OA43097: PREDICTIVE FAILURE ANALYSIS (PFA) COMMENTS IN THE INI NOT PARSED CORRECTLY /ETC/PFA/INI OR IN EACH CHECK DIRECTORY AIR022I

APAR status

• Closed as fixed if next.

Error description

• PFA does not properly parse all comments.  If the comment
  includes one of the parameters in the ini file, that commented
  value can be picked up as part of the parameter.  The code looks
  for the text (case sensitive) PATH, once it finds this value it
  then starts to fill in the parameter values starting with PATH,
  NLSPATH, LIBPATH, LANG, and then JAVAPATH.
  
  After this, the first PARAMETER= (NLSPATH=, LIBPATH=, LANG=,
  JAVAPATH=) read in will be used as the value for that parameter.
  As long as the comment does not contain the same PARAMETER in
  UPPERCASE and is located above the intended parameter, then it
  should not get read in as a parameter.  Keeping comments in all
  lowercase also will prevent a value in a comment from getting
  read in.
  
  Wrong values can result in PFA modeling to fail which can also
  result in buildup of some data collected by PFA.  AIR022I
  message may also be seen with varying EXIT VALUE= depending on
  which parameter has invalid data in it.
  
  
  Considerations at HBB7790:
  --------------------------
  Be aware that, that this is corrected at HBB7790 (z/OS 2.1) and
  that the syntax of the ini file must be adhered to.  Otherwise
  AIR022I may be observed and model failures occur:
  
  /* PFA sample ini file
  /*   ini file
  /*   The first line in ini file has to be VERSION=01010101.
  /*   The basic element contained in an ini file is the keyname
  and
  value.
  /*   The format is keyname=value.
  /*   No space is allowed between keyname and the equal sign.
  /*   Subsequent occurrences of a keyname are ignored.
  /*   The following are supported as a comment in the ini file:
  /*   /*  ....  */  on a single line or spanning multiple lines
  /*   # character in the first column of a line. The comment ends
  at the
  newline
  /*      character at the end of that line.
  /*   ; character in the first column of a line. The comment ends
  at the
  newline
  /*      character at the end of that line.
  /*   Set
  /*     VERSION=  01010101
  /*     PATH=     path to Java code for this partition
  /*     NLSPATH=  path to where the message catalog is located
  /*     LIBPATH=  path to JNI library for this partition
  /*     JAVAPATH= path to install directory of PFA's Java code
  /*     LANG=     the language of the message catalog
  /*
  /*   LICENSED MATERIALS - PROPERTY OF IBM
  /*
  /*   DEPOSITED WITH THE U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE.
  /*   5650-ZOS  COPYRIGHT IBM CORP. 2009, 2013
  /*   STATUS= HBB7790
  --------------------------
  

Local fix

• 1. Avoid placing any additional comments in the ini file
  
  or
  
  2.
  The ini file can include comments that include parameter values
  as long as the parameter name is input in the ini file in
  LOWERCASE and on a NEW line.
  
  Note some of the paths have been trimmed in the below example
  for better readability.  Below you'll see The '/* path=' and '/*
  libpath=' comments were added when J5.0 was upgraded to J6.0 for
  the Java installed on the system.
  
  You'll see the comments for path= and libpath= were added and
  that path and libpath values are changed to LOWERCASE.  They
  must be lower case for the circumvention to work.
  
  Any OTHER comments added should not include CAPITALIZED 'PATH'
  in the comment.
  
  VERSION=01010101
  /* PFA sample ini file                                        */
  /*                                                            */
  /*   LICENSED MATERIALS - PROPERTY OF IBM                     */
  /*                                                            */
  /*   DEPOSITED WITH THE U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE.                */
  /*   5694-A01  COPYRIGHT IBM CORP. 2009                       */
  /*   STATUS= HBB7770                                          */
  /*                                                            */
  /* Set                                                        */
  /*     path to NLS files                                      */
  /*     path to JNI library using libpath                      */
  /*     path to JAVA code used for PFA                         */
  /*     path to code                                           */
  /*                                                            */
  PATH=     /usr/lpp/java/J6.0/lib/s390/classic
  /* path=  /usr/lpp/java/J5.0/lib/s390/classic                 */
  NLSPATH=  /usr/lpp/nls/msg/%L/%n
  LIBPATH=  /usr/lpp/java/J6.0/lib/s390
  /* libpath=  /usr/lpp/java/J5.0/lib/s390                      */
  LANG= C
  JAVAPATH= /usr/lpp/bcp
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All users of HBB7780 and HBB7790             *
  *                 exploiting the Predictive Failure            *
  *                 Analysis (PFA).                              *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: PFA does not parse comments in the ini  *
  *                      file correctly.                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  PFA does not parse comments in the ini file correctly.  The
  basic element of PFA ini file is keyname=value where keyname
  can be PATH, NLSPATH, LIBPATH, JAVAPATH or LANG.  PFA parsed
  the value of keyword even if it appeared in the commented
  statement.  This may result in incorrect value for keywords
  and may cause the PFA modeling to fail.
  

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

Comments

• This APAR is being closed FIN with concurrence from the
  submitting customer.  This means that a fix to this APAR is
  expected to be delivered from IBM in a release (if any) to be
  available within the next 24 months.
  

APAR Information

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

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

Fix information

Applicable component levels