MSO/CICS Troubleshooting

• MSO/TSO and MSO/CICS use similar communications paths. If TSO access to MSO does not work properly, it is extremely unlikely that CICS access will work. We recommend that you install MSO/TSO for testing purposes, even if it will not normally be used for access to MSO. Once TSO access works properly, troubleshooting CICS access is much simpler.

• The following are the most common causes of problems with MSO/CICS:

• The MSO configuration file does not contain a definition for SERVICE=FOCUS.
• The CICS command-level stubs have not been link-edited into the MSO/CICS modules.
• The MSO address space is not running, or is malfunctioning. This is most easily tested by trying to access it via TSO or VTAM.
• The communication data sets have not been created properly.
• The communication data sets are not allocated to the correct ddname or dsname. (Remember, the ddnames are different in the MSO and the CICS address spaces.)
• The FOCUS libraries allocated to FOCLIB and to DFHRPL come from different releases of FOCUS.
• The FOCUS libraries allocated to the MSO address space and to the CICS address space come from different releases of FOCUS.
• All of the FOCUS files are not allocated properly in the CICS address space.
• The userid is not available via the ASSIGN USERID command, requiring use of the MSCXUID user exit.
• Program MSOPLT is not being called from the PLT at CICS shutdown. This is a common cause of SA03 abends in the CICS address space.
• The PPT and PCT entries for the MSO/CICS programs and transactions have not been created or are incorrect.

Diagnostic information

When contacting Information Builders technical support for MSO/CICS problems, please have the following information available:

• The JCL for the MSO and CICS address spaces.

• The MSO configuration file (ddname FOCMSO in the MSO JCL).

• RDO definitions of all MSO/CICS transactions and programs.

• Any PLT entries created for MSO/CICS.

• All installation and customization job streams.

• An exact description of the failure symptoms, including error message numbers.

In addition, a CICS auxtrace of the MSO and/or MSMT transaction might be requested, depending on the nature of the problem.

In CICS V3 and above, this will include MSO's user-defined records as well as standard CICS records.