the data in GSAM vanishes while it should be there

[Om Prakash]

I was recently working with GSAM files and every time when there is an abend I restart the Job, the data in GSAM vanishes while it should be there?

[enrico-sorichetti]

data contained in a GSAM is handled by IMS/DB recovery/restart rules
for an output GSAM database the data inserted will be considered in-flight until a sync point/checkpoint is taked

if Your program does not take any sync points all the data will be considered in-flight
and the database content will the content it had at the start of the program execution,
but the same would happen also to all the updates to the other databases used.

[Om Prakash]

But the very ame logic works in other programs...and we are taking checkpoints. If there is no abend you can see the data for the last checkpoint in the GSAM but in case of abend, the data is still there until we restart the job. This is confusing and we are not able to solve it...could there be any other reason?

[Anuj Dhawan]

What IMS abend do you get? I'd suspect U0102 IMS abend, please confirm.

With the above guess - I'd assume, you are allocating GSAM in the first step of your job and forcing an abend. Now if all works well then the 'parm' at the time of restart will not be blank and IMS has to go out to DD statement referring to the GSAM and starts trying to find the checkpoint given by the parm. Now if it's able to locate the last checkpoint taken you'll get an abend.

Keeping this explanation in mind, please answer the question in first statement of this post.

[Om Prakash]

Hi Anuj,

Yes, it is U0102 abend of IMS. Can you please help?

[enrico-sorichetti]

why not read the manuals Yourself
and/or involve Your support group to do the work for which they are getting paid ???

[Anuj Dhawan]

Please show your JCL to get a better answer. On the other hand, I'd guess that you allocate the GSAM in a prior step before executing the program in question. If so, at the time of restart comment out the step allocating the GSAM and it should help you to get away from the abend - this is one of the most common reason behind while you check the check-point-restart for an IMS program,