Maintaining Active Jobs

This document covers the following topics:


Available Functions: Job Active

Start of instruction setTo list all functions available for a Job Active node

  • In the object workspace, select a Job Active node and open the context menu.

    The following functions are available:

    Function Shortcut Description
    List F8 See Listing Active Jobs.
    New CTRL+N Creating a new Job Active: see Adding a New Job to the Active Network
    Refresh F5 See Refreshing Object Lists.
    Filter F3 Using selection criteria to list active jobs: see Filtering Objects.
    Set Drag And Drop Function --- See Drag & Drop.

Start of instruction setTo list all functions available for a single Job Active instance

Listing Active Jobs

You can access active runs of a network to list and maintain active jobs from different nodes in the object workspace. The result list of active jobs depends on the node and the node instance selected.

User Restrictions for Active Jobs Lists

Users can be restricted to view jobs in the List Active Jobs window.

If the user is of type Administrator (A) or if the user has access to the owner SYSDBA, then all active jobs are displayed. In all other cases, the following active jobs are displayed:

  • From networks of the current owner,

  • From networks of owners to which the user has access,

  • From networks to which the user has access.

See also Granting Definition: Authorizing Other Users or Owners to Access a Network in the section Network Maintenance.

Start of instruction setTo list active jobs

  1. In the object workspace, select an instance from a Network Active or an Active Run node to list all active jobs of this particular network or active run, respectively.

    Or:

    In the object workspace, select an instance from an Owner or a Network Master node to list all active jobs of this particular owner or network, respectively.

    Or:

    In the object workspace, select the General node to list all active jobs running in your environment.

  2. Open the context menu and choose the List Active Jobs function.

    A List Active Jobs window similar to the example below opens with a list of active jobs:

    graphics/active_job_list_general_en.png

    This list displays all active jobs available showing the owner, network, run, job node, job ID, time and a message.

    The columns and input fields are explained in Columns and Filter Criteria: List Active Jobs.

    Notes:

    1. For performance reasons, the table view is filled dynamically with data if scrolled to the end of the table.
    2. For a comprehensive overview of the job list, the Latest Start, Deadline and Version columns and the Filter section are hidden.

Start of instruction setTo display the Latest Start and Deadline columns

  • Select the Show schedule check box.

    The columns with the latest start times and deadlines are displayed as shown in the following example:

    graphics/active_job_list_general_sched_en.png

Start of instruction setTo display the Version column

  • Select the Show version check box.

    The column with the job version is displayed as shown in the following example:

    graphics/active_job_list_general_vers_en.png

Start of instruction setTo change the sort order

  1. Click on the column header area of any column in the table to sort by that column.

    The list is then sorted by that column. The current sorting state is shown above the table.

    The first time a user requests sorting, all data is retrieved from the server if it has not been done before. Therefore, some delay is possible, depending on the count of active jobs. Changing the preselection causes to re-read data again and initial sorting settings are applied.

  2. Click on the column header again if you want to change the sort sequence from ascending (default) to descending.

    The initial sort order can be changed on the tabbed page Other Settings of the Create new User or Maintenance User window (see User Maintenance in the Administration documentation).

Start of instruction setTo filter the job list

  1. Click on Filter graphics/filter_menu_symbol_open.png to expand (or collapse) the Filter section.

    The Filter section is expanded as shown in the following example:

    graphics/active_job_list_general_filter_en.png

  2. Specify or select the required filter criteria and choose OK when finished.

    The columns and input fields are explained in Columns and Filter Criteria: List Active Jobs.

Start of instruction setTo refresh the list contents

This section covers the following topics:

Columns and Filter Criteria: List Active Jobs

The columns and input fields available in the List Active Jobs window are explained in the following section.

Depending on the node or node instance for which the List Active Jobs function is used, the fields below graphics/filter_menu_symbol_open.png are either read-only or can be used to specify filter criteria to reduce the number of active jobs listed in the window.

Column/Field Description
Owner The name of the owner whose active jobs are shown.

If available as input field, you can select an owner out of the drop-down-box to show only its active jobs.

Network The name of the network for which the active jobs are shown.

