Using the symptom string

A symptom string consists of a set of keywords and values that appear in the following format:

kkkk/vvvvvvvvvv kkkk/vvvvvvvvvv kkkk/vvvvvvvvvv. . . .

where

kkkk is a keyword.
vvvvvvvvvv is the value associated with that keyword.

Table 1 provides a list of standard FFST keywords and their meanings.

Table 1. Standard Keywords Supported by FFST
Keyword	Description	Example
AB	Abend code	AB/U0001
ADRS	Address	ADRS/000001C0
DEVS	Device type	DEVS/3380
FLDS	Field	FLDS/ASCB
LVLS	Product Level	LVLS/101
MS	Message	MS/IEF244I
OPCS	Program OP code	OPCS/02
OVS	Overlaid storage	OVS/CBLOCK01
PCSS	Any statement	PCSS/PF10
PIDS	Product ID	PIDS/569504402
PRCS	Return, status, condition code	PRCS/0000UNIT
REGS	Registers	REGS/GR15
RIDS	Resource identifications	RIDS/NUCLEU#L
SIG	Signal	SIG/ALARM
VALU	Field, register value	VALU/B01110101
WS	Coded wait	WS/E003F

Because duplicate events have identical primary symptom strings, the primary symptom string is the key to distinguishing between a new event and a known or duplicate event. If you request duplicate dump suppression, FFST uses the primary symptom string to identify duplicate events. In addition, you can use the primary symptom string to search the IBM® problem database to determine whether the event is a known problem and whether any information about how to solve the problem is available.

The primary symptom string appears in the following FFST output:

Message EPW0404I. This message appears on the console and in the probe message log. For more information, see FFST messages, Using the console message, and Using the probe message log entry.
The symptom record. For more information, see Using the symptom record.
The customized dump, if requested. For more information, see Using the customized dump.
If you have NetView®, the generic alert. For more information, see Using the generic alert.

Sample Primary Symptom String for FFST/MVS™ is an example of primary symptom strings.

PIDS/569504402 LVLS/101 PCSS/EPWIVP01 RIDS/EPWIVP FLDS/TEST FLDS/PROBE
FLDS/FOR FLDS/FFSTIVP

Sample Primary Symptom String for FFST/MVS

PIDS/568415800 LVLS/120 PCSS/EPWIVP01 RIDS/EPWIVP FLDS/TEST FLDS/PROBE
FLDS/FOR FLDS/FFSTIVP

The primary symptom strings in Sample Primary Symptom String for FFST/MVS provides the following information about the event that caused the probe statement to be executed:

The product identifier and level of the product that contains the triggered software probe (for FFST/MVS, 569504402, level 101)
The probe identifier (EPWIVP01)
The name of the module that contains the triggered software probe (EPWIVP)
A message indicating that the triggered software probe is a test probe for FFSTIVP.

The secondary symptom string appears in the following FFST output:

Customized dump
Symptom record
Console message
Probe message log

When it appears in the customized dump and the symptom record, the secondary symptom string contains the register values for the triggered software probe. These register values do not appear in the console message and the probe message log.

Sample Secondary Symptom String is an example of a secondary symptom string without register values.

FLDS/CPUMODEL VALU/H3090

Sample Secondary Symptom String

The secondary symptom string provides additional information about the event, in this case the model number of the central processing unit (CPU).