Assigning a severity code

The higher the severity code, the more serious the condition is. The following lists the severity codes you can use and their meanings. (These severity codes and their meanings are consistent with the severity codes assigned to IBM-predefined messages.)

00: Information. For information purposes only; no error was detected and no reply is needed. The message could indicate that a function is in progress or that a function has completed successfully.

10: Warning. A potential error condition exists. The procedure or program may have taken a default, such as supplying missing input. The results of the operation are assumed to be successful.

20: Error. An error has been detected, but it is one for which automatic recovery procedures probably were applied; processing has continued. A default may have been taken to replace erroneous input. The results of the operation may not be valid. The function may have been only partially completed; for example, some items in a list processed correctly while others failed.

30: Severe error. The error detected is too severe for automatic recovery, and no defaults are possible. If the error was in source data, the entire input record was skipped. If the error occurred during procedure or program processing, it leads to an abnormal end of the procedure or program (severity 40). The results of the operation are not valid.

40: Abnormal end of procedure or function. The operation has ended, possibly because the procedure or program was unable to handle data that was not valid, or possibly because the user has canceled it.

50: Abnormal end of job. The job was ended or was not started. A routing step may have ended abnormally or failed to start, a job-level function may not have been performed as required, or the job may have been canceled.

60: System status. Issued only to the system operator. It gives either the status of or a warning about a device, a subsystem, or the system.

70: Device integrity. Issued only to the system operator. It indicates that a device is malfunctioning or in some way is no longer operational. The user may be able to recover from the failure, or the assistance of a service representative may be required.

80: System alert. A message with a severity code of 80 is issued for immediate messages. It also warns of a condition that, although not severe enough to stop the system now, could become more severe unless preventive measures are taken.

90: System integrity. Issued only to the system operator. It describes a condition that renders either a subsystem or the system inoperative.

99: Action. Some manual action is required, such as entering a reply, changing printer forms, or replacing diskettes.