If available as input field, you can select a network out of the drop-down-box to show only its active jobs.

Version The network version for which the active jobs are shown.

If available as input field, you can select a version out of the drop-down list box to show only its active jobs (see also Object Versioning in the Concepts and Facilities documentation).

Run The run number for which the active jobs are shown. The run number is automatically assigned at activation time. The job run number uniquely identifies an active copy of a job together with the job name.

If available as input field, you can select the run number of the network to show only its active jobs.

Job The job name as defined to Entire Operations.

If available as input field, you can select a job out of the drop-down-box to show only its active jobs.

Node Execution node of the machine designated for the job.

If available as input field, you can select a node out of the drop-down-box to show only its active jobs.

JobId The job identifier as assigned by the operating system or by the job entry subsystem.
Time Last action or check date/time for the job.
Message Last message issued for the job by Entire Operations. For a list of possible messages and their meaning, see Messages in Active Jobs Display in the Messages and Codes documentation.
Submit user ID Select a user ID out of the drop-down-box to show only its active jobs.
Show last n runs Enter a number to restrict the list of active jobs to the last n runs where n is a number in the range 1 - 999999999.

Valid valuesThe maximum value for n is 999999999.

Show schedule See To display the Latest Start and Deadline columns.
Show version See To display the Version column.
Status filter Select job status filters to additionally reduce the list of active jobs: see Listing Active Jobs by Process Status.

Listing Active Jobs by Process Status

You can list active jobs according to their processing status by opening the Filter section of the List Active Jobs Network Active window and selecting one or more Status filter options:

Selection Option Description
All active jobs All active jobs (default).
Waiting for an event All active jobs waiting for at least one event.
Jobs in hold All jobs in hold.
In spool input queue  All jobs in the scheduling system input queue.
Ended not ok  All jobs with job not ok terminating status.
Ended ok  All jobs with job ok terminating status.
Submitted  All submitted jobs.
Terminated  All terminated jobs.
Waiting for activation  Planned network runs waiting for activation.
Executing  All jobs in execution.
Latest start time exceeded All jobs that exceed the Latest Start Time: see Modifying the Latest Start Time for an Active Run.

Listing Jobs of an Active Subnetwork

Start of instruction set To list jobs of an active subnetwork

  • From a Job Active node, select a job of the type Subnetwork (NET), and choose Zoom Subnetwork from the context menu.

    Or:
    From the table in an Active Job List window, select a job of the Type NET, and choose Zoom Subnetwork from the context menu.

    The jobs of the subnetwork defined for the selected NET-type job are listed in a (separate) Active Job List window, as shown in the following example:

    graphics/zoom_active_subnetwork.png

Adding a New Job to the Active Network

Start of instruction set To add a job to the active database for the current run of an active job network

  • Select a Job Active node and choose New from the context menu.

    A Create new Job Active window (similar to the Maintenance Job Active) opens where you can enter the required definitions as described for a master job in the section Adding a Job Definition.

Adding a job to an active job network involves temporarily changing the network structure and job flow. This is achieved with the minimum of effort, as the following example shows.

This section covers the following topics:

Example

You may wish to add a job to a network for one specific run.

This example illustrates the addition of a job to a network consisting of 3 sequential jobs. The new job (Job 4) is to be inserted between Job 1 and Job 2:

graphics/active_job.png

Achieving a Sequential Flow

Start of instruction set To achieve a sequential job flow

  1. Add the new active job using the Create new Job Active window;

  2. Define Cond-1 as input condition for Job 4;

  3. Define Cond-4 as output condition in End-of-Job handling for Job 4;

  4. Change the input condition defined for Job 2 (Cond-1) to Cond-4.

    Job 4 is executed for the current run of the job network only.

    If you wish this change to be permanent, use this procedure on the master database.

Modifying the Latest Start Time for an Active Job

You can change the latest start time or an active job instance where the active job status permits it. The latest start time may be changed for an active job that is not started or is already terminated.

