PK86108: CICS IS ORPHANING CHANNEL AND CONTAINER STORAGE AFTER THE APPLICATION ISSUES EXEC CICS RETURN CHANNEL.

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• Application is issuing EXEC CICS RETURN CHANNEL. This is causing
  the task's associated channel and containers to be detached but
  never freemained. Each time this command is issued, storage
  becomes orphaned. This eventually leads to CICS going short on
  storage and issuing the message DFHSM0133.
  When debugging the DFHSM0133 message, you find that the ECDSA
  has the most growth. Looking at the subpool usage within the
  ECDSA, you find that most of the storage being used is coming
  from the following subpools:
  PGCHCB, PGCPCB, PGCRCB, PGCSCBV, and PGCSCB4K. You will also
  notice the ratio of getmains to freemains to be extremely
  different, in some cases seeing 10x more the number of getmains
  to freemains.
  The root problem here is the EXEC CICS RETURN CHANNEL. The CICS
  Translator should have generated an error against this command
  as the manual states that CHANNEL is a sub-parm under TRANSID.
  CHANNEL can only be specified if TRANSID has been.
  Additional Keywords:
  KIXREVSCB
  

Local fix

• Instead of using EXEC CICS RETURN CHANNEL, use either
  EXEC CICS RETURN TRANSID CHANNEL or EXEC CICS RETURN depending
  on the requirements of the application.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: All.                                         *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: DFHSM0133 CICS is under stress          *
  *                      (short on storage above 16MB)           *
  *                      following extensive use of the          *
  *                      EXEC CICS RETURN CHANNEL command        *
  *                      without specifying a TRANSID.           *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  CICS goes SOS (short on storage) due to orphaned CHANNEL
  and CONTAINER storage due to repeated use of the EXEC CICS
  RETURN command with CHANNEL and no TRANSID specified.
  CHANNEL is a sub-operand of TRANSID on the EXEC CICS RETURN
  command and should not be specified without it.
  When an application executes an EXEC CICS RETURN command with
  CHANNEL but no TRANSID, the channel and container storage is
  detached but not freed.
  An application should not issue this command, but the translator
  should have detected this error and given a return code 12.
  Additional keywords: SM0133 MSGDFHSM0133
  

Problem conclusion

• DFHEITAB has been altered to issue a RC 12 when CHANNEL is
  specified without TRANSID on a EXEC CICS RETURN command.
  

Temporary fix

•             *********
              * HIPER *
              *********
  FIX AVAILABLE BY PTF ONLY
  

Comments

APAR Information

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

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

  PK89132 UK47975 UK47976 UK47977 UK47978

Modules/Macros

•    DESEILMH DFHEIALS DFHEIBL@ DFHEIBLD DFHEIHDR
  DFHEISU@ DFHEISUP DFHEITAB DFHEITHG DFHEITTR DFHEITT2
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  CICSTS V3 Z/OS

• Fixed component ID

  5655M1500

Applicable component levels

• R400 PSY UK47975

     UP09/07/08 P F907

• R403 PSY UK47976

     UP09/07/08 P F907

• R500 PSY UK47977

     UP09/07/08 P F907

• R503 PSN UK47978

     UP09/07/08 P F907

Fix is available

• Select the PTF appropriate for your component level. You will be required to sign in. Distribution on physical media is not available in all countries.