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PH67541: COBOL FAILS TO ALLOCATE EXTERNAL DATA ITEMS BELOW THE LINE WHEN A PROGRAM IS COMPILED WITH DATA(24) AND RUN WITH ALL31(ON)

A fix is available

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APAR status

  • Closed as program error.

Error description

  • COBOL V5+ Runtime fails to allocate EXTERNAL data items BELOW
    THE LINE when a program is compiled with DATA(24) compile-time
    option and run with ALL31(ON) and HEAP(,,ANYWHERE) run-time
    options and instead allocates EXTERNAL data items ABOVE THE
    LINE.
    
    This fix enables EXTERNAL data item to be allocated BELOW THE
    LINE.
    

Local fix

  • N/A
    

Problem summary

  • ****************************************************************
    * USERS AFFECTED: Users of Enterprise COBOL 5 and later        *
    *                 releases running programs                    *
    *                 which have COBOL EXTERNAL data items         *
    *                 are compiled with DATA(24).                  *
    ****************************************************************
    * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: The storage for external data is        *
    *                      not obtained from below the 16 MB line  *
    *                      even when a COBOL program is            *
    *                      compiled with the DATA(24) compiler     *
    *                      option.                                 *
    ****************************************************************
    * RECOMMENDATION: Install the provided PTF.                    *
    ****************************************************************
    When the COBOL Runtime obtains a storage for external data
    items, it fails to check if a program is compiled with the
    DATA(24) compiler option, which results in an incorrect storage
    allocation.
    
    For example, when a program is compiled with DATA(24) and run
    with HEAP(,,ANYWHERE) and ALL31(ON), COBOL External data
    should be obtained from below the 16 MB line, but is currently
    obtained from unrestricted storage (above the 16 MB line).
    
    The current behavior does not follow the behavior described in
    COBOL Programming guide
    > Coding your program
    >> Using data
    >>> Storage and its addressability
    >>>> Storage for external data
    
    <Quoted>
    Storage for external data
    ...
    Storage required for EXTERNAL data is obtained from
    unrestricted storage if all of the following conditions are met:
    
    - The program is compiled with the DATA(31) and RENT
    compiler options.
    - The HEAP(,,ANYWHERE) runtime option is in effect.
    - The ALL31(ON) runtime option is in effect.
    
    In all other cases, the storage for EXTERNAL data is obtained
    from below the 16 MB line.
    ...
    </Quoted>
    
    COB0501T/K COB0502T/K COB0601T/K COB0602T/K COB0603T/K
    COB0604T/K COB0605T/K
    

Problem conclusion

  • The COBOL Runtime logic has been corrected to match to the
    documented behavior.
    
    The following shows where a storage for EXTERNAL data
    is obtained for each combination of the options.
    
    Before this APAR is applied:
    
    1. DATA(24),HEAP(,,ANY),ALL31(ON): Unrestricted
    2. DATA(24),HEAP(,,ANY),ALL31(OFF): below the 16 MB line
    3. DATA(24),HEAP(,,BELOW),ALL31(ON): below the 16 MB line
    4. DATA(24),HEAP(,,BELOW),ALL31(OFF): below the 16 MB line
    
    5. DATA(31),HEAP(,,ANY),ALL31(ON): Unrestricted
    6. DATA(31),HEAP(,,ANY),ALL31(OFF): below the 16 MB line
    7. DATA(31),HEAP(,,BELOW),ALL31(ON): below the 16 MB line
    8. DATA(31),HEAP(,,BELOW),ALL31(OFF): below the 16 MB line
    
    After this APAR is applied:
    (Note: the behavior of only entry.1 below has been changed)
    
    1. DATA(24),HEAP(,,ANY),ALL31(ON): below the 16 MB line
    2. DATA(24),HEAP(,,ANY),ALL31(OFF): below the 16 MB line
    3. DATA(24),HEAP(,,BELOW),ALL31(ON): below the 16 MB line
    4. DATA(24),HEAP(,,BELOW),ALL31(OFF): below the 16 MB line
    
    5. DATA(31),HEAP(,,ANY),ALL31(ON): Unrestricted
    6. DATA(31),HEAP(,,ANY),ALL31(OFF): below the 16 MB line
    7. DATA(31),HEAP(,,BELOW),ALL31(ON): below the 16 MB line
    8. DATA(31),HEAP(,,BELOW),ALL31(OFF): below the 16 MB line
    

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

  • APAR number

    PH67541

  • Reported component name

    LE ENT COBOL LI

  • Reported component ID

    568819812

  • Reported release

    7F0

  • Status

    CLOSED PER

  • PE

    NoPE

  • HIPER

    NoHIPER

  • Special Attention

    NoSpecatt / Xsystem

  • Submitted date

    2025-07-29

  • Closed date

    2025-10-22

  • Last modified date

    2025-11-03

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

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

    UO05464 UO05465 UO05468

Modules/Macros

  • IGZCEV4  IGZCJNI2 IGZLLIBV IGZXAPI  IGZXCA31 IGZXCDA  IGZXD24
    IGZXDMR  IGZXJNI2 IGZXLPIO IGZXLPKA IGZXLPKB IGZXLPKC IGZXLPKD
    IGZXLPKE IGZXLPKF IGZXLPKG IGZXPK2
    

Fix information

  • Fixed component name

    LE ENT COBOL LI

  • Fixed component ID

    568819812

Applicable component levels

  • R7D0 PSY UO05464

       UP25/11/01 P F510

  • R7E0 PSY UO05465

       UP25/11/01 P F510

  • R7F0 PSY UO05468

       UP25/11/01 P F510

Fix is available

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Document Information

Modified date:
03 November 2025