TRACE Command: Activate Trace Facility

Commands › TRACE Command: Activate Trace Facility

TRACE Command: Activate Trace Facility

To activate the trace facility and set options, use the TRACE command.

Type: OPER command

Authority: To issue the TRACE command, you require OPER authority.

This command has the following format:

TRACE [SET(id[:id])]
      [RESET(id[:id])]
      [SWITCH|CLOSE|OPEN|STATUS|WRITE]
      [REUSE]

SET(id): Indicates one or more record identifiers you want to trace. You can specify a list of identifiers and a range of identifiers.
RESET(id): Indicates one or more record identifiers you no longer want to trace.
SWITCH: Requests the data set currently in use for the trace facility be freed. The next trace data set is activated automatically. With this option, data sets are activated in the sequence in which they were first defined. Once the last data set in the sequence is closed, the first trace data set to be defined is used.
CLOSE: Requests the closure of the trace data set currently in use, but prevents switching to the next trace data set. The buffers that were defined using TRACEDEF automatically continue to hold trace data in the core until a TRACE OPEN command is issued.
OPEN: Requests opening of the trace data set most recently active. Use this operand after TRACE CLOSE is issued to reactivate the same trace data set.
REUSE: Indicates to checkpoint the data set currently in use for the trace facility. A checkpoint enables subsequent writes to begin at the checkpoint rather than at the start of the data set.
WRITE: Writes to the trace data set to clear any buffered data.
STATUS: Displays information indicating where the trace facility is active. Display includes how many records were written since trace was activated, the current trace data sets in use, and which data set is active.

The TRACE command is useful as a problem-solving tool. CA Support can ask you to SET a specific trace record ID to provide information to help with troubleshooting.

If you want to capture only records relating to event processing (for example, type 601), use the ESPPARM AUDITLOG ddname in z/OS Agent started task procedure or the AUDITLOG initialization parameter. This allows the use of a preallocated SYSOUT for the event activity and eliminates the need to use the TRACEDEF and TRACE commands.

Related Information

For information on printing trace data, see the TRACEPRT Command.
For information on displaying event log data collected in the trace data set, see the LOGPRT Command.

Example: Activate the Trace Facility

This example shows how to activate a trace and specify that record IDs 602 through 604, and 607 be traced.

OPER TRACE SET(602:604,607)

Example: Checkpoint the Data Set Currently in Use

This example shows how to checkpoint the data set currently in use for the trace facility before switching to the next trace data set. When the current trace data set is later reused, records are written starting at the checkpoint.

OPER TRACE SWITCH REUSE

Example: Turn Off the Trace Facility for Specific Records

This example shows how to turn the trace off for record Ids 602 through 604.

OPER TRACE RESET(602:604)

Example: Write Out Buffered Data and Close the Trace Data Set

This example shows how to write out the buffered data and close the trace data set. Writing out the buffered data and closing the trace data set is done before printing the trace data set.

OPER TRACE WRITE
OPER TRACE CLOSE