The IBM Support Center VSAM Customer Support will provide dump point information when a dump of a region or selected area is required for diagnosing a problem.

Each module has built-in dump points that invoke diagnostic dumping routines if the TEST option is in effect. The dump points have been placed at key locations in each module (for example, around calls to other processor and nonprocessor modules). Each dump point specifies what information will be dumped. Some dump points allow symbolic dumping of selected areas of virtual storage (for example, parameter lists or return codes); all dump points allow dumping of the full region and printing of the trace tables.

Certain access method services modules have the dumping of selected areas of virtual storage built in. Dump points can be used to dump these selected areas. The areas dumped vary with each dump point and are identified with descriptive codes.

Dumping of selected areas can occur with or without a full region dump, as described in TEST option.