Hercules & MVS 
Frequently Asked Questions

As I rewrote my MVS 3.8 installation instructions, I decided to add this page as a way of handling miscellaneous questions that might arise.  I also tried to remember and include some of the questions that have been asked and answered in the group discussions.  I will be adding to this page, so it might be a good idea to check back from time to time, especially if you have a question you need answered.  

[December 2006] I have been made aware of a compatibility issue when text files (scripts and JCL) from the archives on my site are used on Linux/UNIX systems:

All your shell-Scripts/jcls and *.cnf have the Control-Character "<CTLR>M" at the end of 
the line when I make a "tar -xvzf installmvs.tgz" on the ubuntu Linux-Box and then 
shell-Scripts are not executable within the Shell.

Even though I create all archives using tar under Cygwin rather than using a Windows archive program to make them as compatible as possible between Linux/UNIX and Windows users, this is a problem that can't have a universal solution.  There is a utility that may be run on Linux/UNIX systems - fromdos - that will translate these files so that they will function correctly.  There are a number of sources for the utility; use the search term 'fromdos' in your favorite search engine or use this link:

Tofrodos - Convert text files to/from MSDOS/Windows/Unix (freeware)

General MVS Questions

• Where is the print and/or punch output of my jobs?

• Why can't I see the output from my jobs?

• Why do two printed output lines occasionally appear "side by side" in the file?

• Why do blank lines occasionally occur in print output files?

• Where can I obtain ISPF for MVS 3.8?

• Where can I obtain SDSF for MVS 3.8?

• Why can't the Windows/2000 telnet client connect to the MVS starter system?  What alternatives exist?

• What are the historical relationships between IBM's mainframe operating systems?

• How is the date and time set in Hercules/MVS?

• Is MVS compatible with dates beyond 2000?

• How can I import files from outside Hercules/MVS 3.8?

• How do I submit jobs to MVS?

• How do I initialize a tape?

• How can I back up DASD datasets?

• Why does VTAM not seem to recognize my 3270 terminals?

• Why does my Windows/?? tn3270 client not work with Hercules/MVS?

• What is the relationship between an MVS device, the Hercules' configuration, and the host OS file (or client)?

• What are these "return codes" being discussed?  Where do I find them?  Why should I care?  Who decides what the values are?

• What does the message - IEC604I VTOC CONVERT ROUTINE ENTERED ON nnn, vvvvvv,DOS - mean, and what should I do about it?

• How do I resolve B37 abends while using IEHMOVE?

• How can I delete all members of a PDS (reset it to empty)?

• How do I recover my consoles after a 3270 client failure?

• What does the Disabled wait state message issued during IPL mean?

• How do I prevent the PCOMM terminal emulator from requesting a printer during session startup?

• What does the message - IEC507D E ... - mean?

• What determines where a program load module should reside?

• What does r 0,clpa, specified in response to the IEA101A SPECIFY SYSTEM PARAMETERS FOR RELEASE 03.70.VS2 prompt, do?

• How can I use the Standalone Editor ZZSA?

• Is there a naming convention for IBM components and programs?

• What does the message IEE313I ... UNIT REF INVALID mean?

• Why do I receive 30A abend executing a load module compiled/linked on zOS and then transferred to Hercules/MVS 3.8j for execution.

• Where can I obtain the Turnkey/MVS system?

General Hercules Questions

• Why can't the Windows/2000 telnet client connect to the MVS starter system?  What alternatives exist?

• How is the date and time set in Hercules/MVS?

• How can I import files from outside Hercules/MVS 3.8?

• Why do I get the message - Error: COPYR1 record length is invalid - from dasdload when attempting to load XMIT files?

• How do I initialize a tape?

• Why does my Windows/?? tn3270 client not work with Hercules/MVS?

• What is the relationship between an MVS device, the Hercules' configuration, and the host OS file (or client)?

• What does the message - HHCCF042E Device type ???? not recognized - mean and how do I fix it?

• Why are my tape devices "offline" when MVS starts?

