Using IPCS and the IMS offline dump formatter

You can interactively format IMS dumps offline by using a series of panels that provide formatting choices.

Method 1

Run the IMS Offline Dump Formatter as an IPCS verb exit to format and print the dump. You can then use IPCS to view unformatted dump storage referenced in your printed dump.

Method 2

Format, but do not print the dump. Invoke split screen mode on your terminal. On one half of the screen, use ISPF browse to view the formatted control blocks. On the other half, use IPCS to view any unformatted storage referenced in the formatted control blocks.

Choosing FMTIMS parameters

Identify the general problem area before you attempt to choose FMTIMS parameters. If you are unsure of the problem area, format the dump with the SUMMARY option.

The following table shows the FMTIMS parameters that are recommended for general types of problems. For example, if you suspect the problem is with your logger, specify the DISPATCH, LOG, and SYSTEM parameters on the FMTIMS statement.

To use the following table, locate your problem area in the top row. Then read that column to find the suggested formatting options (marked with an X) for that problem.

Table 1. FMTIMS parameters for general problems
Parameters	Problem area
Parameters	Checkpoint/Restart	DB	DC	FP	Log	System/other	Batch	CICS®
CBT		X	X			X	X	X
CBTE			X
DB		X					X	X
DBRC		X				X	X	X
DC			X				²
DEDB		X		X
DISPATCH	X	X	X	X	X	X	³
EMH		X	X	X
LOG					X		X
MSDB		X		X
QM			X				²
RESTART	X						²
SAP			X
SAVEAREA¹	X	X	X	X	X	X	²
SB		X				X	X	X
SCD¹	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
SPST	X			X			²
SUBS						X	²
SUMMARY¹	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
UTIL			X	X			²
Notes: You can use the single parameter (SYSTEM) to get the three areas (SAVEAREA, SCD, SUMMARY). This parameter is ignored for batch. (DISPATCH, MIN) is ignored for batch.

See Solving IMS problems by using the IMS Offline Dump Formatter for a list of the modules formatted with each of the parameters. See Syntax restrictions on the FMTIMS statement to understand the syntax rules for FMTIMS statements.

Using the dump title to choose FMTIMS parameters

When you are deciding which areas to format for your problem, you can use the CALLER and TCB fields of the dump title (described in Dump title) as a guide. Unless one or both of these fields specify unknown, they should indicate why a dump was taken.

The following table shows the options you can choose based on valid CALLER and TCB information in the dump title.

Table 2. FMTIMS parameters based on CALLER and TCB fields
CALLER=	TCB=	Recommended FMTIMS options¹
CTL	CTL LOG ESS LSD LSM RDS RST STC STM	DC^2, Dispatch^2, QM^2, Summary, System² Dispatch^2, SPST, System^2, SUBS, Summary Dispatch, Log, Restart, Summary, System Dispatch^2, MSDB, Savearea, SCD^2, Summary Dispatch^2, MSDB, Savearea, SCD^2, Summary Restart, Savearea, SCD^2, Summary Restart, Savearea, SCD^2, Summary CBT, Dispatch^2, Savearea, SCD^2, Summary CBT, Dispatch^2, Savearea, SCD^2, Summary
CURR³	DYA	Dispatch^2, System²
DBRC	DBR	DBRC^2, System²
DL/I	DLI STC	DB^2, Dispatch^2, SB^2, System² CBT, Dispatch^2, Savearea, SCD^2, Summary
DP	BMP DEP	DB^2, System² DB^2, System²
FP	BMP DEP⁴ XFP	DB^2, DEDB, MSDB, System² DB^2, DEDB, MSDB, System² DB^2, SPST, System²
LOG	LOG	Log^2, System²
Notes: When you have a WAIT or LOOP problem, add SAVEAREA to your list of FMTIMS options. Use the MIN qualifier for these options. Normally dynamic allocation. Can be either the MPP or the BMP region.

If CALLER=CURR, the current address space and IMS control region are dumped. This occurs when no CALLER parameter is provided or no IMSDUMP parameter list is passed and DFSFDMP0 cannot match the caller's TCB address and address space ID (ASID) with the TCBs in the IMS TCB table. You can still format the dump data set using the abend number and PSW as a guide in solving the problem. Dynamic allocation also causes CURR to be placed in the CALLER= field. In this case, format the areas listed in the above table.

If CALLER=DP, the abend occurred under the task of a dependent region address space.

If CALLER=IRLM, you need to use the IRLM Offline Dump Formatter to format the IRLM modules.

If CALLER=TRAP, a diagnostic trap for an address space abended.

