Network Control Program and System Support Programs for the IBM 3705

(1)

SC30-3156-0

File No. S370/4300-30

Advanced Communications Function for

Network Control Program and System Support Programs

for the IBM 3705

Program Product Diagnosis Guide

Program Numbers: 5735-XX1

5735-XX3

Release 3

(2)

First Edition (May 1981)

This edition applies to Release 3 of Advanced Communications Function for Network Control Program for Virtual Storage systems (Program Product 5735-XXI) and Release 3 of System Support Programs for Advanced Communications Function for Network Control Program for Virtual Storage systems (Program Product 5735-XX3) and to all

subsequent releases and modifications unless otherwise indicated in new editions or Technical Newsletters. Changes are made periodically to the information herein; before using this publication in connection with the operation of IBM systems, refer to the IBM System/370 and 4300 Processors Bibliograpy, GC20-0001, for the editions that are applicable and current.

It is possible that this material may contain reference to, or

information about, IBM products (machines and programs), programming, or services that are not announced in your country. Such references

or information must not be construed to mean that IBM intends to

announce such IBM products, programming, or services in your country. ^

Publications are not stocked at the address given below; requests for

copies of IBM publications should be made to your IBM representative ^ or to the IBM branch office serving your locality.

A form for reader's comments is provided at the back of this

publication. If the form has been removed, comments may be addressed to IBM Corporation, Information Development, Department E02, PO Box 12195, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina U.S.A. 27709. IBM may

(3)

PREFACE

This manual is designed to help customer diagnosticians and IBM

Program Service Representatives (PSRs) isolate and define problems in

the Advanced Communications Function Network Control Program for Virtual Storage systems (ACF/NCP/VS). Although it is primarily

concerned with ACF/NCP/VS, it also touches upon diagnosis of problems I caused by failures in the System Support Programs (ACF/SSP) for

ACF/NCP/VS and in the Emulation Program (EP). The manual contains , procedures that guide you through the problem determination and

^ problem definition processes. These procedures include:

• How to assure that your problem is with ACF/NCP/VS

• How to use relevant information to describe your problem

• How to gather appropriate documentation about your problem

• How to report your problem to the IBM Support Center

Before using this manual, you should be familiar with the concepts and terminology contained in the ACF/NCP/VS General Information manual, and the ACF/NCP/VS Installation manual. Throughout this manual, the term ACF/NCP/VS (or NCP for short) refers to ACF/NCP/VS Release 3,

unless otherwise noted.

The scope of this manual is limited to showing you how to use J-, information to describe your problem and how to gather various

^ ^ diagnostic aids to collect information about the problem. If you need

assistance in analyzing or interpreting any of the data these

diagnostic aids provide, you should refer to the ACF/NCP/VS Program Reference Summary handbook, the ACF/NCP/VS Logic manual, the ACF/VTAM Diagnosis Reference manual, or the ACF/TCAM Diagnosis Reference

manual. Beyond these manuals, you should consult the IBM Support

Center for assistance.

This manual is organized in the following mahner:

Chapter 1: defines NCP problem diagnosis and gives an overview of the steps involved in the diagnostic process.

Chapter 2: tells how to assure that the problem is with NCP and how to gather the required information to describe the

problem.

Chapter 3: provides a documentation checklist, tells how to report your problem to the IBM Support Center, shows how to prepare an Authorized Program Analysis Report (APAR), and discusses how to resolve problems in high severity

situations.

Chapter 4: gives an overview of various diagnostic aids and shows how

to obtain these aids.

iii

(4)

PREREQUISITE PUBLICATIONS

Before using this manual, you should be familiar with the information contained in the following publications:

• AGF/NCP/VS General Information. GC30-3058

• ACF/NCP/VS Installation. SC30-3154

ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS

When using this manual, you should have the following publications available (some of these publications are dependent on the access method and the operating system you are using):

ACF/NCP/VS Logic, LY30-3057 ACF/NCP/VS Utilities. SC30-3143 ACF/NCP/VS Messages. SC30-3145

ACF/NCP/VS Program Reference Summary, LY30-3058

G^ide to Using the IBM 3705 Communications Controller Control Panel.

GA27-3087

IBM 3704 and 3705 Communications Controllers Principles of

Operation. GC30-3004 ^ ^

ACF/VTAM Diagnosis Reference. LY38-3027 (for OS/VS) ACF/VTAM Diagnosis Reference. LY38-3022 (for VSE) ACF/VTAM Diagnosis Guide. SY38-3029 (for OS/VS) ACF/VTAM Diagnosis Guide, SY38-3020 (for VSE)

ACF/VTAM Operation. SC27-0466

ACF/TCAM Diagnosis Reference, LY30-3052 ACF/TCAM Diagnosis Guide, SC30-3155 ACF/TCAM Operation. SC30-3136

OS/VSl Service Aids. GC28-0665

0S/VS2 MVS System Programming Library (SPL) Service Aids, GC28-0674 VSE/Advanced Functions Serviceability Aids and Debuggine Procedures.

SC33-6099

• OS/VS, VSE and VM/370 Environmental Recording Editing and Printing

(EREP) Program. GC28-0772

The information in this manual pertaining to ACF/VTAM and ACF/TCAM was ' obtained from the ACF/VTAM Diagnosis Guide and ACF/VTAM Operation

manuals, and from the ACF/TCAM Diagnosis Guide. This information is provided here for the convenience of the reader. Although the

information was complete and accurate at the time it was written, the reader is advised to also check the ACF/VTAM and ACF/TCAM manuals

mentioned above.

