Defining and Managing Jobs

This document covers the following topics:

Listing Jobs

This section describes how to list all master jobs defined for a network.

Related Topics:

Start of instruction setTo list all jobs defined for a network

  1. In the object workspace, select the Job Master node of the required network.

  2. From the context menu, choose List, or press F8.

    All jobs defined for the selected network are listed in the Job Master List window as shown in the following example:

    graphics/job_list_all.png

    The window columns are described in Columns: Job Master List.

This section covers the following topics:

Columns: Job Master List

The following table explains the columns of the Job Master List window.

Column Description
Spec. Type Special job type. Possible indicators are:
C Cyclic execution.
D This is a dummy job. For more information, see the section Job Types.
G Pregenerated JCL exists.
P (Started tasks) This job ends a started task.
R This is a recovery job. For more information, see Defining Recovery Action in the section End-of-Job Checking and Actions.
Job  User-defined job name.
Type  Job type. They are described in the section Job Types.

See also the field Job Type described in Fields: Job Definition (Master).

Loc JCL location.

(Empty if no JCL is defined, or if no JCL is required for the job type.)

For possible JCL locations, see List of JCL Locations.

Description  The short description of the job.
File or Library  Physical storage of JCL according to the JCL location.

For a job of the type Subnetwork (NET), this column contains the name of the owner and the name of the subnetwork defined for the job (see the jobs J2-SUB and SUBNETJOB1 in the example of a Job Master List window).

Member  The member which contains the JCL. This refers to the JCL location.

For possible members, see List of JCL Locations.

For a job of the type Subnetwork (NET), this column contains a letter (for example, (D)) denoting the subnetwork activation mode.

Available Functions: Job Master

Start of instruction setTo list all functions available for a Job Master metanode

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

Displaying and Modifying a Job Definition

Start of instruction setTo view a job definition

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

  2. Open the context menu and choose Display, or press CTRL+D.

    A Display Job Master window opens.

    The protected fields and tabbed pages in the window correspond to the fields and pages of the Maintenance Job Master window. They are explained in Fields: Job Definition (Master).

Start of instruction setTo modify a job definition

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

  2. Open the context menu and choose Open, or press CTRL+O.

    A Maintenance Job Master window similar to the example below opens:

    graphics/job_master_window.png

  3. Edit the fields you want to change. The fields are explained in Fields: Job Definition (Master).

  4. When you are finished, choose OK.

    Your changes are saved.

This section covers the following topics:

Fields: Job Definition (Master)

The fields in the Job Master window are described in the following table.

Note:
The fields and tabbed pages available depend on the Job Type, the Special Type and the operating system of the Execution Node specified for the job.

Field/Tabbed Page Description
Job name Job name.

Entire Operations recognizes a job by this name. It can, but need not be the same name as the JCL source used by the job (the operating system recognizes a job by its JCL name).

Note:
Job names should start with a character. Job names starting with a digit are tolerated, but are not recommended.

Description  Short description of the job.

The maximum input is 50 characters.

This text appears in the list of jobs in the Job Master List window.

You can add a long description for the job: see Writing and Viewing Online Documentation for a Job.

Job type  The job type as defined to Entire Operations. For further information, see the section Job Types.
Special type

You can select one of the following types from the list box:

  • Normal Job
    Normal job without special condition.

  • Cyclic execution
    (This is a replacement and extension of the former CYC (cyclic) job type.)

    Execution at certain intervals. If this type is specified, a cyclic interval must be defined in the job schedule parameters. This is checked during job activation and before job start.

    Each job type can be provided with this attribute.

    Note:
    You can use the reserved condition P-STOPCYC-jobname to interrupt a cyclic job execution loop. See also reserved condition names in Restrictions for Condition Names.

  • Execute as dummy
    Execution as a dummy job. This allows you to prevent the job from being executed without having to delete the definition. You can also set this type in an active job before a repetition.

    If this value is deleted in an active job, then the active JCL is generated, provided that it is already present. However, this does not have a resubmission of the job as a consequence.

  • Stop Job
    Job type Started Task: Stops a started task.

    Job type Windows Service: Stops a Windows service.

  • Recovery Job
    For a recovery job. You must also use this special type for jobs that are later activated with the job import API NOPUJIxN (see the section API Routines).

    Note:
    Recovery jobs are not activated during a normal job network activation. They are activated only if they are defined for another job and if a certain event makes a recovery necessary.

Execution node The job is submitted on the node specified in this case. The default is the value specified in the job network definition. You can enter a different node for the job in this case.

Note:
In this field, you can also enter PMPA preceded by an escape character, for example, §PMPA. See §PMPA in Predefined Symbols in the section Symbol Table and Symbol Maintenance).

