PH41782: CICS WEB SERVICE NULL ARRAY FIELDS ARE BEING TRUNCATED AFTER UPGRADE TO CTS 5.6

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Our customer has spotted a change in behaviour when migrating
  from CTS 5.3 to CTS 5.6.
  Their Web Service application is failing under certain
  circumstances involving arrays.
  When an array with xx nulls fields is being processed. At CTS
  5.3 they get back xx words of nulls but at CTS 5.6 the array
  doesn't contain any fields.
  .
  The WSA DFHWS2LS log file contains :
  DFHPI9609I Parameter "TRUNCATE-NULL-ARRAYS" has value
  "DISABLED".
  DFHPI9609I Parameter "TRUNCATE-NULL-ARRAY-VALUES" has value
  "NULL".
  .
  However, truncation of Null arrays seems to be occurring.
  A trace shows PI 0F0C PIII EVENT - ARRAY TRUNCATED.
  .
  The CICS c/t have found it looks like the truncatable_array flag
  in DFHPIII is not initialised.
  This allows is to be incorrectly set on and for the empty array
  to get truncated.
  

Local fix

• Arrays with less than 5 elements are not subject to truncation.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All CICS users                               *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Array truncation occurs invalidly for   *
  *                      a web service.                          *
  ****************************************************************
  A CICS web service application constructs an array that contains
  a large number of empty (or null) elements.  The CICS web
  service was created using DFHWS2LS so none of the array
  truncation options are valid and all are turned off.
  
  When DFHPIII converts the application data into XML it
  incorrectly uses residual storage values for the various array
  truncation options.  DFHPIII then incorrectly determines that
  the array should be truncated.  The XML that is produced
  contains fewer elements than expected, which may cause problems
  on the system that eventually processes that data.
  
  The same problem can also affect JSON web services created using
  DFHJS2LS, where the JSON data is built by DFHPIJG.
  

Problem conclusion

• DFHPIII and DFHPIJG have been changed to only truncate arrays
  that are marked as truncatable in the WSBIND file.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

  UI78003

Modules/Macros

• DFHECEI  DFHEPAS  DFHPICC  DFHPIII  DFHPIJG  DFHPIJP1 DFHPITS
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  CICS TS Z/OS V5

• Fixed component ID

  5655Y0400

Applicable component levels

• R300 PSY UI78003

     UP21/11/11 P F111

Fix is available

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