I found the following “IEF283I” message, with 6 sub-clauses for code ‘8’, in Internet Archive copy of a bitsavers doc. Ken Robinson told a few horror stories of OS/360’s evil (my word) error reporting. ================== ibm :: 360 :: os :: R21.7 Apr73 :: GC28-6631-13 OS 360 R21.7 Messages and Codes Apr73 https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_ibm360osR2S360R21.7MessagesandCodesAp… 292 Messages 6 Codes (Release 21. 7) IEF283I dsn NOT DELETED x VCL SER NOS= ser [z],ser [z],ser [z],ser [z],ser [z] VCl SER NOS= ser [z] ,ser [z],ser [z]. Expla ation; A DD statement specified DELETE as the disposition of data set dsn, but the data set was not deleted from the volumes whose serial numbers, ser, are listed in the message text. If the data set was net deleted from any of its volumes, the volumes listed are all of the volum-es en which the data set resides. If the data set was partially deleted, miessage IEF285I precedes this message in the SYSOUT data set and lists the volumes from which the data set was deleted . • If ser is a 6-digit number, it is the serial number ef the volume, which contains labels . • If ser begins with a slash cr L, the vol\ame is unlabeled; the number after the slash or L is an internal serial number assigned by the system, to an unlabeled volume. If ser begins with L, the number after the L is of the form xxxyy, where xxx is the data set number and yy is the volume sequence number for the data set. Five volume serial numbers are listed per line until all the volumes involved are listed. The last volume serial number is followed by a period. The 1-digit code, x, explains why the data set was not deleted. X Explanation 1 The expiration date had not occurred. When the data set was created, the expiration date was specified by the EXFET or RETPE subparameter in the LABEL parameter cf the ED statement. 4 No device was available for mounting during deletion. 5 Too many volumes were specified for deletion. Deletion can be accomplished in several job steps by specifying some of the volume serial numbers in each step. 6 Either no volumes were mounted cr the mounted volumes cculd net be demounted to permit the remaining volumes to be mounted. 8 The SCRATCH routine returned a code, z, following each vclum.e serial number explaining why the data set was not deleted from that volume. The values of z and their meanings are as follows; 1 - The data set was not found on the volume. 2 - The data set is security protected and the correct password was not given. 3 - The expiration date had not occurred. When the data set was created, the expiration date was specified by the EXPDT or RETPD subparameter in the LABEL parameter of the DD statement. 4 - An uncorrectable input/output error occurred in deleting the data set from the volume. 5 - The system was unable to have the volume mounted for deletion. 6 - The system requested that the operator mount the volume, but the operator did not mount it. 9 A job was cancelled and was deleted from any of the following queues ================== -- Steve Jenkin, IT Systems and Design 0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915) PO Box 38, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA mailto:sjenkin@canb.auug.org.au http://members.tip.net.au/~sjenkin

The subject of obscure OS/360 error messages recalled to my mind the beginner's guide for students and faculty that the Boston College Computer Center wrote. They spent many pages explaining obtuse OS/360 error messages. My favorite line from that document is: "Despite what you may have been taught in German class, there is no such thing as a 'guten ABEND'." -Paul W