JCL Realtime (Scenario based) Interview Questions (41 - 50)

41. If the submitter of a job wants to inform another user about the job completion, how can it be done?

To notify another user when a job completes, use the NOTIFY parameter in the JOB statement.

//MYJOB JOB ...,NOTIFY=USERID

USERID → The TSO ID of the user to be notified.

42. In Job processing, what happens in Conversion stage?

In the Conversion stage, the JCL is processed and converted into an internal machine-readable format before execution.

  • Syntax Checking.
  • Symbolic Substitution.
  • Catalog Lookup.
  • PROC Expansion.

43. In Job processing, what happens in Execution stage?

When a job reaches its highest priority, it is executed from the job queue. The JCL is read from the SPOOL, the program is executed, and the output is redirected to the appropriate destination as specified in the JCL.

44. How do you code a Null statement?

A Null statement in JCL is coded as // (double slashes) alone on a line. The last line of a JCL job should be a null statement and all the statements after it are ignored.

45. What is the purpose of coding CLASS parameter in job statement?

The CLASS parameter is used to classify the jobs. The classification is based on how much time they are running. i.e., SHORT RUN or LONG RUN jobs. Represents a single character value. CLASS parameter value allows alphabets (A to Z), and numbers (0 to 9).

46. Which parameter is used to check the syntax of a JCL without executing it?

The TYPRUN=SCAN parameter is used to validate JCL syntax without executing the job.

  • Performs Syntax Checking.
  • Identifies Missing/Incorrect Parameters.
  • Does Not Allocate Resources.

47. Which utility is used a dummy utility?

The IEFBR14 utility is used as a dummy utility in JCL.

  • Creates or deletes datasets without performing any processing
  • Allocates space for a new dataset without running a program
  • Used for testing JCL execution without doing any actual work

48. What DISP parameter we mention for creation of temporary dataset so that we can use it in later steps?

To create a temporary dataset and use it in subsequent steps, use DISP=(NEW,PASS).

//STEP1  EXEC PGM=MYPROG
//TEMPDS DD DSN=&&MYTEMP,DISP=(NEW,PASS),
//              SPACE=(CYL,5),
//              DCB=(RECFM=FB,LRECL=80)
//*
//STEP2  EXEC PGM=NEXTPROG
//INPUT  DD DSN=&&MYTEMP,DISP=(OLD,DELETE)

49. Which statement is used to end the in-stream procedure in a JCL?

The PEND (Procedure End) statement is used to terminate an in-stream procedure (PROC) in JCL.

50. If we want to use a GDG which is already created by some job, then how to use the reference of the last generation in a JCL?

To reference the last created generation of a GDG (Generation Data Group), use GDG(0).