This parameter specifies the name of the PROCLIB member representing a job or procedure to be started asynchronously. Unless DFM00 specifies RESTRICT_START(NO), the first 3 characters of the procedure or command must be "DFM."

Optional parameters can also be provided. The z/OS® limit for the total length of the job name and its parameters is 124 bytes.

DFM will verify that an address space for running the procedure was created, but will not verify that the procedure exists or that it ever completes successfully. That is, the started job runs asynchronously.

It is possible to run some existing PROCLIB members that may not have particular initialization requirements by using only the AGENT keyword. However, it is not recommended because return codes will not be passed back to DFM. It is expected that there will usually be a need for extended parameter passing. The AGENT parameter should be used in conjunction with the PARM and PGM parameters even if the PARM parameter is the null value of PARM() or the PGM name is the same as the agent name.

DFM imposes a limit of 256 bytes for the file name and file name suffix and for the total length of the parameters (AGENT, PARM, PC_CCISD, START, and so on) that can be passed.

As with the other filename suffix parameters, unidentified or misspelled keywords are ignored and the first (leftmost) is used in case of duplicate keywords.