Abnormal termination (conditional) disposition subparameter

DELETE

Indicates that the data set’s space on the volume is to be released if this step terminates abnormally. The space can be used for other data sets; the data set is not erased from the space.

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.

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.
You can override the expiration date or retention period for SMS-managed DASD data sets using the OVRD_EXPDT(YES) parameter in the IGDSMSxx SYS1.PARMLIB member. In that case, the data set will be deleted whether or not the data set has expired 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.

For a cataloged, passed data set, the catalog is not updated.

KEEP

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

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.

CATLG

Indicates that, if the step terminates abnormally, 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.

For a cataloged, passed data set, the catalog is not updated. A passed, not received data set is not cataloged if the data set name has a first-level qualifier of a catalog name or alias.

UNCATLG

Indicates that, if this step terminates abnormally, 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.

For a cataloged, passed data set, the catalog is not updated.

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.