Start of instruction setTo modify the latest start time for an active job

  1. In the object workspace, select an instance of Job Active.

  2. Invoke the context menu and choose Modify Latest Start.

    A window similar to the following opens:

    graphics/ModifyLatestStart_JobActive.png

    The options available correspond to the methods described for an active job run.

Choosing the Job ID of a Job for Logging

If you have several instances of one job running, for example, after resubmitting a job, you receive a selection window for selecting the job ID of the job whose log you want to view.

Start of instruction setTo choose the log

  1. Select a job from the Job Active node and choose Extended Log / Active JCL changes or Extended Log / JCL from the context menu.

    The following window opens:

    graphics/selection_extendedlog.png

  2. Select a job by double-clicking on a job ID in the JobID column.

    The selected log is displayed:

    graphics/activejclchanges_jobactive.png

Canceling, Holding and Releasing Active Jobs

Operating System Jobs Handling

Operating system jobs in the Entire Operations active database can be handled directly from a Job Active instance.

When Entire Operations submits jobs to the operating system, they are assigned a job number which appears, for example, in the Maintenance Job Active window. In z/OS systems, JES operator commands are issued.

Note:
In BS2000, console commands are issued.

Canceling an Active Job

You can cancel the planned activation of a job in a planned network run that is waiting for activation. The job is then not executed within the active network.

Start of instruction set To cancel an active job from the operating system

  • In the object workspace, select a Job Active instance and choose Cancel from the context menu.

    A confirmation dialog prompts you to choose Yes to cancel the job.

    The job is cancelled from the operating system.

Notes:

  1. A cancelled job cannot be released for further processing.

  2. For BS2000 jobs, you can only use the Cancel function if the following conditions are fulfilled:

    • The BS2000 user ID in effect is allowed to issue a cancel command for the Entire System Server node(s) in use. If required, specify the following in the Entire System Server parameter file and restart Entire System Server:

      SYSTEM-COMMAND-USER=TSOS,user-id[,...]

      For example:

      SYSTEM-COMMAND-USER=TSOS,SAG1,SAG2,SAG3
    • The active and passive Entire System Server console servers are available (see the Entire System Server User's Guide).

  3. UNIX jobs are cancelled by the SIGTERM signal.

Holding an Active Job

You can stop an active job and place it in hold status.

Start of instruction set  To stop a job and place it in hold status

  • In the object workspace, select a Job Active instance and choose Hold from the context menu.

    The message Job set to Hold appears in the Message column for the job

Notes:

  1. If the job has already been submitted to the operating system, it will be held in the operating system.
  2. Operating system hold does not work for Windows jobs.
  3. For UNIX jobs, the whole process group belonging to the job ID will be held.

Releasing an Active Job

You can release a job from hold status.

Start of instruction set To release a job from hold status and allow it to continue

  • In the object workspace, select a Job Active instance and choose Release from the context menu.

    The message Job released from Hold appears in the Message column for the job.

Notes:

  1. If the command is used for a job of the type NET (subnetwork): during a release, no new activation of the subnetwork will be performed.
  2. The release from hold command is available for networks in the status to be activated too.

Resubmitting an Active Job

After a job has terminated, you can modify and resubmit it while it is still in the active database. This function is useful after a job has failed.

For example, if a JCL error has occurred, you can modify the active JCL (see Editing Active JCL) and resubmit the job. The resubmitted job uses the old input conditions for submission, but can set different output conditions, depending on the End-of-Job analysis.

Any output conditions set by the job's first run can be reset by the second run if this feature is defined in the job's original End-of-Job handling.

Start of instruction setTo resubmit an active job

  1. In the object workspace, select a Job Active instance.

  2. Invoke the context menu and choose the Resubmit function.

    The following window opens:

    graphics/jobactive_resubmit.png

    Select a resubmission option and choose OK.

This section covers the following topics:

Options for Resubmission

You have one of the following options to perform the resubmission:

re-load active JCL The active JCL will be reloaded.
with submission symbol replacement The active JCL will be used again, and the submission symbol replacement (using the submit escape character) will be repeated.

Active symbols created at submission time will be deleted prior to a resubmission. This forces the recreation of these active symbols during the resubmission.

unchanged JCL The job will be resubmitted exactly as previously submitted; without any symbol replacement.

