Troubleshooting: Receiving jobs from the host

BARR/RJE

If you have followed the Getting started with BARR/RJE configuration steps, you have already configured the host and the software to receive jobs from the host to BARR/RJE. At this point, jobs from the host will automatically be released from the host and appear in the Spool Window.

If jobs from the host are not being sent to the Spool Window, then check the following.

1. Check that you are connected to the host

2. Check the printer settings

3. Check that there are jobs

4. Match the printer criteria to the job criteria

See also:

• Getting started with BARR/RJE

• Sending files (JCL SYSIN) to the host

Checking that you are connected to the host

Jobs will not be received unless there is a connection with the host. Complete the following steps to make sure you are connected to the host.

1. Open the RJE Console.

2. Check that the Status is shown as Logged on. If the Status is not shown as Logged on, then you are not connected to the host. Follow the procedures in the Connecting to the host topic.

Checking the printer settings

Here is a typical response from JES2 after issuing the $DU, PR1 command.

The most important information in the listing above is underlined, although the other parameters can also be important in some cases. The first important parameter is the STATUS, which can have several values as described in the following table.

The next two underlined parameters are the FORMS and QUEUE parameters. These show the current setting for form and class (QUEUE represents class). This is similar to the form and class setting on the printer line in the Spool Window. In this example, the form is STD and classes allowed are A and J.

The final key parameter is WS, which is the work selection criteria. This is a list of criteria that will influence which jobs will be allowed to print on this printer, what order they will print in, and a few other details. Because Q and F are both listed in the example, then both class and form will be used as criterion in deciding which print jobs will go to this printer. You can remove a criterion from the list with the command $T PR1, WS=(-criteria). For example, use $T PR1, WS=(-F) to remove FORMS from the work selection. That means a job does not have to have the same form type as the printer in order to print. In other words, all forms can print without the operator having to send a change form command to JES Acronym for Job Entry Subsystems of the IBM MVS operating system. These subsystems are used for entering jobs into the MVS operating system and dispensing the output from the jobs.

Checking that there are jobs

The next thing you can do is find out if there is output waiting in the JES queue for this remote. Unfortunately this is not always possible from the remote, but usually you can retrieve the necessary information by issuing the Display forms queue ($DF) command.

The Display forms queue ($DF) command is the most reliable way to find out if output is waiting in the JES queue for this remote. It results in a list of the different forms (and classes) associated with any jobs waiting to print on this remote.

In the example above, there are six jobs waiting, three of form CTST (two of those are class A and one is class B) and three of form STD (all three are class A). This display is intended to tell the operator which forms are waiting so they can load the appropriate paper and then release the jobs with that form (and class). To release the jobs with the CTST form, you can set the printer for this form and the two different classes using the command $T PR1, F=CTST, Q=AB.

If there are no jobs waiting, then JES will return the message NO OUTPUT QUEUED.

Another way to view jobs is to use the Display jobs ($DJ) command. The $DJ1-32767 command displays the status of any jobs submitted from this remote, no matter what destination the output is bound for. The following is a sample of the JES2 response to the command.

Matching the printer criteria to the job criteria

You might see jobs waiting, but the jobs are not printing. This usually occurs when the job's criteria (that is, form and class) do not match the criteria on the printer.

To find out more detail about a specific job, use the$LJnnnnn,ALL command. In this example we use the job number 16250.

As the resulting messages show, the CCTEST job actually contains two outputs, one having FORMS=CTST and class of QUEUE=A, the other having FORMS=STD and class of QUEUE=A. You can also tell from this listing if the job has been put on hold.

Use the $T PRn, x=x (change printer) command to change the status or criteria of the printer in JES to match the criteria of the waiting jobs. The following table lists several useful examples.