Redirect where CICS JVM writes Java dumps to avoid EDC5133I

For CICS Transaction Server, the JVM server profile specifies the working directory on zFS that the CICS region will use for Java related activities in the WORK_DIR option. The CICS JVM interface uses this directory when it creates the stdin, stdout, stderr and jvmtrc files. In addition, when the JVM crashes, there are several dump files (javacores, snap dumps, heapdump, etc) generated that may contain information useful to determine where the problem is.

The JVM checks each of the following locations for existence and write-permission, and stores the dump files in the first one available

• The location specified by the -Xdump::file option on the command line (if that location includes a path). This location applies to the specified dump agent type only.
• The location specified by the -Xdump:directory option on the command line. This location applies to all dump agent types.
• The location specified by the relevant environment variable.
  • IBM_JAVACOREDIR for Javadump
  • IBM_HEAPDUMPDIR for Heapdump
  • IBM_COREDIR for system dumps
  • IBM_COREDIR for snap traces
• The current working directory of the JVM process.

With everything being written to the current working directory by default, it is possible that this directory could fill up if not managed correctly or multiple dumps occur at once. To help alleviate running out of space it is possible to redirect the JVM output to a separate directory if so desired by specifying any of the above options. For example, you can override where all dump files are written by specifying the -Xdump:directory option at startup.