Use symbol as execution node Select this check box if you want to use the suffix symbol entered in the Suffix symbol field.
Main page:
Symbol table  Name of the symbol table to be referenced for substitution of variables in dynamic JCL. Select a name from the list. Alternatively, you can enter a new name to define a new symbol table. See Modifying a Symbol Table Master in the section Symbol Table and Symbol Maintenance for more information.

Note:
If no symbol table is defined on the job level, the symbol table on the network level (if defined) will be activated during network activation or job activation (if defined).

Version

(Symbol table)

 Version of the symbol table to be used.

Reserved names (will be replaced).
current Current version for the activation date or determination date.
nv Version of the using network.
svn Symbol table version of the using network.
Suffix symbol (optional) If several instances of the job are to be activated in parallel, this field must contain a symbol name which is in the defined symbol table. The symbol itself must contain the suffixes to be appended to active job names and output conditions. The sum of the lengths (prefix+suffix) must not exceed the maximum field lengths for job names or conditions.

For example, if the master job name is PARA, and the symbol contains 001, 003, 012, then the active jobs PARA001, PARA003 and PARA012 are created. If the suffix symbol value is not defined in a network and the network has a calling network (if it is a subnetwork), then the search for the suffix symbol is performed upward up to the highest level.

If Suffix symbol does not contain any values, the job is activated as a temporary dummy job. For information about the definition of multiple symbol values, see Defining Multiple Symbol Values in the section Symbol Table and Symbol Maintenance. For information about the assignment of multiple symbol values to Suffix symbol, see Symbol Replacement with Multiple Symbol Values.

Restartable Only applies to BS2000.

The job can be restarted automatically. Possible selection options:

  • Restart
    The job is to be restarted without any recovery after a system crash.

  • No restart
    No automatic restart after a system crash.

  • BS2000/RESTART
    The job is to be restarted when repeated. SYSOUT files are not renamed.

    Automatic SYSOUT rerouting can be delayed with the following line right after the /LOGON instruction: 

    /REMARK EOR-SYSOUT-DIRECT=LATER

    Later, the following line must appear: 

    /REMARK EOR-SYSOUT-DIRECT=NOW

    This allows user-defined actions before using a SYSOUT file.

Additional Restart Criteria:

Job submission time must be before the last IPL time and the job must not be terminated. The field Monitor JV must contain $R. The system session number at the job check time must be different from the session number at submission time.

Modified  User ID, date and time of the last modification of the job definition.
End-of-Job Action Job output conditions. Possible selection options:

  • No impact on the job result
    Errors during End-of-Job action processing will have no impact on the job result.

  • Errors impact the job result
    Errors during End-of-Job action processing will have an impact on the job result.

    Output condition(s) for the job will be set after all End-of-Job actions are performed. This includes End-of-Job action (EJA) exits. Any error in the End-of-Job action processing will cause the setting of the conditions for job not ok. If the job was already set to not ok, it will remain not ok, regardless of the definition here.

    Notes:

    1. Setting this flags can cause a longer elapsed time of a network, because the condition setting waits for the termination of the other End-of-Job actions.
    2. The network level setting will be overridden by job settings.

  • Inherited from the network
    If the field is empty, the job will inherit the condition from its network at activation time. This is the default.

Milestone types

Milestone job types.

You can set single or multiple milestone attributes (types) for a job that performs an important task within a job network, such as tracking significant events or controlling the successful completion of other jobs.

Possible selection options for user-defined milestones:

  • Network Begin
    The milestone job performs as the first network job.

  • Network End
    The milestone job performs as the last network job.

  • Other
    The milestone job performs in no particular job order.

Possible values for system milestones dynamically set by Entire Operations during job submission (applies to active jobs only):

  • First Job
    The milestone job performs as the first network job.

  • Last Job
    The milestone job performs as the last network job.

You can use the application programming interface NOPUMI1N (see the section API Routines) to define your own milestones.

For further information on milestone jobs, see the section Event Store Milestones in the System Automation Tools documentation.

Escape Characters:

Activation

  		This is the activation escape character. It is a prefix for Natural code lines and symbols to be replaced at activation time. If you change this character, dynamic JCL can become invalid.

See also Symbol Escape Characters (Symbol Maintenance) and Notes about Escape Characters.

Escape Characters:

Submit

  		This is the submission escape character. It is a prefix for symbols to be replaced at submission time. If you change this character, dynamic JCL can become invalid.

Default is the dollar sign ($).

See also Symbol Escape Characters (Symbol Maintenance) and Notes about Escape Characters.

Other pages:
Resources This tabbed page is used to define a prerequisite resource for a job master.

The fields and options on this page are explained in Handling Prerequisite Resources for a Job.

Input Conditions This tabbed page is used to define input conditions for a job master.

The fields and options on this page are explained in Defining and Managing Job Input Conditions.

