Locking fault entries

You can lock a fault entry to prevent it from being deleted from a history file. You can specify the number of days that the fault entry is to remain locked, or specify that the lock never expires (the fault entry is never deleted). You can highlight locked fault entries in the Fault Entry List display. The optional HFZXLOCK exit can control fault entry flag values across an installation.

By default, fault entries are not locked. You must have UPDATE access to a fault entry to change its lock flag.

Locking a fault entry from the Fault Entry List display

From the Fault Entry List display, you can apply the L line command against a fault entry to lock the entry using the default lock configuration. See Z Abend Investigator preferences for information about setting the default lock configuration.

Locking a fault entry from the Fault Entry Information display

You can configure a fault entry lock from the Fault Entry Information display.
  1. Do one of the following to display the Fault Entry Information:
    • In the Fault Entry List display, enter the ? line command against the fault entry.
    • In the Interactive Reanalysis report, do either of the following:
  2. Configure the Lock Flag. See Viewing fault entry information.

Locking a fault entry through a user exit

You can lock a fault entry through a user exit by using the ENV.LOCK_FLAG field. See ENV - Common exit environment information.

Controlling fault entry lock flag values

Optionally, a systems programmer can control fault entry locking throughout the installation. For example, they can limit the number of days fault entries can be locked or prevent fault entries from being locked indefinitely. When a fault entry lock flag changes (whether through an Analysis Control user exit or through the Fault Analyzer ISPF interface), control can pass to the optional HFZXLOCK exit routine. The HFZXLOCK exit can accept the change or replace it with a different value.

The HFZXLOCK exit can impose different restrictions based on user ID or security server group ID. For example, the HFZXLOCK exit could permit an administrator to set any lock flag value, while restricting others to installation-wide rules.

Member HFZSLOCK in data set HFZ.SHFZSAM1 includes a job that creates a sample exit. The exit must be a load module named HFZXLOCK in HFZ.SHFZAUTH or in another APF-authorized library. Include the library in LNKLST to ensure the HFZXLOCK load module can be found by all jobs.

Highlighting locked fault entries

You can use text color to highlight the Fault ID and Lock columns of locked fault entries in the Fault Entry List display. Highlighting can make locked fault entries easier to find in the display. If you want to conserve screen space, you can indicate locked entries with highlighting and exclude the Locked column from the display. (See Fault entry list column configuration.) Conversely, the Locked column is a text alternative to highlighting that can be read by screen readers and those with color vision deficiency. You can sort fault entries based on the Locked column, but not based on highlighting.

For details about how to configure highlighting for locked fault entries, see Z Abend Investigator preferences.

In the following example:
  • Bold text indicates the highlighted fault-entry columns (which display the configured text color in a live screen).
  • Highlighting is configured for both the Fault_ID column and the Lock column of locked fault entries.
  • The Fault Entry List display shows that Fault IDs F82335 and F02203 are actively locked.
  • The lock on Fault ID F82335 is active and extends for 20 days from the date when the fault occurred.
  • The lock on Fault ID F02203 is active and has no expiration date.
  • The 20-day lock on Fault ID CIC52396 has expired.
Figure 1. Example Fault Entry List with locked entries highlighted