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PH64735: ABEND (CODE 0C4/AKEA) IN MODULE DFHPIJG DURING CONVERT_DATA_TO_JSON FUNCTION

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APAR status

  • Closed as program error.

Error description

  • The customer has created a JSON web service bottom up (DFHLS2JS)
using a Cobol copybook that contains a NATIONAL field.  This is
flagged by DFHLS2JS and means that at runtime, DFHPIJG converts
all the application data it has been given into UTF-16 when
generating the JSON.

The application data provided by the customer's program for the
response is also smaller than expected, but DFHLS2JS was run
with DATA-TRUNCATION=ENABLED, so CICS tolerates this. When CICS
comes to process a zoned, binary, or packed decimal value, it
finds there isn't a value, so it handles this by setting
output_ptr = addr("0") and output_len = 1 in format_zoned,
format_binary, and format_decimal in DFHJUGEN, respectively.

This is fine when UTF-16 conversion is not taking place. In
DFHJUGEN's format_data, we simply call json_out() which will
write out the zero value. However, in this customer's scenario,
we drive the path that first calls simple_EBCDIC_to_UTF16().
This attempts to alter key-0 storage, so the TR fails with an
0C4.

Additional Keyword: KIXREVACC

Local fix

  • 



Problem summary


    

  • ****************************************************************
* USERS AFFECTED: All CICS Users.                              *
****************************************************************
* PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: A JSON web service created using        *
*                      DFHLS2JS from a Cobol copybook (bottom  *
*                      up) that contains a NATIONAL field      *
*                      may return errors to requests and abend *
*                      0C4/AKEA in module DFHPIJG, when        *
*                      defined with DATA-TRUNCATION=ENABLED,   *
*                      and the called application does not     *
*                      return all fields on the output         *
*                      copybook structure.                     *
****************************************************************
A bottom up JSON web service is created using DFHLS2JS, to
create the web service from a Cobol copybook. If the copybook
defines NATIONAL fields, the output/response fields will be
converted to UTF-16. When DATA-TRUNCATION=ENABLED has been set
for the created web service, it allows null or empty fields
to be returned into the output Cobol structure from the called
application, allowing the web service to put a 0 value into
these fields in the returned JSON structure.

In the case where the output should be translated to UT-16, but
the response structure has null fields allowed due to
DATA-TRUNCATION=ENABLED may result in the error. This is due to
the value used to replace the null field with 0. This can
result on the address of the output value being within
executable code. As such the translate will fail and abend
S0C4-4 due to a storage protection violation. This then results
in CICS abend 0C4/AKEA in DFHPIJG:

DFHPI0001 IYCKZCCE An abend (code 0C4/AKEA) has occurred at
offset X'000079C0' in module DFHPIJG.
DFHME0116 IYCKZCCE (Module:DFHMEME) CICS symptom string for
message DFHPI0001 is PIDS/5655YA100 LVLS/740 MS/DFHPI0001
RIDS/DFHPIJG PTFS/UI98904 AB/S00C4 AB/UAKEA ADRS/

This results in the web service request failing with HTML
response body e.g.:

<html><h1>Internal Server Error</h1><h2>CICS TS: Unhandled
Pipeline Error</h2><h3>Release: 740</h3></html>

    



Problem conclusion


    

  • DFHPIJG logic has been corrected to use accessible storage for
the 0 null values returned by the called application, when
DATA-TRUNCATION is enabled and NATIONAL fields are within the
Cobol copybook.

    



Temporary fix


    

  • 



Comments


    

  • 



APAR Information




    

  • APAR number
    PH64735
    • 

  • Reported component name
    CICS TS Z/OS V6
    • 

  • Reported component ID
    5655YA100
    • 

  • Reported release
    400
    • 

  • Status
    CLOSED  PER
    • 

  • PE
    NoPE
    • 

  • HIPER
    NoHIPER
    • 

  • Special Attention
    NoSpecatt / Xsystem
    • 

  • Submitted date
    2025-01-08
    • 

  • Closed date
    2025-03-06
    • 

  • Last modified date
    2025-04-02
    • 





    

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

    • 

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

    
UO02357 UO02358
    

    • 



Modules/Macros


    

  • DFHPIJG

    



Fix information


    

  • Fixed component name
    CICS TS Z/OS V6
    • 

  • Fixed component ID
    5655YA100
    • 



Applicable component levels


    

  • R400  PSY  UO02358
       UP25/03/07  P  F503
    • 

  • R500  PSY  UO02357
       UP25/03/11  P  F503
    • 



Fix is available


    

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              [{"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSGMGV","label":"CICS Transaction Server"},"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"6.1","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB70","label":"Z TPS"}}]
              

                                                                    

          
 
        

      

    

      

        

          

            
Document Information


            

            


                        

            Modified date:
            

            02 April 2025
            

            
                      

        


        

        


      

    

  



    

  

  
    
            

          
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