Creating user-defined DSECTs

The user DSECT file is a VSAM RRDS that contains the data required to format user-defined DSECT displays. It is allocated and formatted using the BMC AMI Common Shared Services (CSS) utility, CWDDALLU, and is accessed using the CSS DDIO access method. You must allocate this file if you intend to define your own site-specific DSECT formats to the Abend-AID Viewer. Installation sample library hlq.CTL member USERALLC contains JCL that performs an IDCAMS DEFINE for the user DSECT file.

Note

You can allocate more than one user DSECT file, but each viewing server can access only one file.

Task 1: Allocate and initialize the user DSECT file

To allocate the user DSECT file, review, modify, and submit USERALLC. Ensure that:

You specify the user DSECT file name in three places in the JCL (twice on the IDCAMS DEFINE, and once for the ABNLDFIL DD statement).
The STEPLIB DD statement points to the CSS load library (SLCXLOAD).

You can also change the size of the file, but we recommend that you do not change any other DEFINE parameters. Refer to the Common Shared Services User/Reference Guide for more information about DDIO files and the CWDDALLU utility.

Task 2: Modify the viewing server JCL

Add the following DD statement for the user DSECT file allocated in the previous task.

//MSDDUSER DD DSN=user.dsect.dsn,DISP=SHR

Task 3: Stop and restart the viewing server

After you complete the two previous steps, you must stop and then restart the viewing server.

Task 4: Create site-specific DSECT images

User DSECT images are created using the BMC AMI Common Shared Services (CSS) Assembler language processor. The Abend-AID installation sample library (CTL) contains two sample members that illustrate how you can create site-specific DSECT images: USERSAMP and USERDSCT.

If you are using Hogan version 3, 4, or 5 in CICS and you have the Hogan/Umbrella DSECTs, you may use installation sample library (CTL) jobs JCLHOGV3, JCLHOGV4, or JCLHOGV5 to load those DSECTs to the user DSECT file as well. Doing so will allow you to format the Hogan ITCB, UPCB, and UTCB control blocks when viewing transaction reports.

Installation sample library (CTL) member USERSAMP contains a sample user DSECT, and member USERDSCT contains a sample procedure that executes the Assembler language processor to assemble and post-process the sample and load the output into the user DSECT file.

Before executing the USERDSCT PROC, make the following changes:

Change the DISK variable to specify an esoteric DASD unit name for temporary data sets.
Change the SRCM variable to the member name containing the DSECT in the source library (as distributed, this points to the USERSAMP sample DSECT member in the installation sample library).
Change the SRCL variable to the library that contains the assembler DSECT source to be processed.
Change the MACL variable to the libraries that contain assembler macros or copy books required to assemble the DSECT.
Change the CSSL variable to the load library that contains the CSS Assembler language processor.
Change the USER variable to the user DSECT file in which the DSECT is to be stored.
Change the value after the PROGRAM-NAME in the PSTEP002.CWPPRM0 DD * statements to reflect the name by which you want this DSECT to be known to the Abend-AID Viewer.

Note

The DSECT must include a DSECT card.
The PSTEP001 step ends with a return code of 4. Ignore this assembler warning for a missing end statement.

For more information about the Assembler language processor, refer to the Common Shared Services User/Reference guide.