• What does the Disabled wait state message issued during IPL mean?

• There have been some problems reported when using the PCOMM terminal emulator.  Can these be overcome?

• How do I prevent the PCOMM terminal emulator from requesting a printer during session startup?

• I downloaded the Hercules files, ... do these files contain MVS?

• How can I use the Standalone Editor ZZSA?

• Computer/Windows updated; why is every Hercules' startup now slow?

Console Operations

• Why do I have a "message waiting" on the MVS console?

• How can I set a PFK on the MVS console?

• How do I display information about DASD on the console?

• What are the reply options for the message - $HASP098 ENTER TERMINATION OPTION - issued during JES2 shutdown?

• Why can't the Windows/2000 telnet client connect to the MVS starter system?  What alternatives exist?

• How can I eliminate the prompt for SMF parameters during IPL?

• Why does VTAM not seem to recognize my 3270 terminals?

• Why does my Windows/?? tn3270 client not work with Hercules/MVS?

• What does the message - $HASP050 JES2 RESOURCE SHORTAGE - mean and how can I fix it?

• What does the message - IEC141I 013-C8,IGG0193K,MSTRJCL,JES2,STCINRDR - mean, and what should I do about it?

• What does the message - IEA405E WTO BUFFER SHORTAGE - 80% FULL - mean, and what should I do about it?

• What does the message - IEC604I VTOC CONVERT ROUTINE ENTERED ON nnn, vvvvvv,DOS - mean, and what should I do about it?

• Why are my tape devices "offline" when MVS starts?

• How can I use DIAG 8 to submit Hercules' commands from MVS?

• When attempting to log on to TSO, IST800I TERM CUU??? HAS BEEN RELEASED BY NETSOL DUE TO I/O ERROR appears on the console.  Why?

• How do I prevent the PCOMM terminal emulator from requesting a printer during session startup?

• What does the message - IEC507D E ... - mean?

• How can I recover from terminal JES2 problems (corrupted/full spool, damaged checkpoint, invalid parameters, etc)?

• How can I use the Standalone Editor ZZSA?

• How can I cancel/delete a job when there are other jobs with the same (duplicate) name?

• What does the message IEE313I ... UNIT REF INVALID mean?

• How do I view the rest of the output of a Display command?

JES 2

• What are the reply options for the message - $HASP098 ENTER TERMINATION OPTION - issued during JES2 shutdown?

• Where is the print and/or punch output of my jobs?

• Why can't I see the output from my jobs?

• Why do two printed output lines occasionally appear "side by side" in the file?

• Why do blank lines occasionally occur in print output files?

• What does the message - $HASP050 JES2 RESOURCE SHORTAGE - mean and how can I fix it?

• How do I set up a HELD class under JES2 and MVS 3.8?

• Why is it necessary to use FORMAT or COLD START when JES2 options change?

• How do I set up JES2 to automatically purge output from the queue?

• How can I recover from terminal JES2 problems (corrupted/full spool, damaged checkpoint, invalid parameters, etc)?

• How can I change the class of print/punch output using QUEUE?

• How can I cancel/delete a job when there are other jobs with the same (duplicate) name?

• How can I see the print output that has been spooled in a class that JES2 doesn't select for printing?

• How can I restore the printer queue back to having nothing in it?

System Generation / System Setup / System Modification

• How do I clear SYS1.LOGREC?

• How do I change the System ID?

• How do I change the DASD volumes mounted at IPL time?

• How is the date and time set in Hercules/MVS?

• How can I eliminate the prompt for SMF parameters during IPL?

• How do I clear the SMF dataset(s)?

• How can I print errors logged to SYS1.LOGREC?

• How can I increase the time interval before TSO automatically logs off my session because of inactivity?

• How do I initialize a tape?

• How can I execute catalogued procedures from a library other than SYS1.PROCLIB?

• How do I add new TSO User IDs?

• What are these "return codes" being discussed?  Where do I find them?  Why should I care?  Who decides what the values are?

