Problem Determination for WebSphere for z/OS

Problem Determination for WebSphere for z/OS

by Rica Weller, Cleberson Calefi, Per Fremstad, Keith Jabcuga, Suresh Maddukuri, Kiet Nguyen, Robyn Nostalgi, Rajesh Pericherla
Released August 2006
Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
ISBN: None

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Book description

IBM WebSphere Application Server for z/OS V6 is a complex product made up of many components. This IBM Redbooks publication focuses on the problems that you can experience with WebSphere for z/OS. It is intended for system programmers and administrators who need to identify, analyze, and fix problems efficiently so that they can deliver good support for the WebSphere environment.

In Part 1, we provide an overview of problem determination methodology, what skills you need, where to find information about related topics, and how to communicate with IBM when a problem occurs.

In Part 2, we describe the most common problem symptoms. Flow charts guide you through the problem analysis process step by step. Individual tasks and questions help you filter out irrelevant facts and find the problem area, so that you can identify the type, source, cause, and possibly a solution.

In Part 3, we identify possible problem areas and arrange them into four phases that correspond with WebSphere for z/OS life cycle stages. We explain how to analyze the problems and provide valuable hints and tips for avoiding them.

In Part 4, we provide means and tools for problem determination such as commands, logs, dumps, traces, and diagnostic tools. We describe other tools that can ease the day-to-day tasks and prevent problems. We also explain where to get these tools, show you how to use them, and provide examples.

Please note that the additional material referenced in the text is not available from IBM.

