PH60118: WCG_WCGILOUT_ROUTING_MODE=DUAL_THREADED CAUSES OCCASIONAL ABENDEC3

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• A batch COBOL program was filling the message pipe. The solution
  at the time was to have the customer code:
  WCG_WCGILOUT_ROUTING_MODE=DUAL_THREADED
  
  This allowed WCG/Java to process the message pipe and resolved
  the problem. This has worked for a few years, but now they are
  getting EC3s. If they go back to single threaded, things start
  working, but they cannot guarantee their COBOL application will
  conform to the size of the message pipe...
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  All users of IBM WebSphere Application      *
  *                  Server                                      *
  *                  Java Batch COBOL Container                  *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: A client's Java Batch COBOL processing  *
  *                      was reported hanging after reading the  *
  *                      last line of COBOL output during a      *
  *                      high                                    *
  *                      rate of COBOL calls.                    *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  When using the DUAL_THREADED type of Java Batch COBOL container
  log processing, two threads are used for handling COBOL job
  output.  There is a thread reading output from a named pipe,
  and
  it knows it has received everything when it reads a special
  string.  At which point it will semaphore.release().
  Another thread invokes the COBOL procedure and when this is
  complete, it writes a special string and then will
  semaphore.aquire() after which the end of procedure processing
  will finish.
  The problem is that in the reporting client's environment, the
  special string was not seen or written, and the semaphore could
  not be acquired and the processing was hung.
  

Problem conclusion

• A code update has been made to use a custom property to define
  the wait time for the last line of output.
  
  The WCG_COBOL_OUTPUT_WAIT_TIME property can be used to define th
  wait time in seconds.
  
  If the final special character is not seen in this period of
  time, then the Java Batch COBOL container will rewrite the
  special string and attempt to finalize processing again.
  
  The default behavior (no timeout) is unchanged.
  
  The fix for this APAR is targeted for inclusion in fix pack
  8.5.5.27 and 9.0.5.23. For more information, see 'Recommended
  Updates for WebSphere Application Server':
  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/715553
  

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

  WEBSPHERE FOR Z

• Fixed component ID

  5655I3500

Applicable component levels