EOJ Checking This tabbed page is used to add, modify and delete an End-of-Job check for a job master and define a user message for the check. Furthermore, you can define an output condition for the End-of-Job check.

The fields and options on this page are explained in End-of-Job Checking and Actions.

JCL Definition

This tabbed page is not available for all types of jobs.

The fields and options on this page are explained in Defining JCL for a Job.
FTP Definition This tabbed page is not available for all types of jobs.

The fields and options on this page are explained in Defining Parameters for an FTP Job.

Scheduling Parameters This tabbed page allows you to define a schedule for the job.

The fields and options on this page are explained in Scheduling a Job in the section Schedule Maintenance.

User Defined Log Data The fields and options on this tabbed page are explained in Defining Job-Specific Log Information.
Long Description This tabbed page provides the option to write a long descriptive text for a job, in addition to the short job description you can enter in the Description field.

See also Writing and Viewing Online Documentation for a Job.

Subnet This tabbed page is only available for jobs of the type Subnetwork (NET).

The fields and options on this page are described in Fields: Job Type Specific Execution Features in the section Defining a Subnetwork.

OS Specials This tabbed page is not available for all types of jobs.

The fields and options available on this page are described in Fields: Operating System Specific Execution Features.

Note about Escape Characters

The job escape characters will always be used for symbol replacements and macro JCL.

When a job is created or when an escape character is reset, the default value is taken in the following order from:

  1. Network defaults (operating system specific) if defined for the current operating system;

  2. Network definition if non-blank;

  3. Global operating system specific defaults for z/OS and z/VSE, BS2000, UNIX and Windows (Administration documentation).

See also Symbol Escape Characters in the section Symbol Maintenance.

Adding a Job Definition

When defining a new job, you can either enter all required attributes individually, or copy all attributes from an existing job definition.

Start of instruction setTo add a job definition

  1. In the object workspace, select a Job Master node and choose New from the context menu, or press CTRL+N.

    Or:
    Open the Job Master List window and choose the New context function from within the list table, or press CTRL+N.

    A Create new Job Master opens. The fields contained in the window correspond to the fields in the Maintenance Job Master window. They are described in Fields: Job Definition (Master).

  2. Enter the required values.

  3. Choose OK to save your entries.

    The new job master is created and ready to use within the job network.

Start of instruction setTo copy a job definition

  • In the object workspace, select the job you want to copy from Job Master node and proceed as described in Copying Objects.

Writing and Viewing Online Documentation for a Job

You can add a short description of a job when defining a job in the Maintenance Job Master window. This short description appears in the list of jobs in the Job Master List window.

If you wish to add more online documentation for a job, proceed as described in the following instruction.

Start of instruction set To create, view or modify a long job description

  1. In the Maintenance Job Master window, open the tabbed page Long Description similar to the example below:

    graphics/job_long_description.png

  2. In the editor area, write new or replace existing text as required.

    Choose Clear if you want to remove the entire text contained in the editor area.

  3. Choose OK when you are finished.

Once online documentation is written, it can be read by any user who is authorized to access the network to which the job belongs.

You can also display or print online documentation by using the Reporting function described in the section Reporting. If long job descriptions exist, they are included in the Network Description (detailed) report as indicated in the Example of Network Description (detailed).

Deleting a Job Definition

Note:
Deleting a job definition also deletes all definitions made at the job level, including its input conditions and End-of-Job checking and actions. The original JCL is not deleted.

Start of instruction setTo delete a job definition

  1. In the object workspace, select the job you want to delete from the Job Master node.

  2. From the context menu, choose Delete.

    Or:
    Press DELETE.

    A dialog opens where you have to confirm the deletion.

Activating a Single Job Manually

Just as you can perform an ad-hoc manual activation of a job network at any time to allow it to run outside of its scheduled times, you can also manually activate any job at any time, regardless of its position within a job network.

The activated job is assigned its own run number (in sequence with the network run number) and, if you do not change the date or time, is submitted immediately by the Entire Operations Monitor. If the job contains symbols as placeholders for variables, symbol prompting takes place as described in the section Symbol Prompting during Network or Job Activation. If other symbol tables are required, they will be prompted too.

The differences between the manual activation of a single job and the manual activation of a job network are that when a single job is activated:

  • no check for defined input conditions for the job is performed;

  • no output conditions are set by the job.

All other End-of-Job actions defined for the job are executed.

Start of instruction set To activate a job manually

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

    An Activation Job Master window similar to the example below opens:

    graphics/activate_job_master_window.png

    The window title indicates the job (here: JOB-01) to be activated and the owner and network (here: EXAMPLE, B60-FLOW) of the job.

