MAINFRAME - TIP OF THE DAY : Q.

If there is a situation, where we need to code

more than 255 steps in a JOB? A. We need to split jcl into two jcls , at the end of the
first jcl check the condition code and initiate the second jcl.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

JCL Interview Questions on Generation Data Group (GDG)

Q: What is a Generation Data Group (GDG)?

A: A generation Data Group is a group of chronologically or functionally related datasets.
GDGs are processed periodically, often by adding a new generation, retaining previous
generations, and sometimes discarding the oldest generation.

Q: How is GDG base created?

A: A GDG base is created in the system catalog and keeps track of the generation
numbers used for datasets in the group. IDCAMS utility is used to define the GDG base
for MVS/XA, and MVS/ESA. Older systems required that the IEHPROGM utility be
used.

Q: What is model dataset label (Model DSCB)?

Q: What is the advantage in using generation data groups?

Q: How are GDG concatenated?

Q: How are different generations specified?

Q: What is the status of the GDG when an abend occurs?

Q: How is a previous GDG coded?

Q: How is the current GDG coded?

Q: How is a new GDG coded?

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JCL Technical Interview Questions Answers and Explanations
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Interview-Questions
Overview:Mainframe JCL Technical Interview Questions Answers
,Explanations,FAQs,Solutions

Q: What do you mean by INCLUDE statement in JCL?

A: An INCLUDE statement identifies a member of a PDS that contains this set of JCL
statements is called an INCLUDE group. The system replaces the INCLUDE statement
with the statements in the INCLUDE group.

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IBM JCL Interview Questions and Answers
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Interview-Questions
Tags:IBM JCL Interview Questions and Answers,IBM JCL Interview,JCL
Technical Interview Questions,JCL Frequently Asked Questions

What are the differences between JES2 & JES3 ?

JES3 allocates Data Sets for all the steps before the job is scheduled. In JES2, allocation
of Data Sets Required by a step are done only just before the step executes. JOB
/EXEC/DD ALL PARAMETERS JOBLIB/STEPLIB PROCEDURES, PARAMETERS
PASSING CONDITION VARIABLES ABEND CODES.

What are the kinds of job control statements?

The JOB, EXEC and DD statement

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Collection of JCL Interview Questions and Answers
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Interview-Questions
Mainframe JCL Interview Questions and Answers Collection that would help the
job seeker to clear upcoming Mainframe Interview.

Q: What are the Maximum number of In-stream procedures you can code in any
JCL?
A: 15.

Q: What you mean by skeleton JCL?

A: JCL, which changes during run time,that is the values for the JCL such as program
name, dd name will change. The same JCL can be used for various jobs, equivalent to
dynamic SQL;

Q: What is JCL
A: It is an interface between operating system (MVS) & the application program. When
two related programs are combined together on control statements, it is called job control
language
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JCL JOB, EXEC, AND PARM Interview Questions, FAQs
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This article provides Mainframe Interview Questions covering JCL questions on
JOB, EXEC, AND PARM

Q: What is the purpose of the JOB statement?

A: The purpose of the JOB statement is to inform the operating system of the start of a
job, give necessary accounting information and supply run parameters. Each job must
begin with a single JOB statement.

Q: How does one identify a job to the Operating system?

A: A job is identified to the system by the use of jobname. Jobnames can range from one
to eight alphabetic characters. The first character must begin in column 3 and be
alphabetic (A-Z). Jobs should be given unique names since duplicate jobnames will not
execute until any job having the same jobname completes execution.

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JCL Interview Questions and Answers Explanation
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Interview-Questions
Tags:Mainframe JCL Interview Questions and Answers ,JCL Concepts
Explanation,JCL Technical Interview Questions,JCL Frequently Asked Questions

What does the keyword DCB mean and what are some of the keywords ?
associated IT DCB stands for data control block; it is a keyword for the DD statement
used to describe Data Sets Keywords associated with it are BLKSIZE, DEN, LRECL and
RECFM.

What is the difference between BLKSIZE and LRECL?