Notes:

  1. Jobs of types NAT (Natural Program) and STC (Started Task) are resubmitted unchanged anyway.
  2. See also the Entire Operations default setting Submit symbol/function recalculation at resubmit in the Defaults for Other Settings window described in the Administration documentation.

Resubmitting an Active Job of NET type (Subnetwork)

If the Repeat function is used for jobs with NET type (subnetwork), the subnetwork will be repeated with the same subnetwork run number. However, this is only allowed if the subnetwork has not started yet.

No Reloading after Editing

In case of a resubmission of the active job, the pregenerated JCL is not reloaded if the active JCL of the job has been edited in the meantime.

Job Resubmission under BS2000

The SYSOUT file copy attempts are limited if the SYSOUT file is locked. The limit is 10 times the task (Monitor) wait time. If the task wait time is smaller than 30 seconds, the limit is 10 * 30 = 300 seconds.

If the SYSOUT file is still locked when the limit is reached, the active job will be set to a permanent error status, with the message text 10 SYSOUT Renaming Attempts failed.

For each unsuccessful attempt, the message text will be set to SYSOUT File Renaming - File in use. In addition, the event will be logged with the SYSOUT file name.

Deactivating a Job in an Active Network

Start of instruction set To prevent the execution of a certain job in an active network for the current run

  1. From a Job Active node in the object workspace, select an active job and choose Deactivate from the context menu.

    A confirmation dialog similar to the example below opens for the selected job:

    graphics/active_job_deactivate.png

    The window indicates the name of the owner (here: NATQA5), the name of the active network (here: ASETCONDIT), the run number (here: 49) and name of the active job (here: DUMMY).

  2. Choose Yes to deactivate the job or No to cancel the action.

Deactivation is performed by the Entire Operations Monitor in the background. Deactivating a job from the active network involves deleting it from the active job network and restructuring the active network in order to ensure uninterrupted job flow. The following example illustrates job deactivation by bypassing a job in an active network consisting of three sequential jobs.

This section covers the following topics:

Example: Deactivation of a Job

The network in the following figure is to run without Job 2:

graphics/deactive_job.png

Ensuring Uninterrupted Job Flow

Start of instruction set To ensure uninterrupted job flow

  1. To prevent Job 2 from running, it is sufficient to delete its input condition Cond-1. If you deactivate Job 2 with the Deactivate function, the input condition is automatically deleted.;

  2. Replace the input condition for Job 3 (Cond-2) by the input condition Cond-1.

    The current run of the job network skips Job 2.

    If you wish to deactivate a job that is currently running (interrupt its execution), you must cancel it from the operating system before deactivation (see Canceling an Active Job).

Reactivating an Active Job

This function is used to deactivate an active job and then reactivate it completely.

This function can be used to restore an inconsistent active job (for example, if a symbol was missing during the original activation).

Start of instruction setTo reactivate an active job

  1. In the object workspace, select a Job Active instance and choose Reactivate from the context menu.

    A confirmation dialog prompts you to choose Yes to reactivate the job.

Reactivation is performed in the background by the Entire Operations Monitor, whereby:

  • A prerequisite check is performed.

    If the job does not wait for any prerequisite, it is submitted immediately.

  • All input and output definitions are recreated.

  • The active JCL is generated newly.

Displaying and Modifying an Active Job Definition

Start of instruction setTo view and modify an active job

  1. In the object workspace, select a Job Active instance.

  2. Invoke the context menu and choose Open or Display.

    Open opens a Maintenance Job Active window similar to the example below:

    graphics/jobactive_open.png

    Display opens a Display Job Active window which corresponds to the Maintenance Job Active window above but is write-protected.

The following applies when you modify a job definition in an active job network definition:

  • The current user ID is stored as the last modifying user of the job for all definition and JCL modifications. This user ID is taken as the submit security user ID. If the Monitor does not use its own user ID, see Monitor Defaults - Submit Security User Type in the Administration documentation.

  • It may be necessary to release the active job after the modification with the Resubmit function. This causes a new check of all prerequisites.

