Initiating an APAR

  1. Contact the IBM® Support Center for assistance. Tell the support personnel that you have used this manual to create a keyword string. Be prepared to supply the following information:
    • Customer number
    • Operating system
    • Operating system release level
    • Current High Level Assembler maintenance level (PTF list and list of APAR fixes applied)
    • The various keyword strings used to search the software support data base
    • Processor serial and model number
  2. From the following list, you might be asked to include the applicable High Level Assembler environmental information with your APAR:
    • Job control statements
    • Any spooled CMS consoles or special EXECs
    • The following assembler listings:
      • High Level Assembler Options Summary
      • External Symbol Dictionary
      • Source and Object
      • Relocation Dictionary
      • Ordinary Symbol and Literal Cross Reference
      • Unreferenced Symbols in a CSECT
      • DSECT Cross Reference
      • Macro and Copy Code Source Summary
      • Macro and Copy Code Cross Reference
      • General Purpose Register Cross Reference
      • Diagnostic Cross Reference and Assembler Summary
      • USING map
    • Machine-readable copy of the program causing the problem, including all macros and copy members required by the program. This should be the smallest, least complex form of the program that still produces the error.
    • SYSADATA (z/OS® and CMS) or SYSADAT (z/VSE®) output

In addition, the console log might be helpful in reproducing the error. Any listings supplied must be from the High Level Assembler assembly that failed.

You may also be asked to provide trace information from the assembly that failed.

Table 1 provides the options or methods used to produce the documentation required. Many of these materials may have been previously produced in the required format during the development of the keyword string. (See Diagnosing the problem.) Any additional requirements are explained after the table.

Table 1. Problem resolution documentation descriptions
Item Materials Required How to Obtain Materials
1 Machine-readable source program  
2 Assembly listings:  
  • High Level Assembler Options Summary
  • by default
  • External Symbol Dictionary
  • ESD option
  • Source and Object
  • LIST option
  • Relocation Dictionary
  • RLD option
  • Ordinary Symbol and Literal  Cross Reference
  • XREF(SHORT) or XREF(FULL)
  • Unreferenced Symbols  Defined in a CSECT
  • XREF(UNREFS)
  • DSECT Cross Reference
  • DXREF option
  • Macro and Copy Code  Source Summary
  • MXREF(FULL) option or MXREF(SOURCE)
  • Macro and Copy Code  Cross Reference
  • MXREF(FULL) option or MXREF(XREF)
  • General Purpose Register  Cross Reference
  • RXREF option
  • USING map listing
  • USING(MAP) option
  • Diagnostic Cross Reference  and Assembler Summary
  • by default
  • Assembler abnormal  termination dump
  • by default
3 Assembler system ABEND dump On z/OS: SYSUDUMP DD statement (as directed by IBM support personnel). On CMS: VM DUMP command (as directed by IBM support personnel). On z/VSE: JCL OPTION DUMP or PARTDUMP (as directed by IBM support personnel).
4 Partition/region size/virtual storage size JCL or system programmer.
5 List of applied PTFs System programmer.
6 z/OS job control statements with MSGLEVEL(1,1), TSO ALLOCATE statements, CMS interactive session listing, or z/VSE job control statements with OPTION LOG. See Job control statements (z/OS), Interactive environment (CMS) or Job control statements (z/VSE).
7 SYSADATA (z/OS and CMS) or SYSADAT (z/VSE) output See SYSADATA (z/OS and CMS) or SYSADAT (z/VSE) output.
8 Trace Output (ON REQUEST) See Internal Trace Facility.