Normal termination disposition subparameter

DELETE

Indicates that the data set is no longer needed if this step terminates normally.

For a DASD data set, DELETE means that the space occupied by that data set is available for use by other data sets. The system will physically erase the data set itself only if the erase option of a security product, such as RACF®, is in effect for this data set. If the erase option is not in effect, the data will remain on the DASD until overwritten by another data set. For information on how to set the erase option, see the documentation for the security product.

For a tape data set, DELETE does not physically erase the data from the tape volume. The data will remain on the tape until overwritten by another data set. If the tape volume is a public volume, specifying DELETE allows the system to reuse the tape volume for other data sets that require a public volume; the system may overwrite the data set.

Note:

DELETE requests are always treated as requiring exclusive serialization, preventing other jobs using the data set until it is deleted. This occurs even when DISP=(SHR,DELETE) is coded. As such, data sets with DISP=(SHR,DELETE) will not have its control changed, even when DSENQSHR=ALLOW is specified on the JOB card or in the JOBCLASS. End of change

Existing data sets:

If you set a retention period on the DD RETPD parameter, an existing data set is deleted only if its retention period is passed; otherwise the data set is kept.
If you set an expiration date on the DD EXPDT parameter, an existing data set is deleted if the expiration date has passed.
If the storage administrator specified OVRD_EXPDT(YES) in the IGDSMSxx member of SYS1.PARMLIB, you can override the expiration date or retention period for SMS-managed data sets by specifying DELETE on the DD DISP parameter. In that case, the data set will be deleted whether or not the expiration date or the retention period has passed. See z/OS MVS Initialization and Tuning Reference for information on the IGDSMSxx parmlib member.

New data sets:

A new data set is deleted at the end of the step even though a retention period or expiration date is also specified. See the DD EXPDT or RETPD parameters.

If the system retrieves volume information from the catalog because the DD statement does not specify VOLUME=SER or VOLUME=REF, then DELETE implies UNCATLG: the system deletes the data set and removes its catalog entry.

KEEP

Indicates that the data set is to be kept on the volume if this step terminates normally.

Without SMS, only KEEP is valid for VSAM data sets. VSAM data sets should not be passed, cataloged, uncataloged, or deleted.

With SMS, all dispositions are valid for VSAM data sets; however, UNCATLG is ignored.

For new SMS-managed data sets, KEEP implies CATLG.

PASS

Indicates that the data set is to be passed for use by a subsequent step in the same job.

With SMS, the system replaces PASS with KEEP for existing VSAM data sets. When you refer to the data set later in the job, the system obtains data set information from the catalog.

Note:

A data set can be passed only within a job.
If you specify DISP=(NEW,PASS) but, at the end of the job, one or more data sets were not received by any job step, then the maximum number of DD statements you can specify decreases by one. (The size of the TIOT controls how many DD statements are allowed per job step.) For example, if the current limit is 1635 DD statements, you can specify DISP=(NEW,PASS), and up to 1634 DD statements.
Coding PASS does not ensure that the operator will not unload the volume or that the system will not demount it to accommodate another job step allocation. Either can occur when the device on which the volume is mounted is not allocated to the job step that specified PASS or, for unlabeled tapes, when the volume requires verification. If the system does demount a volume for which RETAIN was requested, it will do so by issuing message IEF234E R (retain) for that volume. When the system reaches the next step requiring that volume, it will request the operator to remount the volume on an available device of the appropriate type.

CATLG

Indicates that, if the step terminates normally, the system is to place an entry pointing to the data set in the catalog. Note that the data set is kept.

An unopened tape data set is cataloged, unless the volume request is nonspecific or unless the data set is allocated to a dual-density tape drive but no density is specified. A nonspecific volume request is a DD statement for a new data set that can be assigned to any volume or volumes.

For information about the rules for cataloged data set names, see z/OS DFSMS Access Method Services Commands.

UNCATLG

Indicates that, if the step terminates normally, the system is to delete (1) the entry pointing to the data set in the catalog and (2) unneeded indexes, except for the highest level entry. Note that the data set is kept.

With SMS, UNCATLG is ignored for SMS-managed data sets and VSAM data sets (KEEP is implied).

By default, if the system retrieves volume information from the catalog, UNCATLG is processed. If not, the UNCATLG request is rejected and UNCATLG is treated as KEEP. Volume information is not retrieved from the catalog when VOLUME=REF or VOLUME=SER is specified on the DD statement, or for new data sets. However, if the ALLOCxx Parmlib setting for SYSTEM VERIFY_UNCAT is TRACK, MSGTRACK, or LOGTRACK, the UNCATLG request is honored and the data set is uncataloged regardless of whether or not the volume information in the catalog matches the volume information that is used for the dataset.