Troubleshooting
Problem
You have a CICS file defined with VSAM shareoptions 2,3 that is open for READ and BROWSE requests. A batch job opens the file for UPDATE, adds records, and then ends. A subsequent CICS transaction attempts to read a record that was just added, but receives a record not found condition, NOTFND. An abend AEIM occurs if the NOTFND condition is not handled.
Symptom
READ receives NOTFND condition
Cause
The record added by the batch job has been placed in a control interval (CI) on DASD. However, this CI has previously been loaded into a buffer in storage, and the buffer has not been refreshed since the batch update occurred.
Diagnosing The Problem
A CICS transaction issues a READ for Key1. VSAM loads a buffer with the control interval containing Key1, Key5, and Key9. The batch job now issues an ADD for Key7. Key7 will be placed on DASD but the buffer will not be updated. After the batch job completes, a CICS transaction tries to read the new record, Key7. However, VSAM will not check DASD since the CI where this record resides is currently in storage. VSAM will search the buffer, Key7 will not be found and so VSAM will return a record NOTFND condition to CICS.
Resolving The Problem
After the batch job completes, use the CEMT SET FILE transaction to close and then reopen the file. If you have more than one file definition for this file, close all definitions for this file following a batch update.
You can use shareoptions 4,4 to cause VSAM to refresh the buffer on every direct READ, however this will cause additional I/O.
You might want to consider using the Java Batch API that are supported in the CICS Liberty JVM server to minimize the conflict between your batch window and online processing.
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Product Synonym
CICS/TS CICS TS CICS Transaction Server
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Document Information
Modified date:
05 January 2026
UID
swg21025294