BLKSIZE specifies the number of bytes

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JCL Procedures FAQs, Interview Questions, Answers
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Interview-Questions
Q: How are in-stream procedures (procs) built?
A: In-stream procedures are built by coding a set of statements and placing them after the
JOB statement and before the EXEC statement. In-stream procedures begin with a PROC
statement and end with a PEND statement. Up to 15 in-stream procedures can be
included in a single job.
Each in-stream procedures may be invoked several times within the job. In-stream
procedures can use symbolic parameters in the same way as catalogued procedures.
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JCL UTILITIES and ABEND CODES Interview Questions
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Interview-Questions
JCL UTILITIES and ABEND CODES Interview Questions

Some common utilities used:

1 IEBGENER
• Copy one sequential file to another
• Create datasets with input dataset as DUMMY

2 IEBCOPY
• Copy the partitioned datasets
• Compress the partitioned datasets
• Include members of PDS within a copy transaction
• Exclude members of PDS with in a copy transaction

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JCL Compiling and Execution Interview Questions and Answers
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Mainframe JCL Compiling, Link Editing and Execution Interview Questions,JCL
Interview FAQs and Answers

Q: What does a mainframe compiler output in the object deck and what does the
linkage editor do with it?
A: The compiler outputs the source code into the object deck in a form to be read by the
linkage editor. The linkage editor combines the object dataset (object deck) from the
compiler with machine language code for input/output and other tasks to create an
executable load module.

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JCL Interview Questions and Answers
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Interview-Questions
This article provides IBM Mainframe Interview Questions covering JCL questions
with answers and solutions,IBM Mainframe JCL Codes

1. What is primary allocation for a Data Set?

The space allocated when the Data Set is first created .

2. What is the difference between primary and secondary allocations for a Data Set?
Secondary allocation is done when more space is required than what has already been
allocated

3. How many extents are possible for a Sequential File ? For a VSAM File ?
16 extents on a volume for a Sequential File and 123 for a VSAM File

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Mainframe JCL Interview Questions
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Interview-Questions
Overview:JCL Interview Questions - Mainframe JCL Interview Questions ,JCL
MCQ,Mainframe JCL Multiple Questions Test Preparation

1) What is the function of DD DISP parameter? - JCL

(1) Tells the system what to do with the dataset following normal termination of the step
(2) Describes the status of the dataset
(3) Tells the system what to do with the dataset following abnormal termination of the
step
(4) All of the above

2) How is the record format of an output dataset specified?

(1) RECORG parameter
(2) STORCLAS parameter
(3) RECFM parameter
(4) None of the above

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JCL Exception Handling Interview Questions and Answers
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Interview-Questions
JCL Exception Handling Questions,JCL FAQs

What is an Operation Exception error?

A: An Operation exception error indicates that an operation code is not assigned or the
assigned operations not available on a particular computer model. The machine does not
recognize the instruction or operation used. A possible reasons a subscript error. This
error could also be caused by an attempt to read a file that was not opened, a misspelled
DD statement. The system completion code is 0C1.

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Mainframe Interview Questions and Answers on JCL
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Interview-Questions
This list provides Mainframe Interview Questions covering JCL questions
1. Why do you want to specify the REGION parameter in a JCL step?
To override the REGION defined at the JOB card level REGION specifies the max
region size REGION=0K or 0M or omitting REGION means no limit will be applied

2. What does the TIME parameter signify ? What does TIME=1440 mean ?
TIME parameter can be used to overcome S322 abends for programs that genuinely need
more CPU time TIME=1440 means no CPU time limit is to be applied to this step

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JCL Multiple Choice Interview Questions
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Interview-Questions
JCL MCQ
1. How can values be passed from the job stream to an executable program?
(1) Through the PARM keyword
(2) Through the VALUE parameter
(3) Through the PGM parameter
(4) All of the above

2. Must tape dataset definitions include VOL=SER specifications?

(1) Yes
(2) No
(3) Only for uncataloged datasets
(4) Only for cataloged datasets

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JCL Data Definition Interview Questions and Answers
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Interview-Questions
Q: What is the purpose of the Data Definition (DD) Statement?
A: Data Definition statements describe each dataset (a file on a direct-access storage
device, tape or printed output) and request the allocation of I/O devices.

Q: Describe what the DISP parameter does?

A: The DISP parameter describes the current status of the dataset and directs the system
on the disposition of the dataset either at the end of the job or when the step abnormally
terminates . DISP always required unless the dataset is created and deleted in the same
step
Q: What is the purpose of the Data Definition (DD) Statement?
A: Data Definition statements describe each dataset (a file on a direct-access storage
device, tape or printed output) and request the allocation of I/O devices.

Q: Describe what the DISP parameter does?

A: The DISP parameter describes the current status of the dataset and directs the system
on the disposition of the dataset either at the end of the job or when the step abnormally
terminates . DISP always required unless the dataset is created and deleted in the same
step

Q: How many subparameters does the DISP parameter consist of and what is the
meaning of each?
A: The DISP parameter consists of three subparameters: start-status, end-status-normal
and end-status-abend. Start-status indicates the status of a dataset at the beginning of the
job step. End-status-normal tells MVS what needs to be done with the dataset when the
job step ends. End-status-abend indicates the desired disposition of the dataset if the job
step abend. It is also known as the conditional disposition.

