Re: Screen freezing and Call Stack unavailable

To confirm it's an issue related to an IO or ended job, when this happens 
again, the bottom of the joblog will show a msg to that effect, either session 
IO or job cancelled.  
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Clare Holtham <Clare.Holtham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 09:15:28 -0000
Subject: Re: Screen freezing and Call Stack unavailable


Hi James,

If you have performance tools (PT1 manager feature in LICPGM screen) on your 
system, you can do a WRKSYSACT next time it happens. Do you see CFINT01 
using a lot of CPU? Are the other jobs down to priority 68 or similar? If 
so, you have exceeded your system's interactive capacity and need an upgrade 
to the interactive card. There are ways to get round this problem 
temporarily.
Otherwise, this can happen when SQL is creating indexes over large files 'on 
the fly' and there are ways to fix that too, however you said the 
application in question is using straight RPG which would rule this out.
The only other possibility would be a problem with communications (Client 
Access etc) where the screen has lost the connection with the program.
I am assuming you have all the latest PTFs on board including group fixes?
If you would like any help with this, we specialize in fixing performance 
problems etc, so drop me a line offline!

Hope this helps,

Clare

Clare Holtham
Director, Small Blue Ltd - Archiving for BPCS
Web: www.smallblue.co.uk
IBM Certified iSeries Systems Professional
Email: Clare.Holtham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Viney" <James.Viney@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 11:15 AM
Subject: Screen freezing and Call Stack unavailable


> We are having a problem where some users of our in-house system are 
> freezing
> for several minutes.  The 'X' appears in the bottom left of the screen and
> remains there until the screens 'unfreeze' and can affect many users at 
> any
> time.  The users affected can all be accessing different parts of the 
> system
> so trying to work out where the source of the problem lies is very
> difficult,  They never timeout and to make it even more difficult to trace
> the problem, if I try to view the call stack of one of the frozen users, 
> my
> screen then freezes for as long as the user's screen is!  Eventually, my
> screen will either return with 'Call stack unavailable' or both screens 
> will
> be unfrozen and the call stack is now available.
>
> Because we don't know if the problem is at file level, or which file(s)
> is/are causing the problem is difficult to put a trace on anything.  Also 
> it
> can be weeks before the next incident occurs.
>
> The system is written in RPG (v. old style to RPG ILE) and CL.  Synon was
> also used extensively.  Fingers are being pointed at programming level
> because users of other systems implemented on the same iseries do not have
> this problem.
>
> Can anyone advise why the Call Stack would be frozen and any action I can
> take to find the problem.
>
> Thanks,
>
> James
>
>
>
>
>
> James Viney
> Senior Analyst/Programmer
> Fortis Insurance Limited
> Fortis House  Tollgate  Eastleigh  Hants  SO53 3YA
> Tel: 02380 313324
> Email: james.viney@xxxxxxxxxx
> Registered Address: Fortis House  Tollgate  Eastleigh  Hampshire  SO53 3YA
> Registered Number: 354568 England
> Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority
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