Can we execute Mainframe JCL thru UNIX

UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users
1

Hi,

can we execute mainframe jcl in Unix system. I want to run jcl in unix instead of mainframe.

Thanks in advance.

2

When you say "I want to run jcl in unix instead of mainframe." can I just check that you want the execution to be on Unix not just controlling on Unix but actually executing on VM/MVS/zOS etc.?

COuld the JCL not be dismantled and written as script instead? The dataset allocations etc. required by JCL will be pretty meaningless on Unix, that generally works on input & output file descriptors.

Robin

3

You could chase this link Hercules Version 2: Frequently-Asked Questions

4

The one exception to what has been already stated by others is that the UNIX dd command does emulate many features of the JCL dd statement.

5

Thanks Robin,
I want only the execution of jcl in unix , is this feasible? or can we use jcl script in unix and how to do that.

Thanks

6

Consider the following questions:

  1. Do you have a license to run a mainframe operating system on your UNIX box?
  2. Do you have a copy of the mainframe operating system you want to run installed on your UNIX box?
  3. Do you have licenses to run the software that your JCL invokes on your UNIX box?
  4. Do you have copies of the software that your JCL invokes installed on your UNIX box?
  5. Do you have a mainframe filesystem with EBCDIC filenames mounted on your UNIX box?
  6. Do you have an emulator for the mainframe hardware that the software your JCL invokes was designed to run on installed on your UNIX box?
  7. If any of the mainframe software you want to run on your UNIX box is interactive, do you have EBCDIC terminals and drivers for those terminals installed on your UNIX box?

If you answered no to any of those questions, you can't run JCL on your UNIX box. (For the record, I don' know of any UNIX system or UNIX-like system for which all of these elements are available.)

7

Hi.

You may be interested in this commercial JCL -> shell conversion utility (among other mainframe utilities to ease the conversion to *nix): MVSJCLtest1.doc MVS JCL test/demo conversions [libcnv]

Also there is a version of rexx that runs on *nix machines: Regina Rexx Interpreter

I've used it on Debian platforms (it's in the repository), but only sparingly:

OS, ker|rel, machine: Linux, 3.16.0-4-amd64, x86_64
Distribution        : Debian 8.4 (jessie) 
rexx REXX-Regina_3.6 5.00 31 Dec 2011

Best wishes ... cheers, drl