This section covers the following topics:

Fields: Maintenance Job Active

The input fields in the Maintenance Job Active window mostly have the same meaning as in the Master Job Definition window of the Network and Job Maintenance function; see Fields: Job Definition (Master) in the section Job Maintenance. However, the Maintenance Job Active window contains the following additional fields which are protected:

Field Description
Activated Activation date and time of the network.
Modified User ID and time stamp of the last modification.
Run Run number of the current job run.

Special Job Type D - Execution as a Dummy

In the Maintenance Job Active window, it is possible to modify the field Special Type to Execute as dummy.

  • If Execute as dummy is not set, an automatic reloading of the JCL is performed. In case of active jobs of the type NET, the subnetwork is activated.

  • If Execute as dummy is set, the job is executed as a dummy job. In this case, it does not play any role, whether already active JCL or an active subnetwork were loaded.

See also: Job Execution as Dummy Job.

Modifying EOJ Checking and Actions

Start of instruction set To modify the End-of-Job checking and actions for the current run of a specific job

Note:
Any modifications made to End-of-Job handling parameters of an active job are valid for the current job run only.

Viewing Long Descriptions of Active Jobs

Start of instruction setTo view the long text description of an active job

The page contains the long description of the active job, provided a long description exist for the job master. The description is displayed in Editor format. No modification is possible. All text descriptions can only be modified on the master database by using the appropriate job maintenance function as described in Writing and Viewing Online Documentation for a Job.

Displaying Prerequisites for Active Jobs: Waiting for

The Waiting for function is used to display all events pending for an active job. You can also use this function to add additional conditions to a job.

Start of instruction setTo display all waiting prerequisites for an active Job

  1. In the object workspace, select a Job Active.

  2. Invoke the context menu and choose the Waiting for function.

    A Waiting for Job Active window similar to the example below opens:

    graphics/waitingfor_jobactive.png

    The window lists the events an active job is waiting to complete.

    The listed messages indicate that the current run of the job (run number 1) is waiting for the input condition ACTIVECONDITION2 from the run number 30, and the availability of the resource HUGO. A resource is indicated by a Res. prefix.

    The text Job is in passive wait since 02-24 14:50 shows since when the job has been in passive wait for the input condition and the resources.

    In this case, the job is automatically returned to the active wait by setting the correct input condition and making sure that the resource can be allocated; that is, the Monitor will execute a prerequisite check.

    For a complete list of possible messages and their meaning, see Messages in Active Jobs Display in the Messages and Codes documentation.

All functions available in the Waiting for window are explained in Functions: Prerequisites for an Active Job.

Functions: Prerequisites for an Active Job

The following functions are available in the Waiting for Job Active window:

Function Description
Force Check  Force an active prerequisite check.

Only before the message Job is in passive wait since ...

Auto Refresh See Refreshing Object Lists.
Refresh
Set/Reset  Set:
  • Used for a condition wait: set the condition to true.

Reset:
  • If used for a condition wait: reset the condition to false.

  • If used for a resource wait: delete the active prerequisite resource definition. The active job will then no longer wait for the resource.

Where Used  Where used:

Viewing and Modifying Resources Used by Active Jobs

You can display the resources used by active jobs.

You can also modify resources for the current run of an active job without changing the original resource specification on the master database for future job runs. This can be useful if different job runs require different amounts of a specific resource, for example paper or tape drives.

Start of instruction set To view resources used by an active job

  • In the Waiting for Job Active window, select the required resource and choose Where Used.

    An Active Usage Resource window similar to the example below opens:

    graphics/active_job_resource.png

    The window lists other active jobs in your active network environment which are currently using partial quantities of the resource for which your active job is waiting.

    The fields and columns in the window are described in Fields and Columns: Active Resource Usage in the Administration documentation.

Browsing Active Job SYSOUT

You can view SYSOUT of an active job depending on the operating system installed at your site:

Operating System SYSOUT Availability
z/OS SYSOUT can be browsed immediately after job submission. It is readable until the current last line readable from the spooling system (for example, JES2).
BS2000 The SYSOUT file can be browsed only after job termination. This is because the SYSOUT file is open during execution and cannot be read.
UNIX/Windows The SYSOUT file can be browsed immediately after job submission. It is readable up to its current last line.