Table of contents

  1. Figures
  2. Tables
  3. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  4. Preface
    1. How the book is structured
    2. What this book is about
    3. Who this book is for
    4. How to use this book
    5. The team that wrote this redbook
    6. Become a published author
    7. Comments welcome
  5. Part 1: Problem determination methodology
  6. Chapter 1: Problem determination methodology
    1. 1.1: What problem determination is
    2. 1.2: What problem determination is not
    3. 1.3: Problem determination approach
      1. Problem determination flow chart
      2. Problem determination process
      3. Specific considerations for WebSphere for z/OS problem determination
      4. The importance of a test environment
    4. 1.4: The skills needed for WebSphere for z/OS
      1. System skills
      2. Skills for deploying and running an application
  7. Chapter 2: Contacting IBM: Information
    1. 2.1: Communicating with IBM
    2. 2.2: The IBM WebSphere support structure
    3. 2.3: Before you contact IBM support
      1. Defining the problem
      2. Determining whether this situation has already been reported
      3. Gathering background information
      4. Determining the business impact
    4. 2.4: How IBM Software Support handles your problem
      1. The PMR
      2. Investigating a PMR
      3. How technical questions are handled by IBM
    5. 2.5: Exchanging data with IBM by FTP
      1. Copying the job log into a z/OS data set
      2. Compressing the data
      3. Finding specific FTP instructions
      4. Using naming conventions
    6. 2.6: IBM contacts
  8. Chapter 3: Information sources
    1. 3.1: WebSphere for z/OS support pages
      1. The WebSphere for z/OS home page
      2. WebSphere support page
      3. WebSphere for z/OS V6 product manuals
      4. WebSphere for z/OS V6 Information Center
      5. WebSphere for z/OS IBM services
      6. Recommended reading list: WebSphere Application Server
    2. 3.2: Techdocs: White papers, hints, and tips
    3. 3.3: Redbooks and draft publications
    4. 3.4: Sources of information for developers
      1. WebSphere Developer’s Domain
      2. The alphaWorks community
      3. Java
    5. 3.5: Other helpful Web sites
      1. zSeries support
      2. z/OS home page
      3. LookAt messages
      4. All software products
      5. IBM Software support guide
      6. z/OS Internet library
    6. 3.6: Educational information
      1. IBM Global Services
      2. WebSphere for z/OS training and certification
      3. IBM Education Assistant
  9. Part 2: Problem symptoms and their resolutions
  10. Chapter 4: Exceptions and error messages
    1. 4.1: What is an exception or error?
    2. 4.2: Symptom flow chart: Exceptions and error messages
    3. 4.3: Diagnosing an error or exception message (1/2)
    4. 4.3: Diagnosing an error or exception message (2/2)
  11. Chapter 5: Abend
    1. 5.1: What is an abend?
    2. 5.2: Symptom flow chart: Abend
    3. 5.3: Diagnosing an abend (1/2)
    4. 5.3: Diagnosing an abend (2/2)
  12. Chapter 6: Hang
    1. 6.1: What is a hang?
    2. 6.2: Symptom flow chart: Hang
    3. 6.3: Diagnosing a hang
  13. Chapter 7: Timeout
    1. 7.1: What is a timeout?
    2. 7.2: Symptom flow chart: Timeout
    3. 7.3: Diagnosing a timeout (1/2)
    4. 7.3: Diagnosing a timeout (2/2)
  14. Chapter 8: Does not stop
    1. 8.1: What is the does not stop symptom?
    2. 8.2: Symptom flow chart: Does not stop
    3. 8.3: Diagnosing the symptom (1/2)
    4. 8.3: Diagnosing the symptom (2/2)
  15. Chapter 9: Job failed
    1. 9.1: What is job failed?
    2. 9.2: Symptom flow chart: Job failed
    3. 9.3: Diagnosing the job failed symptom
  16. Chapter 10: No response
    1. 10.1: What does “no response” mean?
    2. 10.2: Symptom flow chart: No response
    3. 10.3: Diagnosing the no response symptom (1/2)
    4. 10.3: Diagnosing the no response symptom (2/2)
  17. Chapter 11: No resource access
    1. 11.1: What is no resource access?
    2. 11.2: Symptom flow chart: No resource access
    3. 11.3: Diagnosing no resource access (1/2)
    4. 11.3: Diagnosing no resource access (2/2)
  18. Chapter 12: High CPU utilization
    1. 12.1: What is high CPU utilization?
    2. 12.2: Symptom flow chart: High CPU utilization
    3. 12.3: Diagnosing high CPU utilization
  19. Chapter 13: WebSphere for z/OS performance analysis
    1. 13.1: Performance terminology
      1. Response time
      2. Throughput
      3. Transaction
      4. Hit rate
      5. Page view rate
      6. Number of clients and think time
      7. Resource
    2. 13.2: Managing performance of WebSphere transactions
      1. Managing the number of servant regions
      2. Managing the number of JVM threads
      3. Classifying servant region enclaves (WebSphere transactions)
      4. Classifying servant regions
      5. Classifying controller regions
      6. Special considerations for HTTP requests over multiple servants
    3. 13.3: Introduction to performance analysis and management
      1. Setting your performance expectations
      2. What is a performance problem and how do you manage it?
      3. What to do about a performance problem
    4. 13.4: Diagnosing performance problems
      1. Understanding the expectations
      2. Quantify: Take a quick snapshot view of the system
      3. Finding the cause
      4. Analyzing a heap or memory problem
      5. Analyzing a response time problem
      6. Analyzing a high CPU usage problem
    5. 13.5: Related information sources
  20. Part 3: Problem avoidance and best practices
  21. Chapter 14: Phase 1: Installation, configuration, and migration
    1. 14.1: Preparing the Installation
    2. 14.2: Installation and configuration
    3. 14.3: Migration
      1. Migrating from V5.x to V6.0.x
      2. Migrating from V4.0.1 to V6.0.x
      3. Migrating from V3.5 Standard Edition to Version 6.0.x
      4. Checklist for migration
    4. 14.4: Coexistence
    5. 14.5: Most common problems
    6. 14.6: Related references