(5)

CONTENTS

Chapter 1. Introduction 1-1

Chapter 2. Problem Definition 2-1

Making Sure that the Problem is with NCP 2-1 Gathering Information to Describe the Problem 2-2

ABEND 2-6

DOCUMENTATION 2-8

INCORRECT OUTPUT 2-9

LOOP 2-11

MESSAGE 2-13

PERFORMANCE 2-15

Chapter 3. Problem Resolution 3-1

Documentation Checklist 3-1

ABEND 3-1

DOCUMENTATION 3-2

INCORRECT OUTPUT 3-2

LOOP 3-2

MESSAGE 3-2

PERFORMANCE 3-3

Reporting the Problem 3-3

How to Prepare an APAR 3-4

Resolving Problems in High Severity Situations 3-7

Chapter 4. Diagnostic Aids 4-1

Command Syntax Notation 4-3

Creating and Obtaining Trace Files, Dumps, and

Other ACF/NCP/VS Diagnostic Aids 4-4

NCP Line Trace 4-4

Starting the NCP Line Trace 4-4

VTAM Operation 4-4

TCAM Operation.. 4-6

Printing the NCP Line Trace 4-8

VTAM Operation 4-9

TCAM Operation 4-9

Channel Adapter Trace ..4-9

Starting the Channel Adapter Trace 4-10

Printing the Channel Adapter Trace 4-10

Address Trace 4-11

• Starting the Address Trace 4-11

Printing the Address Trace 4-13

NCP Dump Facility 4-13

The Dump Facility in OS/VS Systems 4-14

Dumping Controller Storage 4-14

Printing the Dump Data 4-16

The DUMP Control Statement 4-17

Activating and Printing the NCP Dump 4-18

How to Print the Dump when the Access

Method Facility is Used 4-19

The FARM Field Option 4-20

The Dump Facility in VSE Systems 4-20

(6)

Dumping Controller Storage 4-21

Printing the Dump Data 4-23

The DUMP Control Statement 4-23

Activating and Printing the NCP Dump 4-24

How to Print the Dump when ACF/VTAM is Used 4-25 Link-Editing Modules from the Relocatable Library 4-26

NCP Dynamic Storage Display Dump 4-27

VTAM Operation 4-27

TCAM Operation 4-28 '

Emulation Program (EP) Dynamic Dump Facility 4-28 The EP Dynamic Dump Facility in OS/VS Systems 4-29

Obtaining a Dynamic Dump of Line Trace Table Entries 4-30 ^

Utility Control Statements 4-31

Job Control Statements 4-37

Example of Job Control and Dynamic Dump

Utility Statements 4-38

Example of Dynamically Dumping Trace Table Entries 4-38 The EP Dynamic Dump Facility in VSE Systems 4-40 Obtaining a Dynamic Dump of Line Trace Table Entries 4-41

Utility Control Statements 4-42

Job Control Statements 4-47

Example of Job Control and Dynamic Dump

Utility Statements 4-48

Example of Dynamically Dumping Trace Table Entries 4-49

Error and Statistics Recording 4-49

RECMS Records for Adapter and Program Checks

and Unresolved Interrupts 4-50

RECMS Records for BSC/SS Station Statistics

and Permanent BSC/SS Line Errors 4-51

RECMS Records for Permanent SNA Link Errors,

Permanent SNA Station Errors, and SNA Statistics 4-51 RECMS Records for Permanent SNA Link Errors or

Permanent SNA Station Errors 4-53

RECMS Records for SNA Statistics 4-54

BSC 3270 Error Message Notification 4-56

Dynamic Panel Displays 4-57

Dynamic Display of an ICW 4-57

Dynamic Display of Registers 4-58

Dynamic Display of Storage 4-59

Online Line Tests 4-59

Descriptions of Tests 4-60

Operation of Tests 4-62

Line Test !!!.!!!!!! !4-64

Activating and Deactivating the Line Test 4-64 SDLC Link Test, Level 2

Starting the Link Level 2 Test 4-66

VTAM Operation 4-66

TCAM Operation 4-68

ACF/VTAM I/O Trace !!!.!!!!!!!!!!!! .4-69

Starting the ACF/VTAM I/O Trace 4-69

Printing the ACF/VTAM I/O Trace !...!! !4-71

ACF/VTAM Buffer Trace 4-72

(7)

ACF/TCAM Path Information Unit (PIU) Trace 4-74

Starting the ACF/TCAM PIU Trace 4-75

Printing the ACF/TCAM PIU Trace 4-77

ACF/TCAM Channel I/O Interrupt Trace 4-78

Starting the ACF/TCAM Channel I/O Interrupt Trace 4-79 Printing the ACF/TCAM Channel I/O Interrupt Trace 4-82

ACF/TCAM Buffer Trace 4-82

Starting the ACF/TCAM Buffer Trace 4-83

, Printing the ACF/TCAM Buffer Trace 4-85

Index X-1

FIGURES

2-1. Chart for Determining Component ID Number 2-2 2-2. Chart for Determining Release Levels in OS/VS Systems 2-3 2-3. Chart for Determining Release Levels in VSE Systems 2-4

3-1. Sample APAR 3-6

vii

(8)

This page intentionally left blank.

(9)

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

To diagnose problems in the network control program (NOP), you must locate and identify a failure in the NCP. This location and

• identification process involves several procedures that you must follow before you contact either one of the two levels of the IBM Support Center to solve your problem.

The first of these procedures ensures that the problem is with NCP.

Because NCP interacts with both the host processor and terminals in a network, errors in an access method or a hardware breakdown in a

terminal are often mistaken as NCP failures. Chapter 2 tells you what steps to take to make certain that your problem is with NCP.

Once you are sure that your problem is with NCP, your next step is to gather information to describe the problem. This information will be used by representatives from the Level 1 IBM Support Center to build keywords that identify specific characteristics of your problem.

Chapter 2 tells you what information to gather about the problem and

how to gather it.

After you have gathered the necessary information to describe your problem, call it in to the first level of the IBM Support Center, where a representative will use it to build keywords to search an indexed data base called RETAIN for a fix to your problem. The object

of a keyword search is to match the present problem with a similar problem that has been previously reported. When fixes are developed for new problems, they are entered into RETAIN along with error descriptions of the problems. If a keyword search matches with a previously reported problem, there is a possibility that the fix

applied to the older problem will also repair the new one. If a quick fix can not be found for your problem, you will be referred to the Level 2 Support Center. Representatives from this second level will work more closely with you to try to solve the problem. Chapter 3 explains more fully the role of the two levels of the IBM Support Center, and tells how to contact the Center to report your problem.