  2. Make your definitions. The fields contained in the window are explained in Fields: Job Activation.

  3. When you are finished, choose Activate.

    The job is activated and listed in the Active Run node.

This section covers the following topics:

Fields: Job Activation

The fields of the Activation Job Master window are described in the following table:

Field Description
Preferred Run Number If input is allowed for this field, you can enter the run number you want to be used for the activated job. Run numbers for further job activations increment from this number.

If the requested run number is in use, Entire Operations assigns the next free number.

If this field contains a zero (0) or no value, Entire Operations (as usual) automatically assigns a run number.

Field input is allowed or not allowed (default) in the network default settings: see the option Allow setting of preferred run number during activation in the section Defaults for Network Options in the Administration documentation.

Normal activation: Use Time in Schedule Select this option to activate the job within the defined time frames (earliest start, latest start, deadline), even if the current date is not a scheduled date for this network. With this option, you can force the same time dependencies as if the network was scheduled and activated automatically.

For more information on network time frames, see Activating a Job Network Manually in the section Network Maintenance.

Normal activation: Activate at Date/Time Shows the current date and time. You can modify date and time to force activation at any time on any date. There is no limitation for future date and time settings.

Note:
No symbol prompting is performed for later activations.

JCL Check only If this option is selected:

Only a JCL check is performed for the job network or job. The required commands are automatically inserted:

z/OS, JES2: TYPRUN=SCAN
z/OS, JES3: EXEC PGM=JCLTEST
BS2000: /MODIFY-SDF-OPTIONS MODE=TEST
UNIX: Script execution with set -vn
Windows: Jobs are executed as Dummy due to JCL Check

Notes:

  1. Active conditions set or reset by job execution for JCL check only do not interfere with active conditions of "real" active jobs or active networks.
  2. These active conditions are marked with the prefix (C) in all windows and lists.
If this option is not selected:  

Normal activation is used.

An actual JCL check is not performed. This is the default.

Displaying Job Dependencies

The Network Diagram function allows you to see which jobs must run before a specific job can start, and which jobs run after it.

You can trace job dependencies through whole networks and display cross-network job links.

Displaying Job Dependencies for a Specific Job

Start of instruction setTo view job dependencies in a network

  1. In the object workspace, select a job from the Job Master or Job Active node.

  2. Open the context menu and choose the Network Diagram function.

    Depending on the node selected, a Diagram Network Master or Diagram Active Run window (see the examples in the section Network Maintenance) opens with a graphical view of the selected network.

    The symbols used to represent the network components and the functions available from the context menu in the diagram, are described in Explanations of Diagram Symbols and Maintenance Functions for Diagrams in the section Network Maintenance.

    In a complex network, you can use the Find function to locate the required job.

Defining Job-Specific Log Information

Entire Operations allows you to define which information is to be logged in addition to the Entire Operations default system log.

This information is defined at the job level and can be job SYSOUT, JCL or selected operating system messages from the SYSOUT.

This section covers the following topics:

Specifying Extended Log Information

Start of instruction setTo specify extended log information

  1. In the Maintenance Job Master window, open the tabbed page User Defined Log Data:

    graphics/userdefinedlogdata_jobmaster.png

  2. Make your definitions. The input fields and options are explained in Fields: User-Defined/Extended Log.

  3. Choose OK to save your definitions.

The logged information can be viewed after job termination using the Browse Log function described in the section Log Information.

Fields: User-Defined/Extended Log

The input fields of the User Defined Log Data page are described in the following table:

Field/Column Description
Log SYSOUT Specifies logging of job SYSOUT files after job termination. Possible check box settings:
checked Logs SYSOUT.
unchecked No SYSOUT files are logged.
SYSOUT logging can also be defined as SYSOUT action as described in the section End-of-Job Checking and Actions.

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

Files (z/OS only)

Input valid only if Log SYSOUT is specified. Enter number(s) of SYSOUT file(s) to be logged.

Log JCL Specifies logging of JCL after job termination. This is useful for dynamically generated JCL or if JCL is frequently modified for different job runs. Possible check box settings:
checked Logs JCL.
unchecked No JCL is logged.
See also JCL Log.
Log System Messages: Specifies operating system messages to be logged. Enter a message code in a field under the Code column.
Log the selected message if it contains one of the following strings Specifies additional selection strings for the message entered and selected in the Code column.

The message will be logged if no additional string is specified, or if at least one specified string will be found in the message.

JCL Log

The JCL log is generated from the following sources:

BS2000 From the ENTER file.

(The ENTER file is deleted after copying into the Entire Operations Log.)

z/OS   If Entire Operations runs on a mainframe: from the SYSOUT.

If Entire Operations does not run on a mainframe: from the active JCL.

z/VSE   From the active JCL.
UNIX   From the effectively submitted shell script.
Windows   From the effectively submitted BAT file.