VM Service Tips

Updated: December 2021

Documentation, Planning and Ordering Information

  • For information about z/VM installation and installation-related problems, check these links:
    1. z/VM Installation News
    2. z/VM Installation Tips
  • Preventive Service Planning (PSP) Buckets Search (via the System z Technical Help Database)

    This facility provides access to PSP bucket Upgrade and Subset information (for software and hardware topics). When using this facility, be certain to place a check mark in the box for Preventive service planning, under the "Document types" heading. Then, in the "Search for" box, provide the PSP Upgrade and subset names of interest, such as:

      2817DEVICE 2817/ZVM or ZVM630 6304RSU

    Of interest:

    • To review known installation problems for a given z/VM product level, specify the applicable PSP Upgrade name (ZVMvrm) as the only search argument (where, where vrm designates a version, release and modification level). From the "Upgrade/Subset" selections that are presented, select the CP Subset, and then review the information provided under the Installation Information heading.
    • To review service recommendations, check the recommendations listed in the yynnRSU subsets listed for a given release.
  • Corrective Service Order Tips

    When z/VM corrective service (APAR fix updates, provided via a Product Temporary Fix, or PTF) is ordered for multiple components as part of a single order, the lowest Recommended Service Upgrade (RSU) RSU level that is common to those components must be specified.

    When separate orders are created on a component-by-component basis, specify the applicable component RSU level for each order.

    To determine the RSU level of a given component, use the VMSES/E SERVICE command:

     service compname status
    
    where compname is that of a known z/VM component (such as CP or CMS).

    The compname operand also can be specified as ALL, which will display the RSU level for all of the components defined in the VM SYSSUF inventory table.

    To determine if an APAR or PTF of interest is applied to a system, add the APAR or PTF number (for example, vm54321 or um23456) after the STATUS keyword of the SERVICE command, as in this example:

     service compname status vm54321
    

    Note:
    For systems that have RSU service installed, it is possible that the APPLIED date reported for a given APAR or PTF can precede its corresponding RECEIVED date, due to the nature of how the z/VM RSU is created.

  • Processing APAR MEMO Files

    For APARs that include a (user) MEMO file, memo information can be found at the bottom of the prodid MEMO file, included as part of the COR service deliverable.

    For an electronic order, the prodid MEMO can be the prodid MEMO file can be found in the VLSTnnnn (or, ordernum) SHIPDOCS file that is supplied as part of the order.

    An example of an APAR MEMO file is available here: VM62480

    For detailed information about how to process the COR service documentation envelope and extract the MEMO file, consult the z/VM: 6.4 Service Guide (GC24-6247) or the z/VM: 7.1 Service Guide (GC24-6325),

    • Chapter 2: Installing preventive or corrective service
    • "Steps to receive, apply and build preventive or corrective service"
    This documentation also discusses use of the VMUPDAT SYSMEMO command to display APAR memos.

VMSES/E Hints and Tips

  • VMSES/E Messages and Related Considerations

    • VMFSET1419W reported by the SERVICE and PUT2PROD commands

      Instances of these warning messages:

      WN:VMFSET1419W Cannot establish R/W link to userid1 vdev because userid2 has disk
      WN: linked R/W as
      
      when reported for VMFSETUP actions related to the TCP/IP component (for which a TCP/IP server, such as FTPSERVE, is cited as userid2) now are a normal occurrance when running the SERVICE and PUT2PROD commands. For z/VM levels prior to z/VM 720, these messages were defined as Informational (type I) messages. With z/VM 720 these were changed to Warning (type W) messages so they would not be dismissed for other VMFSETUP situations, when establishment of a write link to a disk is of importance (and the lack of such a link can allow for later error conditions to arise).

      In general, the disks that are being acquired by VMFSETUP are controlled by $PPF file content, but there is no information within that context that VMFSETUP can use to determine if not having a write link to a given disk is satisfactory. Thus, the (warning) messages are issued to raise awareness of the R/O link condition. If a problem does occur because of an acquired R/O disk link, that should be evident via any later Error (type E) messages that are reported by the SERVICE or PUT2PROD commands.

Segment-Related Problems

  • MONDCSS Build Failure due to Active Use

    Attempts to rebuild the MONDCSS saved segment using PUT2PROD (whether on an individual basis, or when all segments are rebuilt using a PUT2PROD SEGMENTS ALL command) often fail because one or more virtual machines continue to actively use this segment during service-related tasks. The messages that follow are indicative of this kind of problem:

     ...
      VMFP2P1965E The command, SEND BLDSEG EXEC VMFBLD PPF SEGBLD
                  ESASEGS SEGBLIST MONDCSS.SEGMENT LINK (ALL NOLOG,
                  failed with return code 8
      VMFP2P2760I PUT2PROD processing completed unsuccessfully for
                  SEGMENTS
      VMFP2P2760I PUT2PROD processing completed unsuccessfully
     ...
    
