Searching for a specific-return-code value

The newer administration, capture, log reader, and monitor services that issue console or event messages that begin with a CEC prefix were designed to generate error messages for various error conditions that can be corrected by an administrator or systems programmer. Each of these services supports one or more “indirection” error messages that are issued when some other kind of error condition is encountered. These messages are generic in nature and include return and reason code values that identify the underlying error that was encountered.

The following example shows one of these messages:

CECC0016E The source server encountered an unexpected error condition for subscription subscription-name.
The error message code is specific-return-code, with the specific return codes (rc1,rc2).

This message is issued by the capture service when an error is detected that causes replication or refresh to fail for a subscription.

The specific-return-code identifies the message number that is typically associated with the actual error condition that was encountered. The rc1 and rc2 values often provide more information about the error that was detected.

Message numbers consist of two components. The first four digits are a resource set identifier and the last four digits are a unique number within the resource set. The various resource sets are described in How to interpret messages. Within that section of IBM Knowledge Center you see a subtopic for each resource set and when you expand a resource set you see the messages and their numbers listed for that resource set. Selecting a resource set topic brings up a page that has an entry for each message that includes the message text and a link to that message's "Explanation" and "User response" sections.

Except for SQL error codes, each message number has a “0x” in front of it so that each message number consists of eight characters: 0x, a four-digit resource set, and a four-digit number. For example, the CECC0016E message number is 0x01020010.

If you paste one of those eight-character numbers into the Knowledge Center Search this product entry field and click the search icon or hit Enter, the Knowledge Center search finds the topic for that message number if it exists in Knowledge Center.

Ideally when an error is detected a specific error message is generated and the message number for that error shows up in the indirection message. In these cases, if you review the event log or the console log you can identify what the problem is without having to do anything with the specific-return-code value.

If there is a need to perform a lookup by using the specific return code, the value that is displayed in the message text cannot be used to search Knowledge Center to find the corresponding message documentation, if it exists. The specific return code does not include the leading 0x that is required and has also removed any leading zeros in the resource set component.

For example, TCP/IP message numbers can show up in the specific return code if there are issues communicating with the target, or the target is not running when replication is started for a server. Message number 0x00680010 can be reported when a connection cannot be established with the target and is displayed as the specific return code 680010.

To search for the message for a specific return code, enter 0x in the search entry field followed by one to three zeros and then paste (or enter) the specific-return-code value from the indirection message. In the example above, two zeros are required to form the following message number: 0x00680010

When the specific-return-code value is seven digits long, only a single leading zero is required. A six-digit specific return code requires two leading zeros, while a five-digit specific return code value requires three leading zeros.

Even when the search term is correctly formatted, you might not find a Knowledge Center topic. In these cases, if there were no prior messages that identify what the problem is, assume this is an internal error and contact IBM Software Support.