Using Basic Scheduling Parameters to Determine When to Schedule the Mission

The next set of parameters you specify are the Basic Scheduling parameters. Now you define information about when to schedule the mission to the Active Missions file.

Different categories of the printing mission can be set up, and can have different scheduling criteria (for example, the printing priorities or dependencies for the mission may change for the month's end run).

Basic Scheduling Parameters

  DAYS                                                          DCAL         

                                                                     AND/OR   

  WDAYS                                                         WCAL         

  MONTHS  1- Y 2- Y 3- Y 4- Y 5- Y 6- Y 7- Y 8- Y 9- Y 10- Y 11- Y 12- Y      

  DATES                                                                       

  CONFCAL          SHIFT   RETRO N MAXWAIT 00                                 

  MINIMUM          PDS                                                        

What Places the Printing Mission in the Active Missions File?

A printing mission must be placed in the Active Missions file in order to execute. The mechanism used to place a copy of the printing mission definitions in the Active Missions file is the New Day procedure (CTDNDAY).

The New Day procedure calls a special scheduling program that runs independently of the Control-D monitor (STC). The program can run at any time, even if the Control-D monitor is not active.

The scheduling program scans and analyzes your printing mission library and determines which printing missions should be scheduled to the Active Missions file depending on the defined Basic Scheduling parameters. You can also specify special parameters in the list of missions to be scheduled, which can override any specified scheduling criteria. For example, parameter FORCE ignores the Basic Scheduling parameters and always places the printing mission in the Active Missions file.

Methods of Scheduling Printing Missions

You can invoke the scheduling program under a variety of environments. Below is a list of the possible invocation environments and a description of how they work.

• Online From the Printing Mission Library

  All users will use this method for "ad hoc" scheduling or testing. You simply specify, using the online options, which printing missions you want placed in the Active Missions file.

• Batch Execution of the Scheduling Program

  You can run the scheduling program as a batch job, using procedure CTDPRDAY. The batch job will analyze the Basic Scheduling Parameters of the specified printing missions and schedule the relevant missions in the Active Missions file.

• Using Procedure CTDNDAY (Recommended Method)

  During the run of the New Day procedure CTDNDAY, as explained in the Control-D and Control-V chapter of the INCONTROL for z/OS Administrator Guide, one of its phases is an execution of the scheduling program. During this phase, a supplied list of printing missions is analyzed and which missions should be scheduled to the Active Missions file is determined.

We recommend that initially you schedule your printing missions on an "ad hoc" basis to compare your print bundles in parallel. You will implement your chosen scheduling method during Phase 8.

Note: You should now decide your printing mission scheduling method.