Configuring z/TPF debug preferences

You can use the TPF Debug preference page to configure the debug preferences for the z/TPF debug server.

About this task

Your administrator might have set default z/TPF debug preferences for your TPF Toolkit. In that case, if you open the TPF Debug preference page, the page is completed with default values. You can change the default values to suit your needs.

Procedure

  1. Click Window > Preferences > Run/Debug > TPF Debug to open the TPF Debug preference page.
  2. Configure the debug preferences for a z/TPF system:
    Preference options Description
    TPF debug server timeout in seconds Sets a timeout value in seconds for a debugger connection.
    TPF daemon port number Sets a port number or a range of port numbers on your workstation that you want the TPF daemon to listen on, for example, 5000 or 6000-7000.

    When the debug registration is completed, if the TPF daemon is not already running, it automatically starts and listens on the port number that you specified in this field.
    Auto-detect workstation IP If this checkbox is selected, the z/TPF debugger automatically detects the IP address of your workstation and uses this IP address to start a debug session when the z/TPF debugger fails to connect to the workstation IP address that is specified in the registration entry.
    Log null pointer and address detection events If this checkbox is selected, null pointer or null address detection events are written to a log file on the basic subsystem (BSS) of a z/TPF system:
    • For the assembler language, the z/TPF debugger logs the events when an instruction accesses storage by using an operand address that is formed from a general register that contains zero.
    • For the C/C++ language, the z/TPF debugger logs the events when an instruction uses a pointer that contains a value of zero.

    Logging occurs only during a debug session. Logging starts when your debug session starts. Events that occur after the debug session ends are not logged. If you click Disconnect in the Debug view to end the debug session, any events that occur after disconnection are not logged.

    After you select this checkbox, you must cancel any registered debug sessions and register them again for logging to take effect.

    If you clear this checkbox, the existing log file on the z/TPF file system is not automatically deleted. You can delete it manually by entering the following command:
    zfile rm /tpfdbgLog/workstationName_debugSessionName_nullPointer.log
    Where:
    workstationName
    The workstation name.
    debugSessionName
    The debug session name.
    To enable logging, ensure that the access control rule for logging is also enabled on the z/TPF system. To enable the access control rule, enter the following command:
    ZDBUG ACCESS ALTER DBGLOG

    Each time you restart a debug session, the log file is deleted.

    If you enable logging and choose to debug child ECBs, null pointer or null address detection events are also logged for its child ECBs.

    For example, program QDBW contains two null address detection events. Then, QDBW calls the CREMC macro, a second debug session is created to program QDBQ, and QDBQ has a null address detection event:
    • If you choose to debug child ECBs, the log file contains all of the three null address detection events.
    • If you choose not to debug child ECBs, the log file contains only the two null address detection events from QDBW.
    To debug child ECBs, complete the following steps:
    1. When you create a debug session, select the Trace created entries checkbox. With this checkbox selected, the ECB Create Event window will be displayed when you register the debug session.
    2. In the ECB Create Event window, click Debug in the Child ECB area.
  3. Configure the TPF Registration Monitor preferences.
    The z/TPF registration monitor periodically polls all the z/TPF systems in the TPF System view to update the registration status for your debug and code coverage sessions. To enable this function, select the Enabled checkbox, and specify the following preference options:
    Preference options Description
    Automatically update workstation IP address Automatically updates z/TPF system registration entries with a new workstation IP address when the IP address of your local workstation changes, for example, when you connect to the internet by using a VPN.

    When the Enabled and Automatically update workstation IP address checkboxes on this preference page are selected, the workstation address that is specified on this preference page is used, and the workstation address that is specified in the wizard that is used to create a debug session is disabled and not used.
    Poll frequency in seconds Sets the time in seconds to wait between polls.
  4. Configure the TPF Debugger Client Options area:
    Preference options Description
    User token Specifies a text string as the default user token to be passed to a custom z/TPF user exit program when TPF Toolkit communicates with the z/TPF debugger.

    The specified user token will automatically populate the User token field in the wizard that is used to create a debug session.

    If the z/TPF registration monitor is enabled, this user token is also used when the monitor request is processed on your z/TPF system.

    For more information about the user exit, see Managing registration tasks on your production system.
    Workstation Name Specifies the default workstation name to be used for TPF Toolkit to communicate with the z/TPF debugger. If an asterisk (*) is specified, which is the default value, your current workstation is used.

    The specified workstation name will automatically populate the Workstation name field as the default value in the wizard that is used to create a debug session.

    The z/TPF registration monitor, if enabled, queries the z/TPF system debug registration tables by using the workstation name that is specified on this preference page. If a different workstation name is specified for a debug session, the z/TPF registration monitor will remove the debug session from the TPF System view because it cannot find the debug session in the debug registration tables. Therefore, when you create a debug session, ensure that the specified workstation name is consistent with the workstation name on this preference page.
    Workstation Address

    Specifies the default IPv4 address of the workstation to be used by the z/TPF debugger to communicate with TPF Toolkit.

    Asterisks are supported in this field. You can specify a single asterisk, or an asterisk in any address octet such as 9.*.*.*. If you specify a single asterisk in this field, TPF Toolkit uses the first IPv4 address that is found.

    The specified IP address will automatically populate the Workstation address field in the wizard that is used to create a debug session.

    When the Enabled and Automatically update workstation IP address checkboxes on this preference page are selected, the workstation address that is specified on this preference page is used, and the workstation address that is specified in the wizard that is used to create a debug session is disabled and not used.
  5. Click OK to save your changes.