The data saved by a dump or in a log can be evaluated later at any time.
The error logging file created by SERSLOG is evaluated by the program ELFE (see chapter “ELFE Edit and evaluate the SERSLOG file”), which is capable of sorting the individual entries on the basis of various criteria and then outputting them. ELFE also provides statistical functions (such as recording how often each error has occurred, etc.).
Traces are not written to files, but are kept in main memory and cannot be output separately. They are, however, also saved on generating a dump and are therefore contained in the dump file and can be output when evaluating the dump. AUDIT traces are an exception. They can be output interactively with the SHOW commands of the AUDIT function.
A SLED dump can be analyzed with DAMP.
DAMP (see chapter “DAMP Dump analysis”), by contrast, is an interactive editing routine, i.e. the actual diagnosis is performed on the screen. This enables the interactive user to track links between related processing steps or display tables on the screen and then initiate any further diagnostic steps which prove necessary.
Partial dumps generated using SNAP or CDUMP (system, user or area dumps) can also be evaluated interactively on the screen with the aid of DAMP.
The actual diagnosis presupposes familiarity with the system.