DFHMN0004 applid A possible loop has been detected at offset X'offset' in module modname.

Explanation

A CICS function is taking more time to process than CICS expects. A possible loop has been detected in module modname at offset X'offset'. This is the offset of the instruction which was executing at the time the error was detected.

System action

An exception entry is made in the trace table. A system dump is taken, unless you have specifically suppressed dumps in the dump table. This is a critical error and CICS is terminated, even if you have specified in the dump table that CICS should not terminate.

Message DFHME0116, which contains the symptom string for this problem, is produced.

User response

Notify the system programmer. If CICS has not been terminated, it will be necessary to decide whether the problem is serious enough to bring CICS down.

Since some CICS functions can use a lot of CPU time, this message may have been caused by a long-running function. So there may not be an error here. Usually, CICS will purge a CICS function which exceeds the runaway task time interval which you have specified in the SIT (this is the ICVR which is measured in milliseconds). This means that module modname will be terminated and CICS will continue.

But if you have declared ICVR=0 in the SIT and you consider that module modname has gone into a loop, you will have to terminate CICS in order to terminate the runaway function.

If CICS has terminated module modname, and you consider that it was not a runaway, you should increase the ICVR time interval in the SIT. You will have to bring CICS down at a suitable time to do this permanently. But you can change the ICVR time interval temporarily online, using the CEMT transaction.

If raising the ICVR time does not solve the problem, you will need further assistance from IBM. See IBM problem support for guidance on how to proceed.

Module

DFHMNDM, DFHMNMN, DFHMNSR, DFHMNST, DFHMNSU, DFHMNTI, DFHMNUE, DFHMNXM

XMEOUT parameters/Message inserts

  1. applid
  2. X'offset'
  3. modname

Destination

Console