B620 Advanced Topics in z/OS JCL

Course Code: B-620
Recommended Duration: 3 Days

Benefits

Students who complete this course will be able to code JCL to run test and production batch jobs, use some common batch utility programs, and use a Sort / Merge program product, including using symbolic names; debug many JCL errors; set up JCL for restart; use some JES2 or JES3 control statements.

Audience

Experienced programmers, operators, analysts, support staff and users who need to know how to code JCL to run jobs in a z/OS environment. Anyone who needs to work with procedures, handle JCL errors, and design / code JCL to deal with multi-volume data sets, restart, SMS data sets, or HFS files.

Prerequisites

A working understanding of JCL.

Related IBM Materials

This course is drawn from these and other IBM manuals; access to these publications in the classroom is desirable but not required:

SA22-7597 - JCL Reference
SC33-4035 - DFSORT (may substitute if not using the IBM Sort/Merge product)
SC26-7414 - Utilities
SC26-7394 - Access Method Services
SA22-7637 - Messages, Volume 7
SC26-7401 - Checkpoint / Restart

Major Topics Include

Data sets and libraries; DASD organization, VTOCs and catalogs
z/OS organization and workflow
Introduction to Work Load Manager (WLM)
JCL: rules of syntax
JOB, EXEC, DD, OUTPUT statements
OPEN processing
Sources of Information
Debugging JCL
Multi-volume data sets
Extended Format data sets
Striped data sets
HFS files
Utilities: IEFBR14, IEBGENER, IEBCOPY
Introduction to IDCAMS
Conditional JCL: IF/THEN, ELSE, ENDIF
Cataloged procedures
Symbolic parameters in procedures and in open JCL
JES internal readers
Step restart, checkpoint restart
JES control statements
SMS - Storage Management Subsystem and PDSEs
INCLUDE, SET, JCLLIB
Sort / Merge, including multiple output files and symbolic name capabilities

Exercises

There are five standard exercises and two optional exercises, all hands-on.

Special note:

This course includes large portions of course B-610 (z/OS JCL and Utilities), usually in a deeper exploration, plus material not covered in that course.

Course Description

Advanced Topics in z/OS JCL