  22. Chapter 15: Phase 2: Application deployment
    1. 15.1: Tools for the deployment phase
      1. Installing and deploying application files
      2. Logging and tracing
    2. 15.2: Problem avoidance checklist
      1. Assembling an application
      2. Deploying an application
    3. 15.3: Most common problems (1/2)
    4. 15.3: Most common problems (2/2)
    5. 15.4: Related references
  23. Chapter 16: Phase 3: Run applications
    1. 16.1: Request process overview
    2. 16.2: Model-view-control model for problem determination
      1. Typical problems in the view tier
      2. Typical problems in the control tier
      3. Typical problems in the model tier
    3. 16.3: Problem avoidance
      1. Designing, coding, and testing
      2. Change control
  24. Chapter 17: Phase 4: System run time
    1. 17.1: The WebSphere for z/OS V6 runtime environment
    2. 17.2: Problem categories in the runtime phase
    3. 17.3: Understanding your own runtime configuration
    4. 17.4: Troubleshooting tips for the runtime environment
    5. 17.5: Security issues and problems
    6. 17.6: Problem avoidance checklist
    7. 17.7: Typical problems (1/2)
    8. 17.7: Typical problems (2/2)
  25. Part 4: Problem Determination Means and Tools
  26. Chapter 18: Commands
    1. 18.1: Commands for administering WebSphere for z/OS
    2. 18.2: z/OS MODIFY commands
      1. z/OS DISPLAY commands
      2. Basic TRACE commands
      3. Dynamic Java TRACE
    3. 18.3: TCP/IP related commands
      1. The netstat command
      2. The nslookup command
      3. The ping command
      4. The tracert command
    4. 18.4: USS and OMVS commands
      1. Display file system with df
      2. Display disk space usage with du
      3. Display thread information with ps
      4. Display thread details with DISPLAY
      5. Search string patterns with WASgrep.sh
    5. 18.5: Windows FTP command
  27. Chapter 19: Logs for problem determination in WebSphere for z/OS
    1. 19.1: Job logs and system log
      1. When to use system log and job logs
      2. How to set up system log and job logs
      3. System log and job log output and their interpretation
    2. 19.2: WebSphere error log (BBORBLOG)
      1. When to use BBORBLOG
      2. How to set up BBORBLOG
      3. BBORBLOG output and its interpretation
    3. 19.3: First Failure Data Capture
      1. When to use FFDC
      2. How to set up the FFDC tool
      3. FFDC output and its interpretation
      4. Example: Using the FFDC tool for problem determination
    4. 19.4: The Java Logging API
      1. What is the Java Logging API and when to use it
      2. Setting up the Java Logging API
      3. Java Logging output and interpretation
      4. Java Logging API example
    5. 19.5: IBM HTTP Server logs and trace
      1. Server error log
      2. Server access log
      3. Very verbose trace
      4. HTTP plug-in log
  28. Chapter 20: WebSphere for z/OS traces and dumps
    1. 20.1: CTRACE for WebSphere
      1. Setting up and taking a CTRACE
      2. Viewing CTRACE and JRas data through IPCS
    2. 20.2: JDBC trace
      1. Setting up the JDBC trace
      2. JDBC trace output and interpretation
    3. 20.3: SVC dumps
      1. Capturing an SVC dump
      2. Problems capturing an SVC dump
      3. Formatting an SVC dump using IPCS
      4. Related references
    4. 20.4: CEEDUMP
    5. 20.5: Java Transaction Dump (TDUMP)
    6. 20.6: Javadump
    7. 20.7: Heapdump
  29. Chapter 21: Diagnostic tools for WebSphere for z/OS
    1. 21.1: Collector tool
    2. 21.2: JVM dump and heap analysis tools
      1. Svcdump.jar
      2. HeapRoots
      3. Dumpviewer GUI and jformat
    3. 21.3: Memory Dump Diagnostic Tool for Java
    4. 21.4: Trace Analyzer for WebSphere Application Server
    5. 21.5: Java Garbage Collection Formatter
    6. 21.6: dumpNameSpace tool
    7. 21.7: Rational Application Developer V6 Debug Perspective
      1. When to use the Rational Application Developer Debug Perspective
      2. Setting up the Rational Application Developer Debug Perspective
      3. Rational Application Developer debugger output and interpretation
    8. 21.8: Tivoli Performance Viewer
      1. Setting up Tivoli Performance Viewer
      2. Tivoli Performance Viewer output and its interpretation
    9. 21.9: OMEGAMON XE for WebSphere
  30. Chapter 22: Other handy tools
    1. 22.1: TCP/IP related tools
      1. TCP/IP checkout program (InetInfo.java)
      2. TCP/IP network packet tracing with Ethereal
      3. TCP/IP for z/OS packet trace
    2. 22.2: MVS Extended Information
    3. 22.3: Resource Measurement Facility reports
      1. Running the RMF post processor
      2. Analyzing RMF reports (1/2)
      3. Analyzing RMF reports (2/2)
      4. References
    4. 22.4: System Management Facility records and browser
      1. Setting up SMF recording
      2. WebSphere for z/OS SMF browser
    5. 22.5: Stress test tools
      1. WebSphere Studio Workload Simulator for z/OS and OS/390
      2. Microsoft Web Application Stress Tool
    6. 22.6: FTP, Telnet, and editors
      1. TeraTerm Pro
      2. WS_FTP Professional
      3. Directing SYSPRINT output to an HFS file
      4. UltraEdit
  31. Appendix A: Messages and codes
    1. A.1: WebSphere for z/OS message codes
      1. Specific Java component messages
      2. Minor codes
      3. Abends
    2. A.2: System and component message table
  32. Appendix B: Additional material
    1. B.1: Locating the Web material
    2. B.2: Using the Web material
  33. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks
    2. Other publications
    3. Online resources
    4. How to get IBM Redbooks
    5. Help from IBM
  34. Index (1/3)
  35. Index (2/3)
  36. Index (3/3)
  37. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: Problem Determination for WebSphere for z/OS
  • Author(s): Rica Weller, Cleberson Calefi, Per Fremstad, Keith Jabcuga, Suresh Maddukuri, Kiet Nguyen, Robyn Nostalgi, Rajesh Pericherla
  • Release date: August 2006
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: None