If the Level 2 support group determines that no fixes are available

~ for your problem, you must submit an Authorized Program Analysis Report (AFAR). The AFAR contains information that helps Level 2 support representatives determine the cause of your problem and develop a fix for it. Chapter 3 tells you how to prepare an AFAR.

Throughout the diagnosis process you will gather a collection of documentation, such as traces, dumps, and assembly listings. You and the two levels of the Support Center will use this documentation to extract important details about your NCF failure. The different

ACF/NCF/VS Diagnosis Guide 1-1

(10)

sections of this manual describe the types of documentation you should gather to help analyze your failure. Chapter 4 gives a brief overview of the types of documentation and service aids you may need in the diagnosis of your NOP problem. It also tells you how to create and obtain these diagnostic aids.

The purpose of this manual is to help you follow the procedures

involved in ACF/NCP/VS problem diagnosis. Keep in mind that the major

emphasis is to help you identify your problem and to get a quick fix *

for it by gathering sufficient information to talk with IBM Support

Center personnel. If your problem is severe and requires a more

concentrated analysis, refer to the ACF/NCP/VS Program Reference * Summary handbook and the ACF/NCP/VS Logic manual to obtain the

information you will need to work with a program specialist to find a

fix for your failure.

(11)

CHAPTER 2. PROBLEM DEFINITION

MAKING SURE THAT THE PROBLEM ^ WITH NOP

' The most important step in problem diagnosis is to locate the starting point of a failure. This involves identifying the component in which

the failure occurred. In the case of suspected NCP problems, this may be a difficult thing to do.

Because NCP interacts directly with both the host processor and terminals in a network, errors in an access method or hardware breakdowns in a terminal sometimes appear as failures of the NCP to

route data properly. Although the failure may not be a result of

problems in the NCP, a lot of time can be wasted looking specifically

at NCP for the cause of the failure. Since this manual is designed to aid you in NCP diagnosis, it is essential that you be certain your

problem is a result of an NCP error before you begin using this manual

to define the failure.

To determine if your problem is a result of an NCP error, you will have to do a close analysis of the flow of data through your network.

Obtain at least an NCP standalone dump (see chapter 4 for information on how to obtain this dump) to assist you in this analysis. Based on

your own observations of your problem, you may determine that you need

other types of diagnostic aids such as the console log and PIU and line traces to locate the failing component. Chapter 4 contains information about these and other types of diagnostic aids that may assist you in locating the source of your network problem.

As you examine these traces, look for the first indication of a

failure. If more than one message was issued, find the first one and

determine why it was issued. If a Request Path Information Unit (PIU)

is not getting through the network, find out how far it got. Did it

get a negative response? Which component responded? Why? Was the

PIU valid? The console log is a useful tool for validating previous operational problems or failing sequences.

• Interpreting the information obtained from dumps, traces, and other

diagnostic aids may be a complex task. This manual is not designed to

assist you in close analysis of these materials, but rather to let you

* know the types of service aids that are available and how to obtain them. For information on how to interpret traces, dumps, and other service aids, see the ACF/NCP/VS Program Reference Summary handbook, the ACF/NCP/VS Logic manual, and the ACF/VTAM and ACF/TCAM Diagnosis Guide and Diagnosis Reference m£inuals. You can also call the IBM Support Center for help in analyzing your diagnostic aid data if you

ACF/NCP/VS Diagnosis Guide 2-1

(12)

feel you need it. If you find through analysis of the flow of data

through your network that your problem does not seem to be originating from the NCP, refer to the Diagnosis Guide for the component that you

believe the error is originating from.

GATHERING INFORMATION TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM

Before calling the first level of the IBM Support Center, be sure you

have the following information available:

• A list of all fixes, Program Temporary Fixes (PTFs), and APAR fixes

that have been applied to your system.

• 111® first indication you had of the failure.

• The terminal types involved.

• The line discipline being used.

• Any recent changes made in your system.

• Copies of all the documentation you gathered to determine the

problem.

• Any recovery attempts made before a dump or trace was taken.

• The component identification number of the program that failed (See

Figure 2-1). This number identifies the particular IBM licensed

program product that is experiencing the problem. Most ACF/SSP problems occur during activation and are usually the results of load or dump failures. EP and NCP problems are similar in type and

usually produce the same symptoms.

1 Licensed IBM 1₁ Component ID

1 Program Product ₁ _Number

1

1 ACF/NCP/VS

1

1 —

1

1 573SSC300 1

1 1

1

1 ACF/SSP (OS/VS)

1

1 5744AN100 1

1 1

1

1 ACF/SSP (VSE)

1—

1 —

1

1 S747AG100 1

1

1 EP 1

1

1 5735SC100 1

1

Chart for Determining Component ID Number

(13)

• The release level of the program that failed, and the operating

system it is running under (See Figure 2-2 [for OS/VS] or Figure 2-3

[for VSE].)

The charts in these figures list the different NCP, SSP, and EP

components according to the operating systems (OS/VS or VSE) they

run under. They also differentiate between free code (SCP) and

priced code (PP). If you don't know whether your error is occurring , in the System Control Program (SCP) or the Program Product (PP), the

level 1 support representative will assist you in determining this when you call to report your problem.

For the most part, you can ignore the information in the System

Maintenance Program (SMP), Field Maintenance Identifier (FMID), and

Release Level Keyword colximns. If the support representative wants this information, he will ask you for it.

