z/OS Communications Server
Border Node Trouble Shooting


 
Trouble shooting guide for when VTAM has problems locating resources in a Border Node configuration. This guide assumes that the basic APPN Network connectivity within the OLU network is working and the problem is related to the border node function only. Since this is dealing with Border Node most of this document will only go into Border node specific issues and some limited general APPN session setup failure issues. This will help when the Border Node function is being implemented or you suspect it is a border node issue that is causing the session to fail.


First thing to do is gather some information about the failure and the general configuration.  We need the following questions answered to begin troubleshooting.

  1. What are the VTAM messages that are being issued? These messages can be found in the Communications Server SNA Messages.
     
        IST663I, IST664I, IST894I, IST895I and IST891I  are important messages and are always issued for a session setup failure if the VTAM message start
        start options are defaulted or set appropriately as described in the next paragraph.

           
        These messages are always issued and will be in the system console or Netview log when a session setup failure
        occurs and you are in the OLU host.
        If you do not see these messages then check and make sure that VTAM start options SIRFMSG, FSIRFMSG and
        ESIRFMSG are coded to at least OLUSSCP or ALLSSCP. You can change these values dynamically with the
        F  NET,VTAMOPTS command in the SNA Operation manual. If the OLU host is in Subarea then also check for these
        messages at the ICN (Interchange Node) where the Subarea search enters or leaves the APPN Network.
        SIRFMSG, FSIRFMSG and ESIRFMSG will have to be set to ALLSSCP in this host to see these messages.

        Currently these messages will only be issued on the OLU or DLU host in a subarea or appn network, or on an ICN
        (Interchange Node) These messages are not issued in an intermediate VTAM in the APPN Network.
     
        If the message start options are set correctly then verify if Netview is suppressing the messages.



  2. Is this OLU host a Network Node (NN) or an End Node (EN)?

         D NET,VTAMOPTS,OPT=NODETYPE

  3. Is this host a Border Node?

         D NET,VTAMOPTS,OPT=BN

  4. If this is a Border node what is BNDYN coded to in the VTAM start options?

         D NET,VTAMOPTS,OPT=BNDYN
         BNDYN can be coded on the ADJCLUST table which will over ride the start option.
         D NET,ADJCLUST command will show the associated value for that table. If the DLU has a REAL name in the ist664I
         message you will have to include the parameter NETID on the D NET,ADJCLUST command to if a NETID Specific
         ADJCLUST table is coded. If no table is found then use the command without NETID specified to see the default table.

  5. What is SORDER coded to?

         D NET,VTAMOPTS,OPT=SORDER

                 If SORDER=ISTADJSSCP then you must code ISTAPNCP in the default or NETID Specific ADJSSCP table for
                 this NETID to search APPN. Any other SORDER option will search APPN by default.
                 SORDER can be coded on the ADJSSCP table which will over ride the start option. D NET,ADJSSCPS can be
                 issued for either a Network Specific table or the default table.

With this information we can now continue on with trouble shooting.

         Start Trouble shooting.