how to find current time thru jcl

PrabakarV · New User Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 88 Location: My Desk

Need to find the current time and send a mail if its crossed 10:00PM.

Currently we have a simple COBOL program, which will check the time and set an abnormal RC, based on the RC the mail step will be executed. Now we have planned to remove this COBOL program and do the check in JCL itself E.x, using SORT CARD etc.,

Can anyone know how to find the current time and set a RC if the time crossed 10:00PM in SORT card or anyother way.

expat · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:05 pm

Have you not considered using the scheduling software to schedule the required job/action at 22:01 ?

PrabakarV · New User Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 88 Location: My Desk

i believe that can be done... but i am curious about getting current date or time thru jcl... is that possible Expat? guidance appreciated.

expat · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:24 pm

Well, JCL by itself does absolutely nothing except convey to the CPU which program needs to be executed, and which files to use for the processing. So by using JCL alone, the answer is a big fat NO

So why do you want to waste valuable resource by running something that constantly checks to see what time it is and only at a certain time do something else.

The scheduling software is the easiest and cleanest way of doing this.

PrabakarV · New User Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 88 Location: My Desk

Thank u very much Expat... i have searched the forums well & i came to a conclusion what u said above before u say... but i was curious that if anyone know if it is possible whether jcl has such option...

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:14 pm

Prabakar,

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:20 pm

Robert Sample · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:33 pm

Bill Dennis · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:10 pm

Prabakar,

The responders are attempting to explain that JCL alone is not what performs any action. It takes a PROGRAM, defined using JCL statements, to read/write/print, etc.

As you hinted by mentioning SORT CARD, a utility program such as DFSORT may allow you to accomplish your goal. You will, however, still be executing a program with several logical steps and not simply using JCL. This is the concept you should learn.

Why replace a functioning COBOL program with a hodge-podge of utility program executions?

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:27 pm

Hello,

Possibly, i misunderstand something, but why is there a cobol program to set some return code at all?

Is there some reason that the e-mail is not simply scheduled to run at the proper time?

How many times is this process currently executed?

Bill Dennis · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:38 pm

Dick,
My take on this was that a step in the executing job determines whether it's after 10pm and sets a RC to generate an email saying "I'm late!", or whatever.

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:19 pm

Hi Bill,

Surely could be

My "fear" was that there was an initiator blocked until 10pm. . .

d