1

1 Component Name

1 and Release Level ^Code

System Maintenance Program

Field

Maintenance Identifier

Release | Level 1 Keyword |

1 ACF/NCP/VS 1 Release 3

SCP PP

SMP4 SMP4

ENC1300 JNC1310

R300 1 RCIO 1

1 ACF/SSP 1 Release 3

SCP Object

SCP Macro

SMP4 SMP4

ESP1300 FSP1320

R300 1 R320 1 PP Object

PP Macro

SMP4 SMP4

JSP1310 JSP1330

RCIO 1 RC30 1

1 EP Version 3

1

SCP

1

SMP4

1

EEP0200

1

200 1

1 1

Figure 2-2. Chart for Determining Release Levels in OS/VS Systems

(14)

1 1 1

1 Release |

1 Component Name 1 Level 1

1 and Release Level Code 1 Keyword |

t 1

1 ACF/NCP/VS SCP

1

1 1

1 507 1

1 Release 3 PP

i EOS

1 1

1 ACF/SSP SCP

1 1

1 509 i

1 Release 3 _PP 1 ElO

1 1

t 1

1 EP _SCP

1

1 1

1 506 1 Version 3

1

1 1

Figure 2-3. Chart for Determining Release Levels in VSE Systems

• "Hie type of failure that occurred, including any additional

information about the failure, such as a failing module name. NOP failures are divided into six major categories:

- ABEND

- DOCUMENTATION - INCORRECT OUTPUT - LOOP

- MESSAGE - PERFORMANCE

Before determining which type of failure you have, you should

familiarize yourself with the problem by reviewing the following set

of questions:

Has the system run successfully before?

Have any changes (APAR fixes, PTFs, user modifications,

application changes, hardware changes, table changes) been made

since the last successful run?

fixes have been applied, have all modules involved been

re-assembled and link edited? Were there

any problems applying the fixes or PTFs?

If fixes have been applied, will backing out the fixes

cause successful execution?

- Are the parameters used to start the system the same as when the system ran successfully?

Can the problem be recreated?

(15)

- Does the problem always show the same symptoms?

- Is the problem related to a certain application or application request? For example: RECEIVE, SEND, CLSDST?

- Is the problem dependent on CPU load, network activity,

or time?

Is the entire network affected? If no, is a certain line or line type, terminal or terminal type affected?

- Is there a RECMS in LOGREC for the failure?

♦

The following pages contain procedures that help you determine your type of failure and tell you what information to obtain about the ' failure. Each procedure begins by listing the documentation you

will need to gather for the specific type of failure. The

documentation listed is according to the access method running in

your host. You do not have to gather any aids marked "optional,"

unless you determine that they would be helpful in the diagnosis of your particular problem. If the Support Center representative feels

that some of these optional diagnostic aids are necessary for your problem, he will tell you to obtain them.

(16)

ABEND

1 — ,

1

1 1

MINIMUM DOCUMENTATION TO BE GATHERED |

1 VTAM Environment

1

TCAM Environment |

i

* NCP Standalone Dump

* Link Edit Map

* System Maintenance

Program (SMP) Listing

* Configuration Data Set (CDS) Listing

* Maintain System

History Program (MSHP)

File

• NCP Standalone Dump 1j

• Link Edit Map j

• System Maintenance | Program (SMP) Listing |

• Configuration Data | Set (CDS) Listing j

1 1 1

1

• NCP SYSGEN Listings Stage 1 and 2 (optional)

• Console Listing (optional)

• VTAM I/O Trace (optional)

• NCP Line Trace (optional)

• NCP TG Trace (optional)

• VTAM Buffer Trace (optional)

1

• NCP SYSGEN Listings | Stage 1 and 2 (optional) |

• Console Listing (optional) j

• TCAM PIU Trace (optional) j

• NCP Line Trace (optional) |

• NCP TG Trace (optional) |

• TCAM Buffer Trace |

(optional) |

1 1 1

1

An NCP ABEND failure is usually first indicated by a message at the host console indicating an I/O error on the 3705 channel address.

STATUS = DE, UC SENSE = IPL REQUIRED

To determine if you have an NCP ABEND failure, look at location X*760'

in your NCP dump. A 4-digit non-zero value in this location indicates

an NCP ABEND failure. A 4-digit zero value indicates a CCU check.

(17)

If location X'760' contains a non-zero abend code:

1. Go to the ACF/NCP/VS Program Reference Summary handbook for a description of what this abend code means.

2. Give this abend code to the Level 1 Support Center when you call

to report your problem.

♦ If location X*760* contains a zero value:

1. Look at location X*704' in your NOP dump. This location contains

' external register X'7D'. Refer to the IBM 3704 and 3705

Communications Controllers Principles of Operation manual for a

detailed expansion of register X*7D'.

2. Look at bit 3 in byte 0 of register X'7D'. This bit indicates whether you have a program level 1 check.

3. If bit 3 is turned off, you have a hardware error, and should

call the appropriate hardware service representative.

4. If bit 3 is turned on, you have a program level 1 check, and

should look at location X'706' in your NCP dump. This location

contains external register X*7E'. Refer to the IBM 3704 and 3705

Communications Controllers Principles of Operation manual for a detailed expansion of register X*7E .

5. Using the Principles of Operation manual, examine the contents of register X'7E' to determine what type of program level 1 check

occurred. Give this information to the Level 1 Support Center when you call to report your problem.

(18)

DOCUMENTATION

MINIMUM DOCUMENTATION TO BE GATHERED

• Publication that contains error

• Location of error in publication

• Description of problem that error caused

An NCP DOCUMENTATION failure is caused by incorrect, missing, or ambiguously stated information in one of the ACF/NCP/VS manuals.

Report a DOCUMENTATION error only if it actually interferes with

program operation. For comments or suggestions on content, use the

Reader s Comment Form in the back of the appropriate manual.

To prepare to report a DOCUMENTATION failure:

1.

Locate the order number and revision number of the manual you

believe contains the documentation error. The order number and

revision number appear on the front cover and title page of a

manual in the following form:

xxxx-xxxx-n

2.

3.

where xxxx-xxxx is the order number and n is the revision number.

If the documentation error appears to be in a Technical

Newsletter (TNL), locate the order number of the TNL. The order

number of a TNL appears at the top of each page in the manual

affected by that TNL. It is in the form xxxx-xxxx.

