Mainframe Operations Interview Questions

1)CA7 Job flow

Ref Notes

2)How many Queues in CA7

3 Queues :Req ,rdy ,ACT

3)How many Requirements in Req Queue?

9 Req

1)Internal Job Requirement

2)Internal Dataset

3)External Dataset

4)Network Requirement

5)User Requirement

6)Hold Requirement

7)Submit Time Requirement

8)JCL Override

9)Verify

4)Why Job Struck in Ready?

• No Initiators are available

• Job having JCL syntax error

• Not enough Classes open

• Not enough devices(TAPES) available

5) How many ways Job Enter into CA7?

SSCAN,AUTO, DEMAND,RUN,REPET

6)What are the entry modes in CA7?

SSCAN,AUTO, DEMAND,RUN,REPET
7)What is SCHID?

• A job can be a part of different batch cycles. To run the same job in different batch cycles, we
use schid.

 Schids can be any number between 1-255.

 Every job running in Ca7 Should have a Schid.

 Schid is very important when triggers are on.

8)What is Dead line Time?

Start time of Job

9)What is Due Out Time?

Job completion Time.

10)What is Elapsed Time?

Average time of last five successful runs of the Job is called Elapsed time and is calculated by CA7.

11)What is Late Job?

if Job crocess deadline time or dueout time then job will goto late status.

12)What is Demand ?

Manually we will bring the job in to the CA-7 Queue by using DEMAND command.

13)How to Schedule a Job?

using DEMAND command.

DEMANDH,Job=jobname,SCHID=XXX,SET=NTR

14)How to Demand a Job without Triggers?

DEMANDH,Job=jobname,SCHID=XXX,SET=NTR

15) How to Demand a Job with Triggers?

DEMANDH,Job=jobname,SCHID=XXX

16)What is the use of “H” IN DEMAND COMMAND?

If we use H ,Job will be wait in request queue with Hold. If we want to do some JCL Modifications we
can do.

If we don’t use H , it will directly execute.

17)What is RUN?

It is Same as Demand , Manually we will bring the job in to the CA-7 Queue by using run command.

18)What is the Difference B/W Demand & RUN?

19)What is Lead (Look back) time ?

20)Tell me some commands which you use regularly ?

LIST

LQ,JOB=JOBNAME

LQ,ST=LATE
LRLOG,JOB=JOBNAME,DATE=*

LJOB,JOB=JOBNAME,LIST=ALL

LSCHD,JOB=JOBNAME,LIST=CALS

FRQJOB,JOB=JOBNAME

FSTRUC,JOB=JOBNAME

Cancel,job=jobname,reason=xxx,force=yes

21)what is command to check failed/ABEND/ERROR Jobs?

LIST

22)How to check log in CA7 or History in CA7?

LRLOG,JOB=JOBNAME,DATE=*

23) How to check log in CA7 or History in CA7 FOR 2 HRS?

LRLOG,JOB=JOBNAME,SPAN=2

24)How to check last successful run of a job?

LPRRN,JOB=JOBNAME

25)How to check Schedule details with calendar ?

LSCHD,JOB=JOBNAME,LIST=CALS

26)How to check Predecessors of a job? Or Reverse structure?

FRQJOB,JOB=JOBNAME

27)How to check Successors of a job or forward structure?

FSTRUC,JOB=JOBNAME

28)How to check only Cancelled jobs?

LRLOG,JOB=*,date=*,ST=CANCEL

29) How to check only Force completed jobs?

LRLOG,JOB=*,date=*,ST=FORCE

30)what is SKEL Job?

If Job come to the Queue without JCL , then the job will go to skel status.
31)how to check skel jobs?

LQ,ST=SKEL

32)What is the diff between Cancel and Force complete?

33)What is f/c

34)what is cancel?

We are removing job from CA7.

35)How to cancel a job in CA7?

Cancel,job=jobname,reason=xxx,force=yes

36)What is use of force=yes

It will remove step details from CMT Table (catalogue management table)

37)How to restart a Job?

In XQM Panel “F” infront of Jobname

38) How to restart a Job from step?

In XQM Panel “F” infront of Jobname , there we have to select CA11 and need to provide start step
name

39)How to F/C a job?

In XQM Panel “F” infront of Jobname

Select Force complete using x

40)how to hold a job in ca7?

H infront of job name

41)how to hold a job if not in queue

DB.3.6

42)What I the use of YES and only in db.3.6?

Only—w can hold next run

Yes—we can hold permanently

43)How to edit jcl?

E infront of jobname

44)ca11 is not there how to restart a job from step?

By Adding restart card in JCL (Job statement)

,RESTART=PROC.STEPNAME

45)how to check job information in CA7?

LJOB,JOB=JOBNAME,LIST=ALL

46)What info you can see in job info?

ELAPS Time, trigger information, schedule information,

47)How to do JCL Override?

Ref note

48)if job is in late what is your action?

Ref Late job

49)if Job is in Abend what is your action?

If job is abend we check pre instruction and follow the instruction (f/c, restart/cancel)

If no instruction we contact Job owner (oncall)

50) what is SLA?

Service level Agreement.

 Console interview Questions

1)what is LPAR?

It is a logical partition .

2)How many LPARS in your project?

8 LPars

4 prod

4 test

3)What health checks you do on console?

Checking contention /Outstanding messages /checking spool

4)How to check WTOR/Outstanding messages?

D R,L

D R,R

5)How to check contention?

D GRS,C

6)How to check spool?

$dspl

7)How to bring down a task?

P Task name

C task name

8)how to bringdown CICS TASK?

F CICSNAME,CEMT P SHUT

9)how to bring down DB2 Task?

Ref note

10)Job is in ca7 active Queue and I want to cancel the job ?

SDSF
11)IF job in ready queue and I want to cancel?

Requeue,job=jobname

The Cancel by using C

12)What is the Diff b/w class and Service class?

CLASS is Addres space and it can be 0-9 and A to z

Service class: we can allocate more CPU to a job

13)IPL Procedure.

14)how to Purge initiators?

$pi

15)How to shutdown system?

SSMSHUT

16)How to bring down JES2?

$PJES2

17)How to halt dataset?

Z_EOD

18)What is HMC?

Hardware management console.

19)how too vary sysplex?

V XCF,LAPR,OFFLINE

20)How to vary console?

V Laparname,console

21)How to make Drive online.

V NNNN,ONLINE

NNNN=Drive name

22)Tell me about jcl

23) How to bring down VTAM

To bring down:Z_NET,QUICK

To bringup: S NET

24)how to take Dump?

DUMP COMM=(TASK NAME)

When you get interview call from HR Below Questions may ask

1)what is your Current org?

2)is it permanent or contract ?

3)if contract what is your payroll company?

4) where it is located?

5) what is your current CTC?

6) What is your Expected CTC?

7)What is your PAN Number?

When you get interview call for technical round.

1)tell me about yourself and roles and responsibilities/day to day activities ?

About your Edu

Exp

Tools you worked

Roles and resp in Batch and console monitoring.

Keyword:

CA7,SDSF,JCL,CONSOLE,IPL,Batch monitoring, console monitoring

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