JOB TRACKING RESPONSIBILITY IN A JES COMPLEX

Answer

When a job executes in a TWS-z/OS - controlled JES2 Multi-Access Spool complex, or in a JES3 GLOBAL/LOCAL complex, various phases of processing (INPUT, CONVERSION, EXECUTION, OUTPUT, PRINT, PURGE) may occur on different members of
the JES complex.

TWS-z/OS detects each of these phases as it tracks job status. In each case, the TRACKER on the system where a given phase occurs is responsible for capturing the required information about that phase of processing, and reporting it to the CONTROLLER.

When debugging JOBTRACKING problems, it is necessary to determine on which member of the JES complex each phase of processing occurred for a given job so the cause of the problem can be isolated to a specific TRACKER started task, or the communications between that TRACKER and the OPC ENGINE (CONTROLLER).

The most certain way to make this determination is via examination of the SMF26 (purge) record for the job in question. In the SMF26 ACTUALS section of the record are the fields SMF26RID, SMF26CID, SMF26XID, and SMF26OID. These are the SMFIDs of the systems (LPARS) on which the INPUT, CONVERSION, EXECUTION, and OUTPUT phases of processing occurred.

It is important to understand that in a JES2 MAS environment, CONVERSION (in the absence of a specified SYSTEM AFFINITY), and OUTPUT (REGARDLESS of SYSAFF) processing may occur on ANY ACTIVE MEMBER of the MAS. EVERY MEMBER of the MAS has CONVERSION and OUTPUT PCEs, regardless of whether any INITIATORS are active on that member. Thus it is an ABSOLUTE ARCHITECTURAL REQUIREMENT of TWSz that there be an TRACKER running, and in communication with the CONTROLLER on every member of the MAS which is reported as ACTIVE via the $DMEMBER(*) command.

In a JES3 environment, all INPUT, CONVERSION,OUTPUT, and PURGE processing is done by the JES3 GLOBAL system.