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To indicate a continuation line in JCL, you use a _______ character in column 72.

  • *
  • +
  • -
  • /
The + character in column 72 indicates a continuation line in JCL
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Your JCL job processes input data, and you need to specify that if the input dataset is not found, the job should still continue without errors. How would you configure the DD statement to handle this situation?

  • //INPUT DD DSN=EXISTING.DATA.SET,DISP=(MOD,CATLG,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE),IF=EXISTS
  • //INPUT DD DSN=EXISTING.DATA.SET,DISP=(MOD,CATLG,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE),IF=NONAME
  • //INPUT DD DSN=EXISTING.DATA.SET,DISP=(OLD,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE),IF=EXISTS
  • //INPUT DD DSN=EXISTING.DATA.SET,DISP=(OLD,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE),IF=NONAME
To handle a situation where the input dataset may not be found, the DD statement uses the IF parameter with EXISTS or NONAME to conditionally process the step without causing errors.
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Explain the difference between "AFTER" and "WHEN COND" job dependencies in JCL.

  • "AFTER" and "WHEN COND" are interchangeable
  • "AFTER" specifies a job to run after the dependent job completes successfully
  • "WHEN COND" is used to specify conditions for job execution
  • Both "AFTER" and "WHEN COND" serve the same purpose
"AFTER" specifies a sequential relationship, while "WHEN COND" allows conditional execution
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In JCL, a comment statement is enclosed within _______.

  • (
  • *
  • /*
  • //
Comments in JCL are enclosed within //
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You have a JCL job that needs to write output data to a new dataset. How would you define the DD statement to allocate this new dataset with a specific dataset name?

  • //OUTPUT DD DSN=NEW.DATA.SET,DISP=(MOD,CATLG,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE)
  • //OUTPUT DD DSN=NEW.DATA.SET,DISP=(MOD,CATLG,MOD),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE)
  • //OUTPUT DD DSN=NEW.DATA.SET,DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE)
  • //OUTPUT DD DSN=NEW.DATA.SET,DISP=(NEW,CATLG,MOD),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE)
The correct DD statement allocates a new dataset named NEW.DATA.SET with DISP parameter specifying it as new, cataloged, and deleted if it already exists, with space allocation in cylinders.
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In a JCL job, you need to allocate a temporary dataset for sorting. How would you use the DD statement to achieve this, and what attributes would you specify?

  • //SORTIN DD DSN=&&TEMPDS,DISP=(MOD,CATLG,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE)
  • //SORTIN DD DSN=&&TEMPDS,DISP=(MOD,PASS),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE)
  • //SORTIN DD DSN=&&TEMPDS,DISP=(NEW,CATLG,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE)
  • //SORTIN DD DSN=&&TEMPDS,DISP=(OLD,DELETE),SPACE=(CYL,(5,5),RLSE)
To allocate a temporary dataset for sorting, the DD statement uses a special dataset name (starting with &&) and specifies DISP as MOD to ensure it can be modified between job steps.
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You need to use the IEBGENER utility to copy a dataset with specific record format conversions. How would you specify the necessary control statements?

  • //SYSCTL DD *
  • //SYSCTL DD DSN=your_control_statements_dataset
  • //SYSIN DD *
  • //SYSOUT DD *
The control statements for IEBGENER are typically specified in the //SYSIN DD statement. These statements include control statements such as 'COPY' and may also involve specifying record format conversions or other required operations.
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In JCL, what is the default execution time if the TIME parameter is not specified?

  • 1 hour
  • 10 minutes
  • 15 minutes
  • 30 minutes
The default execution time is typically 10 minutes if the TIME parameter is not specified
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In a JCL job, you have a dataset with a BLKSIZE of 4096, and each record is 80 bytes. How many records can fit in one block, and what impact does this have on I/O performance?

  • 128 records
  • 32 records
  • 50 records
  • 64 records
BLKSIZE/Record Length = Number of records per block. Smaller blocks can lead to higher I/O overhead, while larger blocks may result in inefficient space utilization. Choosing an optimal size is crucial for I/O.
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Define what a VSAM cluster is in the context of IDCAMS.

  • a backup of a data set
  • a collection of related data records
  • a method for compressing data sets
  • a type of IDCAMS command
In IDCAMS, a VSAM cluster refers to a collection of related data records
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