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Debugging Skeletons in Started Task Procedures

Starting in ChangeMan ZMF 5.1, ISPF file-tailoring is migrated from your TSO address space to file tailoring address spaces that are initiated by the SERNET started task that runs ZMF. You have no access to these separate address spaces, so you cannot directly test file tailoring for custom skeletons.

CLIST CMNDBGAS executes ChangeMan ZMF programs in your address space. You can run this CLIST in tools like ISPF Dialog Test to debug custom skeletons.

File Tailoring Procedure Names

In releases prior to ChangeMan ZMF 5.6, ISPF file-tailoring is performed by a single started procedure named CMNxADSP, where x is the subsystem ID of the started task under which ChangeMan ZMF runs.

Since ChangeMan ZMF version 5.6, ChangeMan ZMF administrators can specify up to four different procedures that perform the following file-tailoring functions:

  • Installation JCL builds

  • Batch component builds

  • Promotion JCL builds

  • All other file-tailoring functions

The ChangeMan ZMF global administrator identifies these procedures on the Global Parameters, Part 2 of 8 [CMNGGP02] panel. Refer to the ChangeMan ZMF Administrator’s Guide for a description of this panel.

If there is a failure in the execution of a file tailoring started task, it sends a message to the console log. You can use the JobID associated with the console log message to find the file tailoring server output in SDSF (or another sysout viewing tool) that contains information about the cause of the failure.

Considerations

  • You must have global administrator authority to run the started task procedure address space programs in your TSO address space.

  • CLIST CMNDBGAS uses control information that is generated by a file tailoring started procedure when the TRACE facility is enabled in the ZMF started task. When TRACE is on in the ZMF instance, the spawned file tailoring started task writes the control information to dynamically allocated sysout DDname RQST.

  • CMNDBGAS reads the control information from a sequential file. Before executing CMNDBGAS, you must allocate the sequential file and copy the control information from the RQST sysout data set into the new file.

  • The method you use to copy the RQST sysout records to a cataloged data set depends on the facilities and requirements at your site. The procedure described in this section assumes that you use your sysout viewing tool to copy that information into a cataloged data set.

  • Execute the procedure described in this section using your test ChangeMan ZMF system. The TRACE facility generates a significant volume of output, which could be harmful in a ChangeMan ZMF instance being used by many developers.

Set Up CLIST CMNDBGAS

  1. Copy member CMNDBGAS from the vendor CLIST library to your custom CLIST library.

  2. Code an appropriate SYSOUT class for DDnames SERPRINT and RQST.

  3. Replace the ALLOC statement for ddname SER#PARM with the same statement in your log-on CLIST for ChangeMan ZMF.

  4. Replace the LIBDEF statements for ISPLLIB, ISPMLIB, and ISPPLIB with the LIBDEFs in your ZMF logon CLIST.

  5. Replace the library concatenation in the LIBDEF ISPSLIB statement with the concatenation in your ZMF started procedure.

  6. To ensure a clean ISPF variable environment, ensure that CLIST CMNDBGAS specifies a NEWAPPL() application id that does not contain ChangeMan ZMF variables in the profile pool member in ISPPROF.

Run CLIST CMNDBGAS

The instructions in this section assume that you use SDSF to browse spool output and are authorized to issue the commands shown. Substitute appropriate steps and commands if you do not have the required authorization or use another sysout viewing tool.

  1. Turn on the TRACE facility with the following modify command:

F server,TRACE,ON,CMN,CLASS=1

where server is the jobname of the SERNET started task that runs ZMF.

  1. Execute your logon CLIST to connect to ChangeMan ZMF through the ISPF interface, and execute the ZMF function that will file tailor the skeleton you want to test. The purpose of this step is to capture the control information required to run this function with CLIST CMNDBGAS.

  2. Turn off the TRACE facility with the following modify command:

F server,TRACE,OFF,CMN,CLASS=1

where server is the jobname of the SERNET started task that runs ZMF.

  1. Allocate a small sequential data set somnode.CMNADSP.REQUEST with DCB: 

    RECFM=FB
LRECL=1000

    This file will only contain a few records.

  2. Enter SDSF and set PREFIX to the name of the file tailoring started task. Display the SDSF queue appropriate for the SYSOUT class coded in the file tailoring started procedure.

  3. Type ? in the line command for the file tailoring started task sysout and press Enter.

  4. Type SE in the line command for the RQST ddname and press Enter to display the sysout data in edit mode.

  5. Copy the contents of the RQST sysout data set into somnode.CMNADSP.REQUEST that you allocated previously:

    1. In the line command for the first record, type C9999.

    2. On the Command line, type REPLACE and press Enter.

    3. On the Name line of the Edit/View Replace panel, type DSN somnode.CMNADSP.REQUEST and press Enter.

    4. Press Enter on the EDIT - Confirm Replace panel, ignoring the difference in the record format.

    5. Exit the RQST sysout data set.

  6. Invoke CLIST CMNDBGAS from within a debugging environment, such as ISPF dialog test (Note that this CLIST is distributed in the supplied CLIST library for ChangeMan ZMF and will need to be updated and placed in a custom library before you can use it).

  7. When prompted, enter the data set name somnode.CMNADSP.REQUEST.