

If the problem appears after you apply an authorized programming analysis report (APAR) fix, supply the APAR number. If the fix is a PTF (program temporary fix), supply the PTF number. The following table shows the format for APAR numbers and PTF numbers.

APAR	PTF
OAnnnnn OWnnnnn OYnnnnn	UAnnnnn UWnnnnn UYnnnnn

Device type

If the problem is associated with the use of a particular type of terminal or other hardware unit, supply that device type (such as 3278 Model 2). If the problem is associated with a particular type of communication link, supply appropriate link characteristics, such as SDLC, BSC, SNA, or non-SNA. Also, identify any recent microcode activity on the control units involved.

Operator command

If the problem is associated with a particular VTAM® operator command, supply the full command name (such as VARY). Also, note any command operand (such as INACT) or a network node type (such as CDRM) that has been associated with the problem.

Terminal action

If the problem is associated with a particular terminal action, such as IBMECHO, USS LOGON, or pressing the CLEAR key, describe the action (or sequence of actions).

VTAM application program

If the problem is associated with a VTAM application program that is an IBM licensed program (such as CICS® or TSO), supply the name of the licensed program.

Hardware error condition

Sometimes it is immediately apparent that a problem is related to a specific hardware error condition. The hardware error might have been detected and reported in several ways:

By an operating system message
By a VTAM or application program message
By the system operator
By a VTAM buffer filling up with information from one device
Through LOGREC
By a terminal user (an indicator of the error status is displayed in the operator information area, at the bottom of the terminal screen)

If a hardware error occurred, note the failure condition that accompanied it, such as UNIT CHECK or TIMEOUT.

If you think your problem is related to a hardware failure, use the following tools to collect information about the hardware failure:

SDLC link level 2 (LL2) test. For more information about the LL2 test, see Modifying SDLC link level 2 test.
NCP intensive mode error recording. For more information about intensive mode recording, see Modifying NCP intensive mode recording. See Table 1 to determine what NCP document describes intensive mode recording.
The NetView® program, if you use it in your system.
LOGREC (or similar operating system facilities).
The VARY TCPIP,,OSAENTA command if you think your problem is related to an OSA-Express2 or later failure; see z/OS Communications Server: IP Diagnosis Guide for more information about the OSAENTA command.

Note: For help with hardware problems, use the NetView program if you have it installed, or use the system console messages to identify the affected part of the network. If you need further assistance, contact your IBM branch office.

Coding change

A problem can occur after you make coding changes to the following things:

VTAM network definitions
Macro usage
Start options
User-coded exit routines
Job control statements
User applications

Supply information about the coding change. For example, if you change the PACING operand on an NCP LU definition statement, supply that information.

Use Table 1 to determine the type of documentation you need to either solve your problem or supply to the IBM Support Center.

Note: Documentation for the NetView program is included in Table 1.

Table 1. Recommended documentation for VTAM problems
Documentation	Description
Alias names	If your configuration is using SNA network interconnection and you are using alias names, keep a list of the alias names defined to each name translation program.
Application program log (if appropriate)	Some user-written operator application programs produce an application program log.
Exit routines	Keep a list of VTAM exit routines.
Link-edit map	If a VTAM load module is involved in a problem, an XREF map of the load module is needed to show the location of other VTAM modules within that load module. To get an XREF map, use the service aid LIST (AMBLIST) with the control statement LISTLOAD and the parameter OUTPUT=XREF. This produces a listing showing the module (CSECT) names and their location within the load module. See Table 1 to determine what document describes how to use the LIST service aid.
Link Pack Area (LPA) map	Contains names and starting addresses of modules in SYS1.LPALIB. To get an LPA map, use the IBM service aid LIST (AMBLIST) with the control statement LISTLPA. See Table 1 to determine what document describes the LIST service aid. When it is used with a link-edit map and a dump, an LPA map enables you to identify a module that is found at a specific address within the link pack area.
LOGREC	Contains records of various types of system failures, both hardware and software. For hardware failures, LOGREC entries contain sense and status information about the device causing the failure. For software failures, LOGREC entries contain information such as the program status word (PSW), the abend code, the failing module name (when possible), a symptom string, and the general registers at the time of failure. LOGREC entries are written each time VTAM produces a supervisor call (SVC) dump.
NetView hardcopy log (if using the NetView program)	Contains messages routed to the NetView program that are associated with an operator terminal.
NetView file (if using the NetView program)	Contains session awareness data for all active sessions and session trace data for sessions with a resource for which a session monitor trace has been started. Session awareness data includes: Session type Names of session partners Session activation status IDs of subarea physical units contained in the explicit route assigned to the session Transmission group numbers Addresses and network IDs of SSCPs that own links in the transmission groups Session trace data includes: Session activation parameters VTAM PIU data NCP data
Network configuration	List any application programs, new devices, or new levels of the operating system you have added to your network. Save the System Modification Program (SMP) configuration data set (CDS) for VTAM and TSO/VTAM components. See Table 1 to determine what document describes SMP.
Program Update Tape (PUT) and Program Temporary Fix (PTF)	Supply a list of any PUTs and PTFs that have been applied to your system. Also, supply a list of changes that have been applied to the hardware, such as requests for engineering activity (REAs) and engineering changes (ECs). If you have identified a module as the source of the problem, supply the PTF eye-catcher if the module has one. (The PTF eye-catcher is the latest PTF number that has been applied to a module. It follows the module ID in a dump.)
Routing data	Keep a table of destination subareas, explicit route numbers, virtual route numbers, paths, and transmission groups as well as a table associating session types, Class of Service (CoS) names, and CoS tables.
Symptom string	Some VTAM routines provide a symptom string after a failure. After an abend, you will receive message IST931I, which contains the symptom string text. Refer to z/OS Communications Server: SNA Messages for a description of message IST931I. The symptom string is put in the system diagnostic work area (SDWA), which is printed by the Environmental Recording, Editing, and Printing (EREP) program as part of the LOGREC entries. See Table 1 to determine what document contains more information on LOGREC. If a first failure support technology (FFST™) probe produced the symptom string, EPW messages will appear in the console listing to describe the symptom string. See Table 1 to determine what document contains more information on FFST messages.
System-console hardcopy Log	Shows all messages sent to or commands received from the operator. May help indicate when the system began to have problems. (VTAM problems may not be apparent at the time they occur.) If your installation has written its own version of a VTAM message, supply the original VTAM message when you report the problem.
Tables	Keep a list of the VTAM tables your installation has defined, such as USS and logmode.
Version and Release number Component ID	CSV1R9 Component ID VTAM 5695-11701 Release 190 At VTAM startup when VTAM initialization is completed, messages IST020I and IST1349I are issued with this information. Message IST020I displays the version and release number, and message IST1349I displays the component ID. In addition, information about the release level of each component is contained in an access-method-support vector list pointed to by the access method control block (ACB). See z/OS Communications Server: SNA Programming for more information about the ACB.
VTAM definition library	This is a set of definition statements for resources in the VTAM network, such as the application programs and network nodes. The VTAM definition library also contains the start options used to initialize VTAM, unless they were entered by the system operator. Include configuration lists and user installation exits with the definition library. Detailed information about the VTAM definition library is in z/OS Communications Server: New Function Summary.