Troubleshooting
Problem
Your CICS Transaction Server for z/OS (CICS TS) region abends during shutdown with a system abend A03. The region is using the TCP/IP Socket Interface for CICS (referred to as CICS TCP/IP for short).
Symptom
The system abend A03 occurs after message:
DFHRM0130 Recovery manager has successfully quiesced.
IEA995I SYMPTOM DUMP OUTPUT SYSTEM COMPLETION CODE=A03
DFHRM0130 Recovery manager has successfully quiesced.
IEA995I SYMPTOM DUMP OUTPUT SYSTEM COMPLETION CODE=A03
Cause
CICS/TCPIP Sockets interface TCBs had not yet ended when the CICS QR TCB was being detached. The CICS Sockets interface starts to end either because EZACIC20 is in the CICS shutdown PLT or because an EZAO,STOP,CICS command has been entered and "NO" was specified at the "IMMEDIATE" prompt. Program EZACIC22 is called to begin the end processing. EZACIC22 will wait until all CICS tasks currently using the Sockets interface have finished. The CICS SOCKET interface needs to be stopped before CICS shutdown completes with an automated command, or with the CICS shutdown PLT.
Diagnosing The Problem
The A03 abend indicates that a task (MVS TCB) tried to end normally without first detaching all subtasks that it had previously attached.
Using a system dump for the SA03 abend, enter IPCS command SUMM FORMAT to format out the MVS TCBs. Max down to the bottom of the output, where you will find a summary of TCBs. Find the TCB with an A03 in the CMP (completion code) column. For that TCB, find the address in the LTC column. This is the address of a subtask that failed to terminate, causing the abend SA03. To find this subtask TCB in the dump, enter the command:
FIND 'TCB: xxxxxxxx' PREV where xxxxxxxx is the address from the LTC column.
Then you can page forward to find the program name associated with this TCB. For this problem, you will see a program name associated with the CICS/TCPIP Sockets interface:
EP....... EZACIC03
The cause of the A03 abend is the presence of one or more CICS/TCPIP Sockets interface TCBs when the QR TCB is terminating. These TCBs should have terminated prior to the QR TCB being detached. They are normally detached during shutdown of the CICS/Sockets interface.
Using a system dump for the SA03 abend, enter IPCS command SUMM FORMAT to format out the MVS TCBs. Max down to the bottom of the output, where you will find a summary of TCBs. Find the TCB with an A03 in the CMP (completion code) column. For that TCB, find the address in the LTC column. This is the address of a subtask that failed to terminate, causing the abend SA03. To find this subtask TCB in the dump, enter the command:
FIND 'TCB: xxxxxxxx' PREV where xxxxxxxx is the address from the LTC column.
Then you can page forward to find the program name associated with this TCB. For this problem, you will see a program name associated with the CICS/TCPIP Sockets interface:
EP....... EZACIC03
The cause of the A03 abend is the presence of one or more CICS/TCPIP Sockets interface TCBs when the QR TCB is terminating. These TCBs should have terminated prior to the QR TCB being detached. They are normally detached during shutdown of the CICS/Sockets interface.
Resolving The Problem
Make sure that you have an entry for EZACIC20 in your shutdown PLT, before the DFHDELIM:
DFHPLT TYPE=ENTRY,PROGRAM=EZACIC20
Program EZACIC20 links to program EZACIC22 to begin shutdown of the CICS/TCPIP Sockets interface.
DFHPLT TYPE=ENTRY,PROGRAM=EZACIC20
Program EZACIC20 links to program EZACIC22 to begin shutdown of the CICS/TCPIP Sockets interface.
Related Information
[{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB70","label":"Z TPS"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSGMGV","label":"CICS Transaction Server"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m0z00000007MQAAY","label":"Shutdown Startup and Recovery"}],"ARM Case Number":"","Platform":[{"code":"PF035","label":"z\/OS"}],"Version":"5.3.0;5.4.0;5.5.0;5.6.0;6.1.0;6.2.0"}]
Product Synonym
CICS/TS CICS TS CICS Transaction Server
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Document Information
Modified date:
05 January 2026
UID
swg21320067