Troubleshooting Common APPC Error Codes

• Microsoft SNA Server for Windows NT, versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.11

SUMMARY

Applications that use the SNA Server APPC API interface, such as AS/400 connectivity products (5250 emulators, ODBC drivers, etc), may display native APPC error codes if an APPC error is encountered. An APPC error is composed of a 4 digit primary return code followed by an 8 digit secondary return code. These APPC error codes are documented in Appendix A of the SNA Server 2.1/2.11 APPC Programmer's Guide included in soft-copy form on the SNA Server compact disc:

  <cdrom>\docs\help\appc.hlp:  Windows help file format
  <cdrom>\docs\sdk\appc\doc\appcapa.doc: Word for Windows document

MORE INFORMATION

The following is a list of common APPC error codes along with an explanation for each.

Primary Return Code =   0001  (AP_PARAMETER_CHECK)

The APPC program referenced a conversation ID that is not valid. For example, if the remote transaction program deallocated the conversation, and the local transaction program then issued an APPC [MC_]DEALLOCATE call, the DEALLOCATE will return this error, because the conversation ID is no longer valid.

Primary Return Code =   0001  (AP_PARAMETER_CHECK)

The APPC program tried to initiate a conversation using a Local LU alias which is not configured in SNA Server.

Check the Local LU alias specified by the APPC program. If no Local LU alias is being specified, check the SNA Server configuration to see if default Local APPC LU is configured properly in the user/group record in SNA Admin, or that the Member of Default Outgoing Local APPC LUs checkbox is selected for the Local LU, and that the Local LU is partnered with the Remote APPC LU and APPC mode being requested.

Primary Return Code =   0001  (AP_PARAMETER_CHECK)

The APPC mode name specified by the application does not exist in the SNA Server configuration. This should not occur with 5250 emulation programs which are typically hard-coded to use a mode name of QPCSUPP.

Primary Return Code =   0001  (AP_PARAMETER_CHECK)

The APPC program tried to initiate a conversation using a Remote LU alias that is not configured in SNA Server, or the program specified a Local LU alias that is not partnered with the Remote LU alias.

Check the Remote LU alias specified by the APPC program. If no Remote LU alias is being specified, check the SNA Server configuration to see if default Remote APPC LU is configured properly in the user/group record in SNA Admin, or that the Remote APPC LU is partnered with the Local APPC LU alias and mode being requested.

Primary Return Code =   0003  (AP_ALLOCATION_ERROR)

The APPC program requested a conversation over an LU6.2 session between an APPC Local LU alias, Remote LU alias and APPC mode name. However, an LU6.2 session over this LU/LU/mode pair could not be activated.

This error can occur if the connection is activating, though the LU session could not be established, normally due to a configuration mismatch between SNA Server and the remote system. This may also occur if the connection is defined for activation By Administrator, or the connection was manually deactivated, though has not been manually activated.

For session related errors, check the Windows NT application event log for one of the following events to help track down the cause of this problem:

  Event 17: APPC session activation failure: BIND negative response sent

            The remote system attempted to activate an LU6.2 session by
            sending a BIND to SNA Server, but SNA Server rejected the
            BIND request. Provide your SNA Server configuration file and
            your Windows NT application event log to SNA Server support
            personnel.

  Event 18: APPC session activation failure: BIND negative response or
            UNBIND request received.

            SNA Server attempted to activate an LU6.2 session by sending
            a BIND to the remote system, but the remote system rejected
            the BIND request. Provide your SNA Server configuration file
            and your Windows NT application event log to SNA Server support
            personnel.

  Event 14: APPC session activation failure: INITSELF negative response
            received.

            This event can occur if a dependent LU6.2 session is being
            used and a configuration mismatch exists.

Primary Return Code =   0003  (AP_ALLOCATION_ERROR)

The APPC program requested a conversation over an LU6.2 session between an APPC Local LU alias, Remote LU alias and APPC mode name. However, the SNA Server connection supporting this LU pair is not active or could not be activated.

This can occur if the SNA Server connection is in a Pending status. Check the Windows NT application event log for an event related to the connection problem.

• Check for any Event 23 errors which indicate a connection failure.
• For 802.2 connections, check for Event 230

Primary Return Code =   0003  (AP_ALLOCATION_ERROR)

The APPC program requested a conversation to a remote transaction program, but the remote system is configured with conversation level security and the APPC program did not provide a valid user ID or password in the [MC_]ALLOCATE request.

Check that the user ID and password that is being provided to the APPC program matches the user ID and password configured on the remote system.

Primary Return Code =   0003  (AP_ALLOCATION_ERROR)

The APPC program requested a conversation to a remote transaction program, but the remote transaction program is not available. For example, if using 5250 emulation to connect to an AS/400, no AS/400 subsystem is currently accepting pass through display sessions.

Primary Return Code =   0003  (AP_ALLOCATION_ERROR)

The APPC program requested a conversation to a remote transaction program, but the remote LU rejected the allocation request because it was unable to start the requested partner transaction program. The reason for the error may be logged by the remote system.

Primary Return Code =   0003  (AP_ALLOCATION_ERROR)

The APPC program requested a conversation to a remote transaction program, but the remote LU did not recognize the transaction program name specified in the allocate request. Check the configuration of the remote system to determine the correct name for the transaction program.

Primary Return Code =   F002  (AP_TP_BUSY)

The APPC program issued an APPC call while the APPC interface was processing another call from the same TP. If this is a Windows 16-bit APPC program, see Q137246 for another possible cause of this error.

Primary Return Code = F003 (AP_COMM_SUBSYSTEM_ABENDED) Secondary Return Code = 00000000 (no applicable subcode)

One of the following conditions may cause this error to occur:

- the LAN connection between the SNA Server client and server has

  been broken. A Network General sniffer(TM) trace or Microsoft
  Network Monitor trace may be required to debug the cause of the
  LAN session failure.  Check the Windows NT application event log
  for Event 38 qualifier 0005.

  Windows NT application event log for Event 624, or serious error
  which may have caused SNA Server service to terminate.

  as the APPC application program may have failed abnormally.

Primary Return Code =   F004  (AP_COMM_SUBSYSTEM_NOT_LOADED)

This error occurs when the SNA Server client does not find any active SNA Servers running in the SNA Server domain or subdomain. If there are SNA Servers running, then this can also indicate that the SNA client is unable to receive a "sponsor" connection to an SNA Server in the domain.

See Q148359 for specific causes of this error.

Primary Return Code =   F004  (AP_COMM_SUBSYSTEM_NOT_LOADED)

This error occurs if the APPC application does not specify a Local LU alias in the TP_Started APPC verb, and there is no defaulted Local LU alias in the SNA Server configuration.

See Q148359 for specific causes of this error.

Primary Return Code =   F011  (AP_UNEXPECTED_DOS_ERROR)

The underlying operating system, network operating system, or an internal SNA Server error was returned to the APPC interface while processing an APPC call from the application. The error is returned through the secondary return code (xxxxxxxx above) and appears in Intel byte-swapped order. For example, if 08000000 is returned, the byte-swapped value is actually 00000008, which means "out of memory". If this secondary return code is occurring on a Windows 3.x or WFW client machine, see KB article Q126432 for client memory tuning suggestions.

Otherwise, an internal SNA client application trace and APPC API trace should be provided to SNA Server support personnel.