For each transaction, you can specify whether standard tracing or special tracing is to be done, or whether tracing is to be suppressed for that transaction altogether.
For each component, you can specify two sets of trace level attributes. The trace level attributes define the trace point IDs to be traced for that component when standard task tracing is being done and when special task tracing is being done, respectively.
If you are running a test region, you probably have background tracing most of the time. In this case, the default tracing options (standard tracing for all transactions, and level-1 trace points only in the standard set for all components) probably suffice. All you need do is to enable the required trace destinations and set up any related tracing options. Details are given in Selecting trace destinations and related options.
For a production system, background tracing might incur an unacceptable processing overhead. If you find this to be so, you are recommended to set up tracing so that exception traces only are recorded on an auxiliary trace data set. There need be no other tracing overhead, and you can be sure that the exception trace will be preserved even when the event invoking the trace does not cause a system dump to be taken. For details, see CICS exception tracing.
When specific problems arise, you can set up special tracing so you can focus on just the relevant tasks and components. Use this procedure to specify the tracing you need:
You can select which tasks are to have standard tracing, which are to have special tracing, and which are to have tracing suppressed. If you specify standard tracing for a task, trace entries are made at all the trace points in the standard set. If you specify special task tracing, you get trace entries at all the trace points in the special set. If you suppress tracing for a task, you do not get any tracing done (except exception tracing) when that task is running.
For transactions that run at terminals, a task is considered to be an instance of a transaction run at a specific terminal. By defining the type of tracing you want by transaction and terminal, you automatically define what task tracing is to be done.
For non-terminal transactions, a task is just an instance of the transaction. The type of tracing you define for the transaction alone defines the type of task tracing that is to be done.
The type of task tracing you get for the various combinations of transaction tracing and terminal tracing is summarized in the truth table shown in Table 25.
OPTION on TRANSACTION | OPTION on TERMINAL | Task tracing |
---|---|---|
tracing suppressed | standard tracing | SUPPRESSED |
tracing suppressed | special tracing | SUPPRESSED |
standard tracing | standard tracing | STANDARD |
standard tracing | special tracing | SPECIAL |
special tracing | standard tracing | SPECIAL |
special tracing | special tracing | SPECIAL |
You can set up the task tracing you want using the CETR transaction, with the screen shown in Figure 21. You need to type in the transaction ID or the terminal ID or the netname for the terminal, together with the appropriate tracing.
The status can be any one of STANDARD, SPECIAL, or SUPPRESSED for the transaction, and either STANDARD or SPECIAL for the terminal.
This screen can also be used to set up certain other terminal tracing options. You can select ZCP tracing for a named terminal (trace point ID AP 00E6), and you can also select CICS VTAM® exit tracing for the terminal. For more details about CICS VTAM exit tracing, see CICS VTAM exit tracing.
CETR Transaction and Terminal Trace Type in your choices. Item Choice Possible choices Transaction ID ===> Any valid 4 character ID Transaction Status ===> STandard, SPecial, SUppressed Terminal ID ===> Any valid Terminal ID Netname ===> Any valid Netname Terminal Status ===> STandard, SPecial Terminal VTAM Exit Trace ===> ON, OFf Terminal ZCP Trace ===> ON, OFf VTAM Exit override ===> NONE All, System, None When finished, press ENTER. PF1=Help 3=Quit 6=Cancel Exits 9=Error List
The CETR transaction can, for example, help you to get standard tracing for a transaction when it is run at one terminal, and special tracing when it is run at a second terminal.
The logic used by CICS to decide whether a trace call is to be made from a trace point is shown in Table 26. It is assumed that at least one trace destination is STARTED.
Is tracing suppressed for this task? | Is standard tracing required for this task? | Is the master system trace flag on? | Is special tracing specified for this domain and trace level? | Is standard tracing specified for this domain and trace level? | Is trace call made? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | No |
No | Yes | Yes | not applicable | Yes | Yes |
No | Yes | Yes | not applicable | No | No |
No | Yes | No | not applicable | not applicable | No |
No | No | not applicable | Yes | not applicable | Yes |
No | No | not applicable | No | not applicable | No |