Q: What are the meanings of the parameters used (within) the DISP parameter at
the beginning of the job step?
A: The status NEW, MOD, OLD, or SHR is the status of the dataset at the beginning of
the step. If the dataset is NEW, the system creates a dataset label; if it is OLD, the system
locates the dataset. The system gives a program exclusive control of a database except
when SHR is used.

Q: What are the normal “disposition” of the DISP parameter?

A: The normal disposition indicates the disposition of the dataset when the dataset is
closed or when the job terminates normally. Normal dispositions are KEEP, DELETE,
PASS, CATLG, and UNCATLG.

Q: What is the abnormal “disposition” of the DISP parameter?

A: The abnormal disposition would be effected only if the step abnormally terminates.
They are the same normal disposition as except that PASS is not allowed KEEP,
CATLG, UNCATLG and DELETE are all permitted.

Q: When should DISP=SHR be used?

A: DISP=SHR must be used only when it is necessary to share the dataset.
SHR should b used for input dataset.

Q: When should DISP=MOD be used?

A: DISP=MOD is used to either to extend an existing sequential dataset or to create a
dataset if it does not exist. If the dataset exists the records are appended at the end of the
existing dataset. If the dataset does not exist the system treats mod as if it were NEW,
provided that the volume parameter has not been used. If the volume parameter is used,
the system terminates the job and does not create the new dataset. MOD can be used to
add to the dataset that extends to several volumes. Always specify a disposition of CTLG
with the MOD for cataloged dataset, even if they are already cataloged, so that any
additional volume serial number will be recorded in the catalog.

Q: When should DISP = OLD be used?

A: DISP = OLD should be used for an existing dataset. It can be used with an input
dataset to read or an output dataset to rewrite. The step which uses DISP=OLD will have
exclusive control of the dataset. If an OLD dataset is cataloged, the DSN parameter is
usually the only other parameter needed. If an LD dataset is not cataloged, UNIT and
VOL parameter are required.

Q: When should DISP = NEW be used?

A: DISP=NEW should be used when it is desired to create a dew dataset. The UNIT
parameter is usually required for dataset on direct access volumes.

Q: How is a dataset passed from one step to another?

A: A dataset is passed from one step to another based on what is coded on the DISP
parameter. The dataset can only be passed to subsequent steps if PASS is used on the
disposition parameter.

Q: If a dataset is passed and the subsequent steps do not use it, what happen to the
dataset at the end of the job?
A: If a dataset is passed to subsequent steps and it is not used, at the end of the job the
dataset is deleted, since DELETE is assumed for all NEW datasets, temporary or non
temporary.

Q: What is the default for the disposition parameter if it’s not coded on the DD
statement for a dataset?
A: The default disposition used on a dataset, which was coded without a disposition
parameter, is NEW. The disposition of NEW implies exclusive control of the dataset.

Q: How are dataset concatenated?

A: Datasets are concatenated by writing a normal DD statement for the first dataset and
the adding a DD statement without a DDNAME for each dataset to be concatenated in
the order they are to be read. The following is an example of three datasets concatenated:
//INSMP DD DSN=JAN.DATA, DISP=SHR
// DD DSN=FEB.DATA, DISP=SHR
// DD DSN=MAR.DATA, DISP=SHR

Q: Can datasets of a different record length (LRECL) be concatenated?

A: Datasets with different LRECLs can be concatenated as long as the dataset with the
largest block size appears first.

Q: Can Partitioned Datasets (PDSs) be concatenated?

A: Partitioned Datasets can be concatenated. This is often done for program libraries so
that the system can search several libraries fro a member.

Q: What is a Data Control Block (DCB)?

A: The Data Control Block is a table of data, in storage, that describes each dataset used
by the program.

Q: What are two different places from which DCB information can be obtained and
in what order?
A: Data information can be obtained from three places in the following order:
The data control block, from application program, is used first.
Information supplied on the DD statement is used second.
Dataset label information for the DCB is used third.

Q: What is the purpose of using a dataset referback?

A: A dataset referback is used to copy a dataset name from a prior job step.

Q: What are the disadvantages of using a dataset referback?

A: The disadvantages of using dataset referback is that they tend to make JCL more
difficult to maintain because close attention, scrutiny and manual examination of
preceding steps is needed to understand what a given job-stream is doing. They also
complicate the restart of a job if a failure or interruption occurs.

Q: Under which circumstances is the disposition parameter not performed?

A: Disposition is not performed under the following circumstances:
The step does not start because of JCL errors.
The step is bypassed because of the COND parameter in the JOB or EXEC statement
The step abnormally terminates because it could not find enough space to satisfy the
request.
DUMMY or DSN=NULLFILE is coded on the DD statement.