This section covers the following topics:

Viewing Job SYSOUT

Start of instruction setTo view job SYSOUT

  1. In the object workspace, select a Job Active instance and choose Browse SYSOUT from the context menu.

    Depending on your access rights, a Logon Node window opens.

  2. Enter your user ID and password and choose OK.

    A Browse window similar to the example below opens:

    On UNIX:

    graphics/browse_sysout_unix.png

    On BS2000:

    graphics/browse_sysout_bs2.png

    The window displays active SYSOUT produced for the DD statements processed by the selected job (here: PARALLEL-1, owner NOPAPI, network OGC-RUN-S, run number 1628 (UNIX) or 1652 (BS2000). SYSOUT output data is contained in numbered text lines sorted in ascending order.

    On z/OS and z/VSE:

    graphics/mvssysout-en.png

    If more than one SYSOUT file exists, a table in the left window section lists all DD statements produced by the job and the type of the SYSOUT file. For each file you select in this table, a tabbed page opens in the right window section showing the SYSOUT of the corresponding DD statement. Several files of the same file type are numbered sequentially from one (SM1, SM2, and so on). Files of the same type are combined in an <All> collection file, for example, SM <All>.

    The browse functions available are explained in Available Functions: Browse SYSOUT.

Notes about SYSOUT File Display

The following applies when viewing SYSOUT:

  • Name of the SYSOUT file
    In BS2000, UNIX and Windows, the SYSOUT file name appears in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.

  • Automatic Logon to the Operating System Server
    Before a SYSOUT file is displayed, Entire Operations checks whether the user is allowed to access the SYSOUT file. If necessary, an automatic logon is carried out with the user ID, which is entered for the user as a standard user ID for the operating system server (see the Administration documentation). If this automatic logon does not function, for BS2000 files, a further attempt will be made with the BS2000 user ID from the fully qualified file name. If this was successful, the current user ID is set accordingly for the operating system node. If the user does not (implicitly or explicitly) log on to the operating system server with the credentials required to access SYSOUT, the SYSOUT file cannot be displayed.

  • Line Length under UNIX and Windows
    Lines longer than 250 characters will be abbreviated in the SYSOUT display. They will be marked with >>> in the columns 247 to 250 of the display.

  • File Truncation
    If the SYSOUT file or spool data set exceeds a given line limit, the display will be truncated: see SYSOUT line limit in Defaults for Network Options in the Administration documentation.

  • Number of Previous Executions
    Entire Operations can display SYSOUT of up to 180 previous executions of the job (e.g., repetitions, cyclic executions).

SYSOUT File Types on z/OS and z/VSE

On z/OS and z/VSE, SYSOUT files are identified by the following output types to distinguish their contents:

File Type Purpose Applies on
CC  Summary of job steps and condition codes.  
JL JCL of selected job.  
SI SYSIN data.  
SM System messages.  
SO SYSOUT data.  
LST List queue. z/VSE only.
PUN Punch queue. z/VSE only.
RDR Reader queue. z/VSE only.
XMT Transmit queue. z/VSE only.
<All> Identifies a collection file that combines all files that belong to a certain file type, for example, SM <All>.  

Available Functions: Browse SYSOUT

The following functions are available from the context menu of the Browse SYSOUT window:

Function Shortcut Description
Copy CTRL+C Copy the text lines selected in the SYSOUT file to the clipboard to be pasted into another file.
Reverse Order CTRL+R Display SYSOUT text in descending order of line numbers (last line first).

The text is sorted in ascending order by default.

Refresh F5 See Refreshing Object Lists.
Find CTRL+F Open the Find dialog to enter a search string and specify search options (case sensitive and/or whole word only) and the search direction backward (scrolls up in the source) or forward (scrolls down in the source).
Find Next F3 Find the next occurrence of the search string specified in the Find dialog.
Go To CTRL+G Scan the SYSOUT file for a specified line number and highlight this line.
Print CTRL+P Output the SYSOUT file on a printer.