Prepare a description of the problem the documentation error caused, and find the exact location of the documentation error in

the text.

4.

Give all of the above information to the Level 1 Support Center

when you call to report your problem.

(19)

INCORRECT OUTPUT

VTAM Environment

• Description of operation attempted, results

expected, results received

NOP Standalone Dump (optional)

NOP SYSGEN Listings, Stage 1 and 2 (optional) NOP Line Trace (optional) NOP TG Trace (optional) VTAM 1/0 Trace (optional)

VTAM Buffer Trace (optional)

TCAM Environment

• NOP Standalone Dump (optional)

• NOP SYSGEN Listings,

Stage 1 and 2 (optional)

• NOP Line Trace (optional)

• NOP TG Trace (optional)

• TCAM PIU Trace (optional)

• TCAM Buffer Trace

(optional)

An NCP INCORRECT OUTPUT failure appears as an unexpected result during normal network operation. For example, missing or incorrect data at a terminal, or inability to load the NCP into the 3705. INCORRECT

OUTPUT is the broadest type-of-failure category, and includes such

failures as:

ACTIVATE FAILURES: the inability of the host to establish a session

with the physical unit (PU) of NCP, a cluster, a local device, a virtual or explicit route, a BSC/SS or SDLC line, link, or teirminal.

DEACTIVATE FAILURES: the inability of the host to normally end a session that has been established with the physical unit (PU) of NCP, a cluster, a local device, a virtual or explicit route, a BSC/SS or

SDLC line, link, or terminal.

LOAD FAILURES: any problems occurring from the time you invoke the LOAD utility to the time the NCP is initialized.

(20)

DUMP FAILURES: any problems occurring when you invoke the DUMP

utility to dump the storage contents of the 3705. ^

No^: Most LOAD and DUMP failures are results of errors in ACF/SSP.

LOST TERMINAL FAILURES: inability of a terminal, subsystem, or

cluster to continue communication across the network.

INCORRECT OUTPUT failures are often caused by user definition errors

at program generation time. Before calling the Support Center to i report your problem, check to be sure that all the macro operands were

specified correctly for your system during the generation process.

After you have confirmed that all user definitions are specified

correctly:

1. Prepare a description of:

• The operation you were trying to perform,

• the results you expected,

• and the results you received.

2. Give this information to the Level 1 Support Center when you call ^

(21)

LOOP

VTAM Environment

• NCP Standalone Dump

• Link Edit Map

NCP SYSGEN Listings, Stage 1 and 2 (optional) VTAM I/O Trace (optional) NCP Line Trace (optional) NCP TG Trace (optional) Channel Adapter Trace (optional)

TCAM Environment

• Link Edit Map

NCP SYSGEN Listings, Stage 1 and 2 (optional) TCAM PIU Trace (optional) NCP Line Trace (optional) NCP TG Trace (optional) Channel Adapter Trace (optional)

A LOOP failure is indicated by NCP seeming to repeat an operation endlessly. Some signs of LOOP failures include: slow response time or no response at all, and lack of output. Another indicator of a LOOP failure is the WAIT light on the 3705 control panel. If the WAIT light is off, the NCP is probably looping.

To determine if you have a LOOP failure, and to prepare to report the

failure to the Level 1 Support Center:

1. Look at the program level indicators on the 3705 control panel to determine which level the loop is occurring in. Record the

program level displayed by these indicators.

2. Set the DISPLAY/FUNCTION SELECT switch on the 3705 control panel to TAR and OP REGISTER, and hit the Stop button. Record the contents of Display A and B. Display A contains the storage address of the next instruction to be executed. Display B

contains the first 16 bits of the last instruction executed. For more information on displaying the temporary address register (TAR) and operation (OP) register, see the Guide ^ Using the IBM

3705 Communications Controller Control Pane1.

(22)

3. Hit the Start button on the 3705 control panel, then quickly hit

the Stop button again. Record the contents of Display A and B.

Repeat this procedure several times, trying to get through as much of the loop as possible. Record the contents of Display A and B after each time you hit the Stop button.

4. Use the link edit map and the addresses you obtained from

displaying the TAR and OP registers to locate the CSECT name or names that the loop is occurring in.

5. Obtain an NOP standalone dump to answer any questions that

support representatives may ask you. f

6. Give the following information to the Level 1 Support Center when

you call to report your problem:

• The initial symptoms that caused you to believe you

had a LOOP failure

• The program level that the loop is occurring in, as indicated on the 3705 control panel

• The contents of the TAR and OP registers (in Display A and B) after each time you hit the Start and Stop buttons

on the 3705 control panel

• The CSECT name or names that the LOOP is occurring in, obtained from your link edit map

(23)

MESSAGE

For Loader/Dump Message Failures;

• Console Log

• Job Output Listing

• Host Region (OS/VS) or Partitioned (VSE) Dump (optional)

• Host Channel Control Word (CCW) Trace (optional)

• NCP Standalone Dump (optional) For Assember Message Failures:

• Input to the Assembler, and Output Listing

• Console Log (optional)

For ACF/TAP Message Failures:

• Console Log

• Trace Data Set (COMWRITE, GTF, VSE) (optional)

A MESSAGE failure consists of an ACF/SSP message that:

• Is incorrect

• Is not documented in the ACF/NCP/VS Messages manual, or does not agree with the description there

• Is issued under conditions that should not have caused it to be

issued

To prepare to report a MESSAGE failure;

(24)

2. Record the entire content of the message, including the message

identifier. '

3. Give this information to the Level 1 Support Center when you call

(25)

PERFORMANCE

VTAM Environment

• Stage 1 SYSGEN Listing

• NOP Standalone Dump (optional)

• Console Log (optional)

• LOGREC Records (optional)

• NCP SYSGEN Listing, Stage 2 (optional)

• NCP Line Trace (optional)

• NCP TG Trace (optional)

• VTAM I/O Trace (optional)

• VTAM Buffer Trace (optional)

TCAM Environment

NCP Standalone Dump (optional)

Console Log (optional) LOGREC Records (optional) NCP SYSGEN Listing,

Stage 2 (optional)

NCP Line Trace (optional) NCP TG Trace (optional) TCAM PIU Trace (optional)

TCAM Buffer Trace

(optional)

An NCP PERFORMANCE failure is almost always characterized by slow

response time. Like INCORRECT OUTPUT failures, PERFORMANCE failures

are hard to pinpoint and difficult to define. V/hen you suspect you have a PERFORMANCE failure, the best thing to do is to gather as much

information as possible about your operating environment before and

during your poor performance times.

