PM23476: Cobol Debug on CICS crashes if AUTOMONITOR is ON

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• User is running the Cobole Debug Tool to debug an application
  generated by EGL, on ZOSCICS.
  The AUTOMONITOR feature is on.
  
  When the variables passed in a CALL statements using DFHCOMMAREA
  is attempted to be displayed by AUTOMONITOR, the session abends
  with 0C4 as the length of the actual DFHCOMMAREA  is less than
  what is declared in the program.
  
  Cobol has a documented requirement that the length of fixed
  length parameters must match in the calling and called programs.
  The code generated by EGL does not always follow this rule, but
  has correct  logic to access only memory available, so the code
  works correctly in a normal environment.  However, when using
  the debug tool, the restriction must be honored.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

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  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
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  The problem only occurs when using the IBM COBOL Debugger
  under CICS. What happens is that the EGL program calls the
  runtime or another program, with a CALL statement that
  references DFHCOMMAREA, which has been defined as 32K in
  size. The 32K of memory is not actually there, because EGL
  will always reference modify the variable with the correct
  offset and length, when accessing the data. This reference
  modification was not happening on the CALL statement
  however, which caused an abend in the debugger when it tried
  to access the storage. With this fixtest, EGL generated code
  will now reference modify the DFHCOMMAREA call parameter,
  which does absolutely nothing to alter the cobol logic, as
  just the address is being passed. It does however, give an
  indication to the cobol debugger that a limited number of
  bytes can be accessed, which prevents the abend.
  
  In order for this to work, there is also an IBM COBOL
  Debugger APAR which has to be applied as well.
  

Problem conclusion

• Software updated. Fixtest available. AN IBM COBOL Debugger
  APAR is also required.
  

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:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  RBD EGL FOR COB

• Fixed component ID

  5724S5001

Applicable component levels

• R751 PSN

     UP