Activating CICS non-Language Environment exits

To debug non-Language Environment® assembler programs or non-Language Environment COBOL programs that run under CICS®, you must start the required z/OS® Debugger global user exits before you start the programs. z/OS Debugger provides the following global user exits to help you debug non-Language Environment applications: XPCFTCH, XEIIN, XEIOUT, XPCTA, and XPCHAIR. The exits can be started by using either the DTCX transaction (provided by z/OS Debugger), or using a PLTPI program that runs during CICS region startup

DTCX: You can turn the exits on and off by using the transaction DTCX. To activate all of the exits, from a clear CICS terminal screen enter DTCXXO. To deactivate all of the exits, enter DTCXXF. You need to activate the exits only once. If you deactivate the exits and then want to debug a non-Language Environment program, you need to enter DTCXXO from a clear CICS terminal screen to activate the exits.

After you enter DTCXXO, a series of messages are displayed on your screen. If all exits are activated successfully, the following messages are displayed:

EQA9972I - DT XPCFTCH CICS exit now ON.
EQA9972I - DT XEIIN exit now ON.
EQA9972I - DT XEIOUT exit now ON.
EQA9972I - DT XPCTA exit now ON.
EQA9972I - DT XPCHAIR exit now ON.
EQA9970I - CICS exit activation successful.

When you enter DTCXXF, the following messages are displayed:

EQA9973I - DT XPCFTCH CICS exit now OFF.
EQA9973I - DT XEIIN exit now OFF.
EQA9973I - DT XEIOUT exit now OFF.
EQA9973I - DT XPCTA exit now OFF.
EQA9973I - DT XPCHAIR exit now OFF.
EQA9971I - CICS exit deactivation successful.

If there is a problem starting or activating one of the exits, an error message like the following is displayed:

EQA9974I Error enabling XPCFTCH - EQANCFTC

If you see this error message, verify that the CICS CSD is properly updated to include the latest z/OS Debugger resource definitions, and that the z/OS Debugger SEQAMOD data is in the DFHRPL DD concatenation for the CICS region.

You can start the exits during region initialization by using a sequential terminal or any other mechanism that runs transactions during CICS startup. You are not required to shut down the exits before or during a region shutdown.

PLT: The non-Language Environment exits can also be activated during CICS region initialization by using the CICS Program List Table (PLTPI) program EQA0CPLT (supplied by z/OS Debugger). In addition to adding EQA0CPLT to your CICS region PLT, you must specify the CICS startup parameter INITPARM=(EQA0CPLT='NLE'). EQA0CPLT supersedes the function provided earlier by PLTPI program EQANCPLT. See step 10 for instructions on using EQA0CPLT. For more information about PLT processing, see the CICS Resource Definition Guide.