To prepare to report a PERFORMANCE failure:

(26)

2. Record any unique characteristics about your operating —

environment during the time of the PERFORMANCE failure. For example:

• The time of day that the poor performance occurs.

• Any unique applications that are running at the time of the failure, such as a batch transfer operation.

• The type of line disciplines involved (BSC, SS, SDLC). *

• The number of lines involved. Is it one group of lines? all i

lines? all line types?

• Any user modifications made to ACF/TCAM, ACF/VTAM, or

ACF/NCP/VS.

3. Monitor and record the"" RECMS records in LOGREC.

4. Check the console for slow-down messages.

5. Give as much of the above information as possible to the Level 1

Support Center when you call to report your problem.

An additional aid called the Performance Measurement Facility (PMF) is also helpful in gathering data about PERFORMANCE failures. If your

system has the Performance Measurement Facility, see the ACF/NCP/VS Log^ manual and the Guide ^ Using the IBM 3705 Communications

Controller Control Panel for more information about this facilitv. and

how to use it. '

(27)

CHAPTER 3. PROBLEM RESOLUTION

DOCUMENTATION CHECKLIST

As you performed network problem source identification and gathered

information to describe your NCP failure, you should have been

gathering and examining various types of documentation to assist you in the diagnosis process. This documentation is vital not only to locating the source of your failure but also to resolving the failure.

You will use it to answer questions from representatives of both levels of the IBM Support Center as they use it to build a keyword string to search for a fix to your failure. And, if you are asked to submit an APAR, you will include hard copies of this documentation

with your report.

Before you contact the first level of the IBM Support Center to report your failure, you should be sure you have gathered the necessary

documentation. Depending on the type of your NCP failure, the

documentation requirements will differ. The list below shows you the minimum required documentation you should have for each type of

failure. If the support representative feels an additional documentation aid is needed, he will tell you how to obtain it.

ABEND

VTAM Environment TCAM Environment

• Link Edit Map

• System Maintenance Program (SMP) Listing

• Configuration Data Set (CDS) Listing

• Maintain System

History Program (MSHP)

File

NCP Standalone Dump Link Edit Map

System Maintenance Program (SMP) Listing Configuration Data Set (CDS) Listing

(28)

DOCUMENTATION

• Publication that contains error

• Location of error in publication

• Description of problem that error caused

INCORRECT OUTPUT

VTAM Environment

TCAM Environment

LOOP

VTAM Environment

• Link Edit Map

TCAM Environment

• Link Edit Map

MESSAGE

For Loader/Dump Message Failures:

• Console Log

For Assembler Message Failures;

• Input to the Assembler, and Output Listing

For ACF/TAP Message Faiulres:

• Console Log

(29)

PERFORMANCE

VTAM Environment

TCAM Environment

In addition to these specific documentation requirements, you should be prepared to give the Level 1 Support Center the following

information about any problem:

• A list of all the fixes, PTFs, and APARs that have been applied to

your system

• The first indication you had of the failure

• The terminal types involved

• The line discipline being used

• Any recent changes made in the system

• Any recovery attempts made before a dump or trace was taken

• The component identification number of the program that failed

• The release level of the program that failed, and the operating system it is running under

• The type of failure that occurred

• Any addtional information you have gathered about the failure Information about most of the different types of documentation and

diagnostic aids listed in this section, including how to obtain them,

can be foiind in chapter 4. If you need information on any aids not described in chapter 4, see the Service Aids manual that pertains to

your operating system. For information on interpreting and analyzing

data obtained from these aids, refer to the AGF/NCP/VS Logic manual, the ACF/VTAM Diagnosis Reference and Diagnosis Guide manuals and the ACF/TCAM Diagnosis Reference and Diagnosis Guide manuals.

REPORTING THE PROBLEM

Once you have gathered the appropriate information and documentation to describe your problem, you should call the IBM Support Center. The IBM Support Center is the first point of contact for ACF/NCP/VS users who require assistance with program problem identification or

resolution.

There are two levels in the IBM program support function. You will be contacting the first level, the IBM Field and Technical Support

Center, for most NCP problems. VHien you contact the Support Center, a

dispatcher will ask you for your access code, account name, license

(30)

number, and other customer identification information. The dispatcher then determine the type of assistance you require, assign you a problem number, and place your call on a queue to the appropriate Level 1 representative. The support representative will ask you for your description of your failure, as well as for any other information he feels may aid him in the search to find a fix for your problem.

After obtaining the necessary information, the support representative will use your information to build a keyword string to search the

Software Support Facility (SSF) of an indexed data base called RETAIN <

for a fix to the problem.

If the search yields no fix, the support representative may add » additional modifying keywords to the string by asking you for

information you have gathered through service aids and documentation.

If this additional search yields no fix, the support representative will refer your call to the Level 2 support group queue. Before he assigns you to the Level 2 group, however, he will make sure you have

the necessary documentation to be able to provide the Level 2

representative with the more detailed information he requires.

A representative from the Level 2 support group will contact you as

soon as possible, depending on the severity of your problem. He will

question you for information that will help him refine the keyword

string even further so that he can do additional searches of

RETAIN/SSF to find a fix for your problem. If no fixes can be found,

either through searching RETAIN/SSF or through exchange of >*1^.

information, the support representative may ask you to submit an APAR.