• What does the message - $HASP050 JES2 RESOURCE SHORTAGE - mean and how can I fix it?

• Why are my tape devices "offline" when MVS starts?

• How do I set up a HELD class under JES2 and MVS 3.8?

• Where is the source for the MVT Compilers?

• What does the message - IEC507D E ... - mean?

• What determines where a program load module should reside?

• How can I recover from terminal JES2 problems (corrupted/full spool, damaged checkpoint, invalid parameters, etc)?

• How can I use the Standalone Editor ZZSA?

• How can I create a custom TSO Logon Procedure?

• How do I enable a customized TSO Logon EXEC (CLIST)?

• How can I create a customized Network Solicitor screen?

Application / User Tasks

(TSO)

• How can I increase the time interval before TSO automatically logs off my session because of inactivity?

• Is IND$FILE available for MVS 3.8?

• Why does VTAM not seem to recognize my 3270 terminals?

• Why do I get 80A and 106 abends whenever I try to issue TSO commands or execute programs?

• How do I add new TSO User IDs?

• Why does my TSO session abend with a SYSTEM=522 completion code and what can I do to fix it?

• How do I resolve a workspace truncated message in RPF when editing a large dataset?

• When attempting to log on to TSO, IST800I TERM CUU??? HAS BEEN RELEASED BY NETSOL DUE TO I/O ERROR appears on the console.  Why?

• How can I change the class of print/punch output using QUEUE?

• How can I list all the datasets from a specified volume?

• How can I code a CLIST to test for a variable/literal that is identical to a reserved word?

• How can I retrieve the SYSOUT from my JOB to a dataset?

• How can I create a custom TSO Logon Procedure?

• How do I enable a customized TSO Logon EXEC (CLIST)?

(Batch Job / Dataset Management)

• How do I submit jobs to MVS?

• How can I easily delete (and uncatalog) a group of datasets at once?

• and the reverse: How can I easily catalog all the datasets on a volume?

• How do I initialize a tape?

• How can I back up DASD datasets?

• How do I resolve B37 abends while using IEHMOVE?

• How can I delete all members of a PDS (reset it to empty)?

• What does the message - IEC507D E ... - mean?

• How do I code an assembler program to access a VSAM cluster using Path/Alternate Index?

(Assembling / Compiling / Sorting)

• Why do I get the message "IKF0015I-C ... COMPILATION ABANDONED" from the MVT COBOL compiler?

• Is there a way to make IFOX00 accept blank cards in a source program?

• How can VSAM be used to sort data?

• How do I code the SELECT/ASSIGN statements for the MVT COBOL compiler?

• Why do I receive the message: IER042A - UNITS ASGN ERROR when I attempt to use the MVT Sort/Merge program under MVS 3.8?

• How can I execute catalogued procedures from a library other than SYS1.PROCLIB?

• Where can I obtain missing extended mnemonic opcode definitions/macros?

• Is there a way to suppress the default PLI/F (E)STAE abend handler?

• How are return codes passed/accessed in COBOL?

• Is there a means to determine which assembler is being used to assemble source code?

• What built-in symbolic variables are available for Assembler F?

• Will code compiled (or assembled) under MVS 3.8 execute on newer versions of the operating system?

• Why do I receive the message: IER040A INSUFFICIENT WORK UNITS when I attempt to use the MVT Sort/Merge program under MVS 3.8?

• What does the message - IEC507D E ... - mean?

• What determines where a program load module should reside?

• Can I access the data passed in a PARM operand on the EXEC JCL statement in MVT COBOL?

• Can a COBOL program compiled with MVT COBOL create User Tape Labels?

• Does the MVT COBOL include the Report Writer Feature?

• I have heard about Concept 14 Macros, what are they and where can I get them?

JCL (Job Control Langauge)

• Why would anyone want to code COND=(0,NE) on a JOB card?

• How do I resolve B37 abends while using IEHMOVE?

If you have questions that I can try to answer for you, please don't hesitate to send them to me:

This page was last updated on May 07, 2013 .