Difference between overriding and symbolic parameters

karthi_ind · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 11:42 am

Hi all,

Following are the questions asked in IBM interview

1) difference between overriding and symbolic parameters
Ans - In symbolic the value for the symbolic is supplied when the PROC is invoked, in overriding it replaces the PROC's statement with another one.

2) Types of overriding parameter

3) how to execute only a particular step in a proc, for example there are 4 steps in a proc and I need to only execute step 3 and not step 1, 2 or 4. This I have to do in job itself.
Ans - COND.STEPNAME

4) how to split the input file into 5 output files with equally distributing the records to each files. letz say if the input file has 100 records then each file will have 20 recs.
This we can do by using DFSORT or SYNCSORT. But I want to know the actual code for this.

Can anyone please elaborate answers for each questions and correct me if the answer is wrong.

Thanks
Karthik

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:45 pm

Let's start with - What were your answers?

PeterHolland · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:51 pm

expat · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:10 pm

karthi_ind · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:55 pm

Hi Guys,

I answered whatever i know. Thanks.

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:41 pm

Now as I'm beaten up a bit and new pair of glasses are on their way...

1. Symbolic Parameters are used to override the parameters of an EXEC/DD statement. There are 2 types:

a. System Symbols Ex: &SYSUID
b. JCL Symbols (Symbolic Parameter)

Override parameters are used to override or to counteract the force or effectiveness of (or nulllify) DD/EXEC statements on the fly.

2. I'm not pretty sure if there are more feathers to this question, however, you can override an in-stream or cataloged procedure by following types

Overriding, nullifying, or adding EXEC statement parameters
Overriding, nullifying, or adding parameters to DD or OUTPUT JCL statements
Adding DD or OUTPUT JCL statements

3. If step003 is a not a PROC, RESTART=STEP003,COND=(0,LE) on the jobcard.

4. A straight forward answer is, use the below JCL:

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:35 pm

Hello,

Questions 3 and 4 have been forum topics multiple times. Suggest you search the forum and if you find something that is unclear, post what you found and your doubt. Someone will be able to clarify.

Also, i'm not sure why question 3 is asked so often (i suppose the interviewers just don't know any better). None of the systems i have ever supported does this. It is rather common to restart from some point and complete a job, but to run only step 3 of 7 just is not needed. . .

karthi_ind · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:26 am

Thanks Anuj.
Thanks Dick.

I have few clarifications on your answers

For the 3rd question you have mentioned that we can give
restart=step003,cond(0,le) but step003 is available in proc
so do we need to mention proc also in restart like
restart=proc1.step003,cond(0,le).. am i correct? I also need to
execute only this step alone.

For 4th question if the records are not equal like 102 or 104 then those needs to be written in the last file i.e 5th file. so how can we code this in SORT logic.

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:22 pm

Hello,

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:38 pm

As Dick has suggested, please make use of search button, if it does not work - I'll have some work for McMillian...

Ajay Baghel · Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:09 pm

Q3 Restart the job from STEP3 and edit cond parameter to COND=(0,LE) in step4.

Alternatively, you can use IEBEDIT to selectivley executes steps in a JCL

Q4
SPLIT --> will move 1st rec to first o/p file, 2nd rec to second file and so on. On reaching last file, next record is moved to first file and so on in cyclic order.
SPLITBY=N-->will move 1st N recs to first o/p file, next N recs in input to second file and so on. On reaching last file, next N recs are moved to first file and so on in cyclic order.

SPLIT1R=N-->will move 1st N recs to first o/p file, next N recs in input to second file and so on. On reaching LAST file, "all the remaining records in input file" are moved to last file. No cyclic order here.

gcicchet · Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 6:39 am

Hi Dick,

karthi_ind · Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:22 am

Thanks All.

Ajay - I tried all Split commands and it is working fine. Thanks for that.

Karthik

dick scherrer · Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:30 pm

Hi Gerry,

Possibly we are not "on the same page". . .

I didn't have anything handy to run to post as an example but this:
publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/handheld/Connected/BOOKS/iea2b680/20.23.2
and this:
publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/handheld/Connected/BOOKS/iea2b680/20.23.6
do not have procstepname in the restart - just the stepname.

What might i be missing?

gcicchet · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 3:19 pm

Hi Dick,

this may or may not make more sense

www.ibmmainframes.com/post-6914.html

Also here is some output from 2 tests I carried out

dick scherrer · Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:34 pm

Hi Gerry,

The posted jcl error is from a job that appears to use multiple procs - in which case procstepname would be required.

My observation is for jobs that use only one proc. . . Which is about 99% of our production jobs - which are the ones most likely to be restarted. . .

gcicchet · Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 1:41 am

Hi Dick,

kumar119119 · New User Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 23 Location: Pune

Hi Gerry,

I read the above post,
I understood one thing,
i.e

dick scherrer,said that
If a JOB has single PROC we use RESTART=STEP2,
here STEP2=procstepname,
no need to give RESTART=jobstepname.procstepname,

But,
You provided the spool info. on this & you said

RESTART=jobstepname.procname
is must for single proc/ two or more procs

is my understanding correct or not?
please tell me,

Thanks in advance.

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:02 pm

Just a suggestion - Why not you also do an experiment like Gerry did?

kumar119119 · New User Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 23 Location: Pune

Hi Anuj Dhawan,
Good Evening,

Actually I released from the project,
I need to join in a week in another MNC,

So I can't do anything,

So, Please tell me this,

is RESTART=procstepname sufficient instead of RESTART=jobstepname.procstepname ?

Please tell me,
else sorry, I will stop asking

Thank you.

mmwife · Super Moderator Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 1592

Hi Karthi,