    When the MONDCSS segment is rebuilt, the segment cannot be in active use by any users (which, for a system that is actively collecting monitor data would be a normal case). To identify which user IDs are using this segment, use the CP QUERY command that follows:
     cp query nss users mondcss
    
    Note:
    APAR VM65651 introduces changes that identify users of the MONDCSS segment, and which alter how this condition is handled by the PUT2PROD command.

Miscellanous Service Problems

  • Handling a Missing PTF Requisite During SERVICE Processing

    If the VMSES/E SERVICE command fails due to a missing PTF requisite, use the steps that follow recover from this problem and to allow a SERVICE RESTART to complete.

    Note:
    The example commands that follow are based on the application of service that involves electronic media (that is, a SERVLINK envelope file — service_env_filename).

    • Order the missing requisites that have been identified
    • Log on as the maintenance user ID (MAINTvrm, or its equivalent)
    • Use the commands that follow to receive the PTFs for the missing requisites (contained in a requisite_env_filename SERVLINK file).
    • For these commands, ppfname and compname values that pertain to the affected component(s) must be supplied. Pertinent values can be obtained from a review of the SERVICE command message log ($VMFSRV $MSGLOG). In most instances, the PPF name required will be SERVP2P, and the component name will be that of a known z/VM component (such as CP or CMS).

      If the missing requisite order contains PTFs for more than one component, repeat these commands for each, as needed.

       vmfsetup ppfname compname ( link
       vmfrec ppf ppfname compname ( env requisite_env_filename
      
    • With receipt of the missing requisite PTFs complete, restart the SERVICE processing that failed:
    •  service restart service_env_filename
      
  • PUT2PROD LOADBFS Processing Errors (Associated with TCP/IP)
  • If LOADBFS processing errors are reported by the PUT2PROD (or, TCP2PROD) command for the TCP/IP component, review the information for the LOADBFS Error DTCPRD3038E topic, provided as part of the TCP/IP for z/VM Service Hints and Tips page.

  • Message HCPLMN107E for the 6VMRAC20 651 Minidisk With Application of APAR VM65320 PTF
  • If the following messages are received when the PTF for RACF APAR VM65320 is applied:

     ...
     VMFSET2204I Linking 6VMRAC20 651 as 651 with link mode MR
     HCPLNM107E 6VMRAC20 0651 not linked; not in CP directory
     VMFSET1965E The command, CP LINK 6VMRAC20 651 651 MR "", failed with
                 return code 107
     VMFSET2760I VMFSETUP processing completed unsuccessfully
     VMFSUI1965E The command, VMFSETUP, failed with return code 100 when
                 issued with the argument(s): SERVP2P RACFSFS (LINK
                 NOPROMPT RETAIN D
     ...
    
    use the information supplied in the UMEMO section of the $PTFPART file (for the PTF that is associated with this APAR) to resolve this problem. The UMEMO states:
     ************************************************************
     ****           IMPORTANT CP DIRECTORY CHANGE           *****
     ************************************************************
     The 6VMRAC20 user ID entry in the CP user directory needs to
     have a new MDISK statement for a 651 minidisk added to it with a
     size of 1 cylinder. The 651 disk must be CMS formatted before
     the PTF for this APAR is applied. If the SERVICE command for the
     PTF fails because the 651 minidisk does not exist then you can
     create and format the minidisk and then issue SERVICE RESTART to
     finish the PTF application.
    
    The VMFSRV2310W message (in the SERVICE command message log, $VMFSRV $MSGLOG) will cite the SERVICE restart command that is necessary to restart SERVICE processing.

  • Message DMSSLG278E Reported by CMS Applications that use SET LANGUAGE
  • If DMSSLG278E Unable to set requested language AMENG; AMENG forced is received during service processing, review the How to handle DMSSLG278E message page for more information and circumventive actions.

  • DMSUPD174W Sequence error IRAQVS MACRO during VMFBLD Processing
  • The following error messages might be received during SERVICE processing, after a system migration has been completed (a migration that has used the VMSES/E MIGRATE command):

     ...
     WN:DMSUPD174W Sequence error introduced in output file: 00032000 to 00032000
     SV:VMFMLB1965E The command, UPDATE, failed with return code 8 while
     SV:            processing object IRAQVS. It was operating upon file
     SV:            IRAQVS MACRO on 493 (K)
     SV:VMFBLD1851E (1 of 1) VMFBDMLB completed with return code 100. Some
     SV:            objects were not built
     SV:VMFSUI1965E The command, VMFBLD, failed with return code 8 when issued
     SV:            with the argument(s):
     ...
    
    Check for the presence of an IRAQVS MACRO file on the MAINT 493 minidisk. This file should not exist on this disk. If it is found at this location, delete the file from the MAINT 493 disk and restart the subject PTF application.