The CICS trace utility program, DFHTU700

The CICS® utility program, DFHTU700, extracts all or selected trace entries from the A or B auxiliary trace data set, and formats and prints the data.

You specify the type of entries to be processed by this program on trace selection parameters supplied in either of the following:
  • A PARM parameter on the EXEC PGM=DFHTU700 statement
  • The DFHAXPRM data set.
You can specify that all entries are to be processed, or select specific entries for processing. For example, you might specify entries with the following characteristics:
  • Entries written to the auxiliary trace data set within a specified period of time.
  • Entries written for a specified terminal.
  • Entries with a specified trace identifier.
  • Entries with specified trace entry sequence numbers. The sequence number is given in each trace entry, and can be determined from a summary trace point.
  • Entries associated with a specified transaction identifier.
  • Entries associated with a specific instance of a transaction identifier (task)
  • Entries associated with a selected kernel task.
  • Entries that are for exception trace only.

You can select which trace entries you want to highlight in your formatted output by specifying the time interval between one trace entry and the next being written. If more than the specified interval elapses before the next trace entry is written, this next trace entry is formatted and printed with an asterisk (*) to draw your attention to this entry.

For abbreviated and full trace formatting, the trace summary table at the end of the formatted output provides summary information about the trace entries that relate to each task. The trace summary table is not produced for short-format trace.

You can use the job control statements shown in Figure 1 to invoke the utility program for each auxiliary trace data set. Only use the trace utility program to print auxiliary trace data sets that you have opened in the most recent run of CICS. If you did not open an auxiliary trace data set during the most recent run of CICS, the trace utility program either prints records from a previous run or cannot recognize the records. If you opened the auxiliary trace data set A in the most recent run of CICS, but did not open auxiliary data set B, you can print data set A, but not print B.
Figure 1. Sample JCL to print CICS trace data from an auxiliary trace data set 
//PRTRACE  JOB  accounting info,name,MSGLEVEL=1,CLASS=A,MSGCLASS=A,
//              REGION=2M                                            1  
//PRINT    EXEC PGM=DFHTU700
//STEPLIB  DD   DSN=CICSTS53.CICS.SDFHLOAD,DISP=SHR
//         DD   DSN=CICSTS53.CICS.SDFHLINK,DISP=SHR
//DFHAUXT  DD   DSN=CICSTS53.CICS.DFHxxxx,DISP=SHR                   2  
  3  
//DFHAXPRT DD   SYSOUT=A
//DFHAXPRM DD   *
 ·  
 ·  
 ·
  [trace selection parameters]                                        4 
/*

 1  The sample JCL gives a region size of 2 MB that you might typically need to run the DFHTU700 utility. You can use the sample region size as a basis for your own JCL, but you must ensure that the region size is large enough to run the DFHTU700 utility in your CICS environment.

 2  Modify the DSN parameter to specify either the DFHAUXT or DFHBUXT data set, depending on whether the data is on the A or B data set. The DDname must be DFHAUXT for both the A and the B data set.

 3  If your trace data sets are on tape, and the data set occupies more than one volume, you must begin with the first volume. The DD statement for trace data sets on tape might be as follows:
//DFHAUXT   DD DSN=CICSTS53.CICS.DFHAUXT.,DISP=(OLD,KEEP),
//             VOL=SER=volid,UNIT=TAPE

 4  You can define the number of lines to be printed and define which trace records that you want to print by specifying trace control statements. For more information, see The trace selection parameters for DFHTU700.