Errors that prevent step execution, regardless of COND specifications

Certain error conditions prevent the system from executing a step, regardless of any requests specified through the COND parameter. These conditions are as follows:

You might encounter other system completion codes for which remaining job steps are not executed, regardless of whether EVEN or ONLY was specified. See z/OS MVS System Codes for further information about specific system completion codes.

Backward references to data sets: If a step is bypassed because of its COND parameter or if a step abnormally terminates, a data set that was to have been created or cataloged in the step may not exist, may not be cataloged, or may be incomplete. Thus, a job step should not refer to a data set being created or cataloged in a step that could be bypassed or abnormally terminated. If the job step does make such a reference, the system might not be able to execute the step.

When the program does not have control: For the system to act on the COND parameter, the step must abnormally terminate while the program has control. If a step abnormally terminates during scheduling, due to failures such as JCL errors or the inability to allocate space, the system bypasses the remaining steps, no matter what the COND parameter requests.