Serena StarTool DA Batch - Batch Dump Analyzer
eBusiness demands that applications be available on a 24x7 basis. A critical failure in an eBusiness application can mean the loss of millions of dollars; the need to quickly determine and correct faults in applications has reached the highest priority.
Serena StarTool DA Batch, Batch Dump Analyzer, (formerly known as StarSpy/390) delivers a proven solution to solving problems in the OS/390 operating system and in applications that run in that environment. In addition, Serena StarTool DA Batch offers a full platform for problem diagnostics, notification and dump management to assure the high level of application availability required by today's eBusiness environments.
Serena StarTool DA Batch Delivers World Class Capabilities
Serena StarTool DA Batch is a full-featured dump management, distribution, analysis and diagnostic system for both system (SVC) and application (SNAP) abends. Serena StarTool DA Batch is able to display the failing instruction down to the source code level for both COBOL and Assembler Language. Serena StarTool DA Batch provides the management needed to archive and retrieve OS/390 system and SYSABEND dumps and to monitor trends over time to deliver the high availability of the infrastructure and applications required for today's eBusiness environments. Serena StarTool DA Batch has the key features needed to improve the productivity of analysts and programmers who have to solve abends in applications and operating system components.
Point-and-Shoot
The "point-and-shoot" feature lets you move around through dump control blocks, addresses and data sections of the dump with ease. You put the cursor on the address, hit enter and Serena StarTool DA Batch goes to that address. You place the cursor on a variable, and Serena StarTool DA Batch displays the contents of the variable. This feature greatly reduces the amount of time it takes to diagnose a problem.
Multiple Viewing Options
Serena StarTool DA Batch has a wide variety of options to manage and view your diagnostic data. You can view output in a Mini-Dump Debug Report, or you can use the ISPF Debug/Viewing Server (DVS) option for application dumps. You can view Serena StarTool DA Batch dumps with most commonly used dump viewers in the marketplace like SDSF or IPCS. This flexibility speeds up the problem solving process by allowing the analysts to use the tools they are most familiar with.
Source-Level Debugging
Serena StarTool DA Batch provides extensive support for COBOL and Assembler languages. Special features included in Serena StarTool DA Batch speed up the debugging effort for applications written in these languages.
With Serena StarTool DA Batch, you can immediately see the actual library level source that corresponds to a set of instructions. For example, for a COBOL program and a given hex area in a dump, hit a PF key to look at the assembler code, hit another PF key to look at the output COBOL from the compiler, and hit another PF key to look at the COBOL input statements. This true level source may be an SQL source statement, a simple COBOL verb, or it may be a Copy statement. This facility allows the programmer to quickly find the real source code statement that should be changed to correct the problem. Serena StarTool DA Batch even lets you compile the source code and store it into the language library after the abend has occurred.
Serena StarTool DA Batch lets you look at the contents of any working storage area in the dump by using and clicking on the COBOL source statement definition. Since the values of these areas are frozen at abend time, this can help speed up the resolution of the problem. Uninitiated or invalid data areas, indexes and subscripts are easily found.
Alerts and Notification
Serena StarTool DA Batch instantly alerts any designated responsible person of an abend and saves all vital information for immediate problem analysis. Users can be notified and dumps can be routed using any combination of TSO user-ids, and email systems.
Extensive Online Help
Serena StarTool DA Batch provides extensive online help capabilities. Using ISPF screens, users can get the information they need to quickly understand the significance of parameters. In addition, the "find" and "search" commands can be used to quickly find specific information or text strings in a dump.
English Language Error Explanations
Serena StarTool DA Batch contains an automated dump analysis function that resolves difficult abends by showing which operand is in error and why. A simple abend (e.g., 813-04) is diagnosed and explained in easy understandable English words, rather than the usual technical explanations displayed by so much OS/390 software. In this manner, mid-level programmers and analysts are able to shoot many of their own bugs without having to rely on an expert.
Use Serena StarTool Products for a Full Solution
Serena StarTool is a family of products that provide extensive support for enhancing OS/390 application availability. This set of products address key areas in the life cycle of an application, including the areas of File and Data Management, Testing and Debugging, Fault Diagnostics, and Performance Monitoring and Improvement. This suite of products automate the most common and re-occuring programming tasks in the successful implementation and operation of eBusiness applications on the OS/390 platform.
StarTool is a registered trademark of SERENA Software, Inc. Serena is a trademark of SERENA Software, Inc. All other products or company names are used for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners.