Held Classes in a JES2 system

An installation option at JES2 initialization determines if both the class for the sysout data set and the class for the job’s messages must be held in order for a sysout data set to be held.

A sysout data set is held in the following cases:

The sysout DD statement contains HOLD=YES.
The sysout DD statement does not contain a HOLD parameter or contains HOLD=NO but requests a class that the installation defined as held and defined as:
- Not requiring the message class to be a held class in order for the sysout data set to be held. The JOB statement MSGCLASS parameter can specify any class.
- Requiring the message class to be a held class in order for the sysout data set to be held. The JOB MSGCLASS parameter must also specify a held class.
The OUTPUT JCL statement specifies OUTDISP=HOLD.

A sysout data set is not held in the following cases:

The sysout DD statement does not contain a HOLD parameter or contains HOLD=NO and requests:
- A class that the installation defined as not held.
- A class that the installation defined as held and defined as requiring the message class to be a held class in order for the sysout data set to be held. The JOB MSGCLASS parameter must specify a class that is not held.

Contact the installation to find out if holding the sysout class depends on a held MSGCLASS class.