The APAR will allow the Level 2 support group to examine your problem

more closely and develop a new fix for you. Once this fix is developed and tested, it is dispatched to you and is entered into

RETAIN/SSF and into a microfiche file called the Early Warning System

(EWS), which is available to users who wish to subscribe.

In some cases, you and the Level 2 support representative may decide that your problem requires on-site assistance. When this happens, the appropriate programming service personnel will be dispatched to you In any case, RETAIN/SSF and EWS will be kept up-to-date with new fixes and error descriptions so that similar problems in the future may be

resolved through a keyword search.

HOW TO PREPARE AN APAR

If the IBM Support Center can't find a fix for your problem by

searching RETAIN/SSF, and if your problem appears to be a new one, you

^TAnA asked to submit an Authorized Program Analysis Report

(APAR). An APAR is a report package that includes a standard APAR

form containing specific information about your problem, and hard

copies of any documentation you have gathered that is relevant to the

(31)

problem. This report package is submitted to the Level 2 Support Center, where it is used by program specialists to determine the cause of your failure and to develop a fix for you.

The standard AFAR form, when completed, contains information about your problem, as well as about your system and your operating environment. A sample APAR form is shown in Figure 3-1. You can obtain these forms from your local branch office. Complete as much of , the form as possible. The Support Center representative will assist

you in coming up with information to complete such sections as T and V, which contain an abstract and error description text about your

• problem. In some cases, you will not have to fill out or submit this form. The Support Center representative will question you over the phone and enter the information directly into RETAIN for you.

You are also required to submit printed copies of the documentation you have gathered during the analysis of your problem. A number will be assigned to your APAR by the support representative. Write this number on the top right hand portion of each separate piece of

documentation that you submit. The Support Center representative will tell you where and how to mail in this documentation.

(32)

fP HANDWRITTEN, USE BLACK BALL POINT PEN AND PRESS FIRMLY FOR FOUR LEGIBLE COPIES

IBM apar Preassigned APAR Serial No

Authorized Program Analysis Report p

@ CUSTOMER NAME

m CUSTOMER NO

m

Q) PROBLEM NUMBER APAR IDENTITV NUMBER

1

(^SEVERITY CODE

CUSTOMER MAa.MQ ADORCSS

ap CODE

IBM REPRESENTATIVE—NAME AND ADDRESS

(g) NAME ~

CPU STOflAOS SIZE 'svs RES srs IN SYS OUT

MAtUNG ADDRESS

::

FMPLOVEE SERIAI NO

ZIP CODE

FE REGION BRANCH

OFF NO W WORLD TRADE COUNTRY

IBM BRANCH OFF PHONE (ALSO TIE LINE NO If' AVAILABLeT

(g)SYMPTOM ® FAILURE KEYWORD ® RE-IPLREO

REGRESSION

/

0 ABSTRACT

22859

1 2 3 4

CNVIRONKENT

COMPONENT OR PROGRAM IN ERROR/SUSPECTED I I COMPOKtNl I I iCvCl SU

i

® CCMPONENT ID NUMBER

MATERIAL SUBMITTED WITH APJVR

STORAGE DUMP CONTROL CAR

STORAGE MAP TAPE DUMP DASD DUMP 0 SOURCi DF.CK TAPE OBJECT DECK TAPE PROGRAM LISTING

I SPEi5lAL' ACTIVITIES

DS JCL CONSOLE LOG

CONSOLE CONDITIONS SYSTEM LOG

SYSTEM OUTPUT TEST DATA

DIAGNOSTIC OUTPUT PTF LIST USER'S ROUTINE TP CONF list

0 RET APAR NO 0 PRE SCREENlNG

jal ei? • . oBiwBwn expecieu ana aciuai outouf—dUferences from previous successful runs—sus-

^ Program (PSM)-speclal configuration, teleprocessing. I O switctiing multi- systems. etc. Identify any bypass, circumvention, or relief given PRINT PROGRAM NAME:

SUBMIHER-S NAME (PRINT OR TYPE) fiOhGSDSE TIME

SPENT

0 APAR SUBMITTED

ORIGINATOR IS

HOURS jMINUTES MO 1 1

^FE ^DP ^OUST ^OTHER

suauimifssoiATwg gjti

nSTRSUTIOH

P«HTS I « Z «P*» PfiOCtSSING PMI 3 OHIGtlMTOi): PART 4 APM PROCfSSING/OR AS CKiltCtED IN PSM GCN NO 4

-OF.

0120048? 18 (U'M 0101 An 2/78 APAK POOCCUtNO

Figure 3-1. Sample APAR

(33)

RESOLVING PROBLEMS IN HIGH SEVERITY SITUATIONS

If neither Level 1 nor Level 2 of the IBM Support Center can locate a fix for your problem through searching RETAIN/SSF, and if the nature of your problem is so severe that it must be resolved immediately, you will have to work closely with a program specialist to help him

develop a quick fix for you. This program specialist will most likely ft be a representative from the Level 2 Support Center.

You will need to provide the specialist with detailed information

^ about your failure. To help you perform an in-depth analysis of your problem, refer to the ACF/NCP/VS Program Reference Summary handbook and the ACF/NCP/VS Logic manual. By answering questions and following procedures directed by the Level 2 program specialist, you should be able to provide him with the necessary information to develop a quick

or temporary fix for your problem.

Working with a program specialist by telephone to solve a

high-severity problem is a complex task. If you feel you are not qualified to do a detailed analysis of the failure, or if you feel

that the error is too severe, you may want a Program Service

Representative (PSR) dispatched to the problem site. The Level 2 Support Center can arrange this.

i-i^ Program Service Representatives -are trained to do complex problem diagnosis, but should be requested only after all other attempts to solve the problem have failed. The object of this manual is to help you perform your own problem source identification and determination, thereby leading to faster problem resolution.

(34)

This page: intentionally left blank.

