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 "<CTRL>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.

I began creating content for this site in mid-2000, and during the passing decades my own systems have evolved from OS/2 - to Windows (all versions from NT through 7) - to Linux (several versions).  So the files and archives have been created on different systems, which may mean different line termination for plain text (ASCII) files.  Any text files created from 2017 onward, unless stated specifically otherwise, are created on Linux, so the lines of text in the files will be terminated only with <CTRL>A (line feed character). There is a simple solution for converting files created on a Linux system to be in Windows standard, and vice-versa.  A utility is available that may be used to convert the line termination of text files so that they will function correctly on Windows (if created on Linux) and on Linux (if created on Windows).  It is available from several sources (search for 'fromdos' or 'todos' in your favorite search engine), or use the link: 

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

An alternative for Windows users is to edit the text files with the freely available Notepad++ utility, which will correctly edit the files, even without the <CTRL>M at the end of the line.

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?

• How can I suppress the IFB010D message at IPL?

• Why is VTAM (jobname NET) unable to allocate needed DASD unit(s) when S NET command issued?

• Why does IEBCOPY abend when compressing SYS1.LINKLIB?

• How do I change the Volume Serial on a DASD volume?

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?

• Can Software Development Laboratories version of Hercules be used to run MVS 3.8j.

• (Linux host platform) Why has job submission through a card reader defined as a socket device stopped working?

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?

• Why is VTAM (jobname NET) unable to allocate needed DASD unit(s) when S NET command issued?

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?

• How can I suppress the IFB010D message at IPL?

• Why do I have to enter a Start command for JES2 printers after IPL?

• Why is VTAM (jobname NET) unable to allocate needed DASD unit(s) when S NET command issued?

• How can I change the Network Solicitor Logon screen?

• Why does IEBCOPY abend when compressing SYS1.LINKLIB?

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?

• Why does IEBCOPY abend when compressing SYS1.LINKLIB?

• How do I specify a FORM for a SYSOUT dataset?

(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?

• I received RPG compiler errors about STERLING; what have I done wrong and how can I fix it?

• How do I call a COBOL program from an Assembler program?

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:

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This page was last updated on February 21, 2024.