Introduction.

Today, IBM Mainframe computers play a crucial role in the day to day operations of most of the world largest corporations, including most Fortune 1000 companies. Even though many business applications use other forms of computing, the Mainframe occupies a coveted position in the current e business environment. The mainframe computer continues to form the foundation of modern business in industries such as banking, health care, insurance, public utilities, and government. When you work in the mainframe computing world, you must know JCL (i.e. job control language or Mainframe JCL), which tells Z/OS what resources are required to process a batch job or start a system task.

What is JCL in Mainframe?

The term JCL stands for Job Control Language. JCL is a scripting language used by IBMs mainframe systems to instruct the systems on how to initiate a batch job or start an online subsystem particular, Mainframe JCL (i.e., job control language) specifies which programs to execute with which input and output devices, as well as whether or not there are additional conditions which need to be met before proceeding with the step.

There are three basic JCL statements (i.e., job control statements):

• JOB: Provides a job name to the system that will be used for this batch workload. In addition to accounting information, there are a few job related parameters that may be present.

• EXEC: Identifies a program to be executed. A job may contain more than one EXEC statement. These statements are referred to as job steps.

• DD: The Data Definition provides inputs and outputs to the execution program on the EXEC statement. Using this statement, you can link a data set or other I/O device or function with a ddname coding in the program. A DD statement is associated with a particular job step.

JCL details can be complex, but the general principles are quite straightforward. In addition, a small subset of JCL is used for at least 90% of the process.

This JCL course discusses all key concepts. The following are some highlights of the course.

• Mainframe Architecture and Tools.

• JCL Overview and Basic Concepts.

• JCL Procedures and overriding techniques.

• Mainframe utilities and how to use them in JCLs.

• Mainframe Datasets, VSAM and GDGs.

• JCL tips and tricks and advance parameters.

• JCL interview questions and answers.

• JCL abend code and return code.

• Demo Class and practice test.

Job Control Language is the language used to control z/OS. Therefore, if you are a developer or operator who works with a mainframe running one of the operating systems, you need to understand JCL. Despite the fact that programmers often get by with minimal JCL skills, the best ones acquire a solid set of skills as it helps them get more done in less time.

Note: This course does not include Mainframe IDs. You must arrange your own Mainframe ID. For a list of topics covered, please refer to the content section. It is a pleasure to have you as a student. I would appreciate it if you would leave feedback because your feedback is important for us!