(35)

CHAPTER 4. DIAGNOSTIC AIDS

Diagnosis of suspected ACF/NCP/VS errors requires the use of many service and documentation aids. These aids provide you with information that enables you to closely examine the flow of data

through your network, thereby allowing you to isolate and identify the source of network problems. Once you have determined that the error is located in the NCP, these aids help you gather information that is used by IBM support representatives to find a fix for your problem.

If you are asked to submit an APAR, include printed copies of the

output from these aids with your report.

Diagnostic aids for ACF/NCP/VS also include aids that originate in the

host. This is because ACF/NCP/VS interacts with the host processor, as well as the terminals in a network, and any attempt to isolate an error to the NCP cannot be complete without analyzing the flow of data from the host to the NCP, from the NCP to the terminal, and from the terminal back through the NCP to the host.

The aids described in this chapter that are specific to ACF/NCP/VS

include:

• NCP line Trace

- Transmission Group (TG) PIU Trace Channel Adapter Trace

Address Trace

NCP Dump Facility

NCP Dynamic Storage Display Dump EP Dynamic Dump Facility

Error and Statistics Recording Dynamic Panel Displays

Line Test

SDLC Link Test, Level 2 Online Line Tests

The aids described in this chapter that pertain to host facilities

include:

• ACF/VTAM I/O Trace

• ACF/VTAM Buffer Trace

• ACF/TCAM PIU Trace

• ACF/TCAM Channel Interrupt I/O Trace

• ACF/TCAM Buffer Trace

(36)

Two other diagnostic aids that are used to gather trace output data

include:

• OS/VS Generalized Trace Facility (GTF)

• Advanced Communications Function/Trace Analysis Program (ACF/TAP) The generalized trace facility (GTF) is a function of all OS/VS operating systems that allows you to trace and print descriptions of

various events in the operating system. Other programs can also pass ^ data to GTF for recording. The generalized trace facility must be

started at the operator's console before an ACF/VTAM buffer or I/O

trace can be used, and before the NOP line trace can be started with * ACF/VTAM. For more information on GTF, see the Service Aids manual

for your operating system.

The Advanced Communications Function/Trace Analysis Program (ACF/TAP) is a service aid that assists in analyzing certain trace data produced

by ACF/VTAM, ACF/TCAM, and ACF/NCP/VS. It uses trace files created by

ACF/VTAM, ACF/TCAM, and ACF/NCP/VS trace facilities, and produces output reports showing SNA and SDLC trace data formatted into merged, easy-to-use, and easy-to-read records. Unusual conditions occurring

in the trace data that may indicate error situations are also highlighted. The traces that ACF/TAP processes include:

• NCP Line Trace

- Transmission Group (TG) PIU Trace

• ACF/VTAM I/O Trace f ^

• ACF/VTAM Buffer Trace

• ACF/TCAM PIU Trace

For more information on using ACF/TAP to obtain printed output from

your traces, see the ACF/NCP/VS Utilities manual.

This chapter contains a general overview of the diagnostic aids listed above, including what each aid does and when you should use it. It also includes detailed information telling you how to obtain these

aids and where they are obtained from. This manual explains only how

to activate and print the various diagnostic aids. For information on interpreting the output from these aids, see the ACF/NCP/VS Program Reference Summary handbook, the ACF/NCP/VS Logic manual, and the

ACF/VTAM and ACF/TCAM Diagnosis Guide and Diagnosis Reference manuals.

need assistance in analyzing your diagnostic aid data, you can

also obtain it from the Support Center. *

(37)

COMMAND SYNTAX NOTATION

Throughout this chapter, the formats of operator commands use the standard syntax notation described below.

Braces {}

^ Braces are used to indicate the available options for a required specification. For example, there are two ways to specify the MODIFY command. You can specify the command name {MODIFY}, or its

abbreviation (F), but you must specify one of them. Do not include braces when entering the desired option.

Brackets []

When brackets enclose an operand, they indicate a completely optional specification. This includes any accompanying commas or equal signs.

Do not include brackets when entering the specification.

Or-sign |

The or-sign is used to separate options for a single optional or required specification. If a group of options is enclosed by

brackets, and the individual options are separated by or-signs, none of the options in the group has to be chosen. Do not include or-signs when entering the specification.

Uppercase Characters

You must spell command names or operands consisting of uppercase

characters as shown.

Lowercase Characters

Lowercase characters are used to describe the kind of information that must be supplied, rather than the exact information. The actual entry replaces the lowercase description.

Underscored Characters

Underscored characters are used to indicate default values, values that are automatically assigned if you do not specify any other option.

Commas and Equal Signs

Enter commas and equal signs as shown. When commas and equal signs appear within brackets, they are optional; use them only if you use the accompanying optional operand.

ACF/NCP/VS Diagnosis Guide 4.-3

(38)

DIAGNOSTIC AIDS —

NCP LINE TRACE

The NCP line trece records ihe activity on a designated communication line attached to a communication controller operating with ACF/NCP/VS.

It is a function shared between the access method and the NCP. The access method controls, formats, and prints the trace, whereas the NCP

gathers the information in the trace records.

The NCP line trace also includes a transmission group PIU trace

The transmission group (TG) PIU trace records the activity on all lines contained in a transmission group as if they were a single

logical line.

to Use the NCP Line Trace: Use the NCP line trace to verify that the communication controller is sending and receiving the correct data to and from a station. Also use this trace when you have an NCP

ABEND, INCORRECT OUPUT, LOOP, or PERFORMANCE failure.

STARTING THE NCP LINE TRACE

Start the NCP line trace from the host processor by using the

appropriate command shown below. These commands are to be used after ACF/VTAM or ACF/TCAM has started.

you want to start the trace at the same time the access method is

started, you must request the trace in the access method at assembly

time or enter it from the console during startup. For more

information on this, refer to the ACF/TCAM Installation Reference manual or the ACF/VTAM Operation manual.

VTAM Operation

IN OS/VS SYSTEMS: Before you start the line trace for ACF/VTAM in OS/VS systems, activate GTF with the USR option. Otherwise, none of

the trace data will be recorded. For information on activating GTF,

see the Service Aids manual for your operating system.