1

I have submitted the below code in JCL in ISPF and while submitting it is showing "Enter JOBname Characters".

On entering a character such as 'j', it is appending 'j' with jobname.. but what does that mean? Why it is asking to enter it, and what happens next once job is submitted successfully? What can we do with that appended jobname?

The code is as follows :

//TRC186 JOB (TRC,TRC,TRC186,D2,DT99X),CLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=(1,1), 
// MSGCLASS=A,NOTIFY=&SYSUID 
//STEP1 EXEC PGM=IEFBR14 
//SYSPRT1 DD DSN=TRGXXX.TEST.COBOL,DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE), 
// SPACE=(TRK,(1,2,1),RLSE), 
// DCB=(RECFM=FB,LRECL=80,BLKSIZE=800) 
//SYSOUT DD SYSOUT=* 
//

On saving and submiting it is showing

ENTER JOBNAME CHARACTERS
J (Random character entered by me)
the status is job TRC186J submitted successfully.

Bill Woodger
  • 12,968
  • 4
  • 38
  • 47
VIBHAV PANDEY
  • 65
  • 2
  • 9

3 Answers3

4

TRC186 is your TSO userid.

When you logon to TSO, there is a JOB called TRC186 which is started.

It turns out that when using the TSO SUBMIT command (which is what is happening when you type SUBMIT) you can't sumbit a JOB that has the same name as your TSO id.

It is possible for your site to arrange that JOBs with the same name can only run consecutively. Thus a job summitted which has the same name as your TSO id would only run once you logged-off.

It is probably documented somewhere, whether a reason is stated is something you can investigate yourself if you are keen.

I've never submitted a JOB with just my userid, so didn't know this would happen.

When using SUBMIT, you can get a JOB statement generated. If you accidentally SUBMIT a program-source, you will be asked the same question you were presented with, as the JOB card generated will begin with your userid. That I've done on the odd occasion.

Bill Woodger
  • 12,968
  • 4
  • 38
  • 47
4

This is an expansion on Bills Answer explaining the zOS logon process for those who are interested.

When you logon on to TSO, on the logon screen, there is a proc (or procedure) option. This field holds a JCL-Procedure that resides in SYS1.PROCLIB. Most users will only be allowed to use one logon JCL Procedure.

Sample TSO logon screen: enter image description here

When you logon, zOS submits a job with your user-name calling the JCL Procedure specified when you logon. If you look at your Logon-Procedure you will see

  • A step that runs TSO
  • SYSIN, SYSPRINT etc are allocated to the Terminal
  • Probably an initial Rexx/Clist program to be run
  • Probably not much else

It is possible to allocate all kinds of files / libraries in the JCL-Procedure (and this was done in the past) but:

  • if a dataset specified in the JCL-procedure gets deleted you get a JCL-Error and user's can not logon.
  • It is far safer to allocate datasets in an initial Rexx procedure

A Jcl Logon Procedure may look like (this example is a bit out of date):

//IKJACCNT PROC                                      
//IKJACCNT EXEC PGM=IKJEFT01,DYNAMNBR=500,PARM=ISPPDF
//SYSPROC  DD DISP=SHR,DSN=IBMUSER.LINDY.REXX     
//SYSIN    DD TERM=TS
//SYSPRINT DD TERM=TS,SYSOUT=*

. where ISPPDF is an initialization rexx program residing in IBMUSER.LINDY.REXX.

For a User you can lock down there logon by executing the required task and then logging them off e.g.

/* Rexx locked down User initial program */

    /*  Do some allocations here */  

    'ispf panel(userMenu)' /* display a menu of there options to the user */

    'logoff'
Bruce Martin
  • 10,358
  • 1
  • 27
  • 38
1

While not the direct answer to your problem, I also experienced this error when I accidentally left off the first / in my JCL. 

    /TRC186J JOB (TRC,TRC,TRC186,D2,DT99X),CLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=(1,1),
    // MSGCLASS=A,NOTIFY=&SYSUID

Putting the / back in fixed the issue. 

    //TRC186J JOB (TRC,TRC,TRC186,D2,DT99X),CLASS=A,MSGLEVEL=(1,1),
    // MSGCLASS=A,NOTIFY=&SYSUID
Anthony K
  • 2,543
  • 4
  • 32
  • 41