Job types

Your system processes several different types of jobs. This information describes those jobs and how they are used.

Autostart jobs
An autostart job is a batch job doing repetitive work, one-time initialization work that is associated with a particular subsystem, initializes functions for an application, or provides centralized service functions for other jobs in the same subsystem. An autostart job in the controlling subsystem can be used to start other subsystems (as does the IBM-supplied controlling subsystem). The autostart jobs associated with a subsystem are automatically started each time the subsystem is started.
Batch jobs
A batch job is a predefined group of processing actions submitted to the system to be performed with little or no interaction between the user and the system. Jobs that do not require user interaction to run can be processed as batch jobs. A batch job typically is a low priority job and can require a special system environment in which to run.
Communication jobs
A communications job is a batch job that is started by a program start request from a remote system. Job processing involves a communication request and appropriate specifications.
Interactive jobs
An interactive job is a job that starts when a user signs on to a display station and ends when the user signs off. For the job to run, the subsystem searches for the job description, which can be specified in the workstation entry or the user profile.
Prestart jobs
A prestart job is a batch job that starts running before a work request is received. The prestart jobs are started before any other types of jobs in a subsystem. Prestart jobs are different from other jobs because they use prestart job entries (part of the subsystem description) to determine which program, class, and storage pool to use when they are started.
Reader and writer jobs
A reader job is a spooled input job, and a writer job is a spooled output job.
Server jobs
Server jobs are jobs that run continuously in the background on your system.
System jobs
System jobs are created by the operating system to control system resources and perform system functions. System jobs run when the server starts or when an independent disk pool is varied on. These jobs perform a variety of tasks from starting the operating system, to starting and ending subsystems, to scheduling jobs.

Parent topic: Jobs