Offline Dump Formatter parameters

The Offline Dump Formatter provides the option of choosing an 80-column output format in addition to the default value of 120/132 columns. This option allows viewing of formatter output on an 80-column-width screen without needing to shift left or right.

The 80-column format mode is normally selected when the IMS Offline Dump Formatter is run under IPCS and the IPCS default is set to TERMINAL NOPRINT or TERMINAL PRINT. This allows dump and z/OS® formatting to be similar under IPCS. To select the 80-column format mode, add an H to the IMSDUMP formatter verb parameter string between the IMS job name and the FMTIMS keyword. The following are examples of 80-column format option requests under IPCS.

VERBX IMSDUMP 'imsname,R,H,D'

VERBX IMSDUMP 'imsname,H,FMTIMS SCD'

VERBX IMSDUMP 'imsname,D,H,R,FMTIMS (AUTO,MIN)'

Sample FMTIMS statements

You might be able to identify a problem area more precisely by using the CALLER= and TCB= identification from the dump title along with the abend number and explanation. For example, you might see CALLER=CTL in the dump title and have an abend code that shows an error in the checkpoint restart processing. In this case, you can try specifying the statement:

FMTIMS (RESTART,SAVEAREA,(SCD,MIN),SUMMARY)

Following is a list of possible subsets you could format for specific error situations. This list is not exhaustive and is not meant to represent every possible error situation.

IMS control region problems (CALLER=CTL)

An IMS control region address space task abended. A common definition is SYS—System Services.

SYS/CHKPT: System Service Checkpoint Restart Processing
FMTIMS (SUMMARY,SAVEAREA,(SCD,MIN),RESTART)
SYS/CNTRL: System Service Control
FMTIMS (SUMMARY,SAVEAREA,(SCD,MIN),(DISPA,MIN))
SYS/ESS: System Service External Subsystem Support
FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),SPST,(DISPA,MIN),SUBS)
SYS/INIT: System Service Initialization
FMTIMS (SUMMARY,SAVEAREA,(SCD,MIN))
SYS/QMGR: System Service Message Queue Management
FMTIMS (SUMMARY,SAVEAREA,(SCD,MIN),(DISPA,MIN),QM)
SYS/SCHD: System Service Scheduling
FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),SPST,(DISPA,MIN))
SYS/SMGR: System Service Storage Management
FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),SPST,CBT)

DBRC problems (CALLER=DBRC)

A DBRC address space task abended. You would use the same FMTIMS statement for all of the following problems with Database Recovery Control:

DBRC/CMD: Database Recovery Control Command Processing

DBRC/CNTRL: Database Recovery Control Processor
DBRC/EXIT: Database Recovery Control Exit Processing
DBRC/SER: Database Recovery Control Services

FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DBRC,MIN))

Data communication problems (CALLER=CTL)

An IMS data communication task abended under the CTL TCB.

DC/CMD: Data Communication Command Processing; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),DC)
DC/CNTRL: Data Communication Control; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DC,MIN),(DISPA,MIN),(QM,MIN))
DC/CONV: Data Communication Conversational Processing; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DC,MIN))
DC/LMGR: Data Communication Line Manager; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DC,MIN))
DC/MFS: Data Communication Message Format Services; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DC,MIN))
DC/TPCALL: Data Communication DL/I Telecommunications; Call Processing; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DC,MIN),(DB,MIN))

DL/I problems (CALLER=DL/I or CALLER=DP)

A DL/I address space task abended.

DB/ACSMTH: Database Access Method Interface; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DB,MIN))
DB/ANAL: Database Call Analyzer; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DB,MIN))
DB/CMGR: Database Call Resource Management; FMTIMS ((SYST,MIN),(DB,MIN),(DISPA,MIN),(SB,MIN))
DB/DBCALL: Database Call Action Processing; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DB,MIN))
DB/INTRF: Database Application/Scheduling Interface; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DB,MIN),(DISPATCH,MIN))

Fast Path problems (CALLER=FP)

A Fast Path task abended.

FP/CNTRL: Fast Path Control; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DB,MIN),SPST)
FP/DEDB: Fast Path Data Entry Database Processing; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DB,MIN),(DEDB,MIN))
FP/EMH: Fast Path Expedited Message Handling Call Analyzer; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DB,MIN),(EMH,MIN))
FP/MSDB: Fast Path Main Storage Database Call Analyzer; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(DB,MIN),(MSDB,MIN))

Log problems (CALLER=LOG)

An IMS control region address space log TCB task abended. Log is part of SYS—System Services.

SYS/LOG: System Service Logging; FMTIMS ((SYSTEM,MIN),(LOG,MIN))