Neil's Tech Tips: MPE

How Do I Convert CM Ksam to NM KSAM?

Suprtool can't/won't create a new NM KSAM file for you. You will have to create the new NM file first using the MPE BUILD command (or some other method, see below), then use Suprtool to copy the records from the old file to the new file.

But Suprtool should definitely be able to copy the data *much* faster than MPE's FCOPY utility could.

The trick, of course, is getting a new NM KSAM file built correctly first. You could use a complicated BUILD command or you could do this:

 :file n=newfile; disc=
 :fcopy from=oldfile; to=(*n); subset=0,1

That will create a new NM KSAM file called NEWFILE with the FLIMIT equal to the FLIMIT of your current CM file, and with all the keys set up correctly, but will copy only a single record into it. Then use Suprtool:

 :suprtool
 >in oldfile
 >out newfile, erase
 >xeq

Finally, if it's a big KSAM file you may wish to create it as temporary first, then SAVE it after you're done, to squeeze even more speed out of the process:

 :file n=newfile; disc=; temp     <<-- Note the temp designation
 :fcopy from=oldfile; to=(*n); subset=0,1
 :suprtool
 >in oldfile
 >out newfile, erase
 >exit
 :save newfile

Why is my Job Suddenly Failing?

I had a recent call in to support asking why all of a sudden some jobs started failing in a job stream. The report was a blank line after run of a program suddenly started giving the error:

Missing colon before command name. (CIERR 981)

In previous incarnations the job stream with the blank line would NOT fail but nothing changed... of course. :)

First off I want to confirm that a blank line does abort a job stream.

:comment bland line is next Missing colon before command name. (CIERR 981) REMAINDER OF JOB FLUSHED. CPU sec. = 1. elapsed min. = 1. THU, FEB 4, 2010, 10:47 AM.

And I found it does.

The customer though showed that the blank line was after the run of a program and in this case I am using query as an example. We didn't see the same behaviour. Odd.

	:comment
	:comment test blank line after run query.pub.sys
	:comment
	:purge file1x
	:query


	HP32216N.03.18  QUERY/NM  THU, FEB  4, 2010, 10:18 AM
	COPYRIGHT HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1976

	exit


	END OF PROGRAM
	:showjcw jcw
	JCW = 0
	:showjcw cierror
	CIERROR = 0
	:eoj
	CPU sec. = 2.  elapsed min. = 1.  THU, FEB  4, 2010, 10:18 AM.

Some investigation and some clues from something I had remembered investigating in 2001 allowed me to duplicate by switching to query being run/resolved via a command file.

In the above example even though the commands were the same, query was being run via path resolution. This is the part that was tricky and I later make the examples explicit by specifically running query.pub.sys or using my query command file:

	:comment
	:comment  Blank line after query which resolves to a command file
	:comment
	:query


	HP32216N.03.18  QUERY/NM  THU, FEB  4, 2010, 10:20 AM
	COPYRIGHT HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1976

	exit


	END OF PROGRAM

	Missing colon before command name. (CIERR 981)
	REMAINDER OF JOB FLUSHED.

Another example but this time with garbage commands:

	:comment query command file with garbage after exit
	:query


	HP32216N.03.18  QUERY/NM  THU, FEB  4, 2010, 10:44 AM
	COPYRIGHT HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1976

	exit


	END OF PROGRAM
	yabba dabba doo
	Missing colon before command name. (CIERR 981)
	REMAINDER OF JOB FLUSHED.
	CPU sec. = 2.  elapsed min. = 1.  THU, FEB  4, 2010, 10:44 AM.

Now I switched back to running directly with the yabba dabba doo still in the job and some other lines:

	:comment
	:run query.pub.sys


	HP32216N.03.18  QUERY/NM  THU, FEB  4, 2010, 10:45 AM
	COPYRIGHT HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. 1976

	exit


	END OF PROGRAM
	:showjcw jcw
	JCW = 0
	:showjcw cierror
	CIERROR = 383
	:eoj
	CPU sec. = 2.  elapsed min. = 1.  THU, FEB  4, 2010, 10:45 AM.

In the case of a run of the program file the garbage lines after the run are being read as $stdin until it sees a "!". So what happens is the program exits and the extra lines left in the stdin are thrown away.

However, if you switch this run to a command file, suddenly the job stops running to completion.

So, if you have a customer that switches from say

query

which is run thru HPPATH resolution, to having

query

be resolved via a command file, the jobs with blank lines or garbage after the exit line will suddenly stop failing.

It's a bit tricky to diagnose especially if the customer doesn't believe you or points to something else. I have not tested UDC's but I would believe that they would have the same behaviour. My guess is that when a command file ends MPE just reads the next line in the job stream, but when a program ends the job stream is trying to re-orient itself in regard to stdin and just reads until is sees a "!". That is the behaviour that I am seeing.

Any past labbies or gurus care to comment or have thoughts.

Neil's Tech Tips

Thursday, December 8, 2016

HP-UX for MPE users

Thursday, December 1, 2016

HP MPE Manuals and Papers

How Do I Convert CM KSAM to NM KSAM

How Do I Convert CM Ksam to NM KSAM?

Why is my MPE job suddenly failing?

Why is my Job Suddenly Failing?