Starting a debug session

You can start z/OS® Debugger by using the Language Environment® TEST run-time option in one of the following ways:

  • Using the z/OS Debugger Setup Utility (DTSU). DTSU helps you allocate files and can start your program. The methods listed below describe how you manually perform the same tasks.
    Note: DTSU is not available in IBM® Developer for z/OS (non-Enterprise Edition), IBM Wazi Developer for Red Hat® CodeReady Workspaces.
  • For TSO programs that start in Language Environment, start your program with the TEST run-time option as described in Starting z/OS Debugger for programs that start in Language Environment.
  • For MVS batch programs that start in Language Environment, start your Language Environment program with the TEST runtime option and specify the appropriate suboptions, as described in Starting z/OS Debugger in batch mode.
  • For MVS batch programs that do not start in Language Environment, start the non-Language Environment z/OS Debugger (EQANMDBG), and pass your program name and the TEST runtime option. Specify the appropriate suboptions, as described in Starting z/OS Debugger for programs that start outside of Language Environment.
  • For CICS®, make sure z/OS Debugger is installed in your CICS region. Enter DTCN or CADP (in CICS Transaction Server for z/OS Version 2 Release 3 and later) to start the z/OS Debugger control transaction. Enter the name of the transaction and program that you want to debug and any other criteria, such as terminal id or user id. If you are using DTCN, press PF4 to save the default debugging profile, then press PF3 to exit the DTCN transaction. You are now setup to start your transaction and begin a debugging session.

    If you are using CADP to manage your debugging profiles, make sure that the DEBUGTOOL system initialization parameter is set to YES.

  • For CICS transactions that run non-Language Environment assembler programs or non-Language Environment COBOL programs, verify with your system administrator that the z/OS Debugger CICS global user exits are installed and active. If exits are active and the non-Language Environment assembler or non-Language Environment COBOL programs are defined in a DTCN or CADP debugging profile, z/OS Debugger will debug the non-Language Environment assembler or non-Language Environment COBOL programs. These programs must be the first program to run at a CICS Link Level (for example, at the start of a task or through a CICS LINK or XCTL request).

Refer to the following topics for more information related to the material discussed in this topic.