• The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
Menu
  • The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • A Better Way To Read a Job Log

    September 28, 2011 Ted Holt

    Note: The code accompanying this article is available for download here.

    A job log is a wonderful thing to have when you’re trying to figure out why a good program went bad. The problem with job logs is that the few messages that point out what went wrong are entombed within myriad irrelevant messages. And job logs can be long. Just recently I dealt with one that was over 400 pages. I wrote a utility to help me make sense of job logs. Maybe it will help you, too.

    My utility, which I call Convert Job Log (CVTJOBLOG), reads a spooled job log report and writes the information into a database file, which I can query. Querying a database file means that I can use record-selection to drop irrelevant messages, which greatly reduces the number of messages I have to work through.

    CVTJOBLOG consists of four objects:

    Object

    Type

    Description

    CVTJOBLOG

    Command

    Command interface

    JOBLOGDATA

    Physical file

    Template output file

    JOBLOG001C

    Program (CLLE)

    Command-processing
    program

    JOBLOG001R

    Program (RPGLE)

    Copies from printed
    job log to database file

    I could have added a fifth object–a panel group for help text–but I didn’t need it and I had too many other things to work on.

    The CVTJOBLOG command has two parameters: a qualified job name, and a qualified database file name. The qualified job name identifies the job you want to study. There must be a spooled job log in the job’s output; CVTJOBLOG will not create a spooled job log. If there is more than one job log in the job, CVTJOBLOG will read the last one.

    The qualified file name indicates the database file member to contain the job log information. I often place this file in QTEMP. If the member exists, it will be cleared. If the file and/or member do not exist, they will be created as required. I recommend that you not use the template file, JOBLOGDATA. It’s OK to use a file of that name in another library, but I don’t use the template itself.

    Here’s an example:

    CVTJOBLOG JOB(744460/SOMEBODY/SOMEJOB) FILE(QTEMP/JL)
    

    The last job log in job 744460/SOMEBODY/SOMEJOB is read and loaded into a file called JL in QTEMP. I did not specify a member name because the name of the member is not important.

    I hope you’ll find this utility beneficial when you’re faced with a long job log. Let me know.



                         Post this story to del.icio.us
                   Post this story to Digg
        Post this story to Slashdot

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Tags:

    Sponsored by
    WorksRight Software

    Do you need area code information?
    Do you need ZIP Code information?
    Do you need ZIP+4 information?
    Do you need city name information?
    Do you need county information?
    Do you need a nearest dealer locator system?

    We can HELP! We have affordable AS/400 software and data to do all of the above. Whether you need a simple city name retrieval system or a sophisticated CASS postal coding system, we have it for you!

    The ZIP/CITY system is based on 5-digit ZIP Codes. You can retrieve city names, state names, county names, area codes, time zones, latitude, longitude, and more just by knowing the ZIP Code. We supply information on all the latest area code changes. A nearest dealer locator function is also included. ZIP/CITY includes software, data, monthly updates, and unlimited support. The cost is $495 per year.

    PER/ZIP4 is a sophisticated CASS certified postal coding system for assigning ZIP Codes, ZIP+4, carrier route, and delivery point codes. PER/ZIP4 also provides county names and FIPS codes. PER/ZIP4 can be used interactively, in batch, and with callable programs. PER/ZIP4 includes software, data, monthly updates, and unlimited support. The cost is $3,900 for the first year, and $1,950 for renewal.

    Just call us and we’ll arrange for 30 days FREE use of either ZIP/CITY or PER/ZIP4.

    WorksRight Software, Inc.
    Phone: 601-856-8337
    Fax: 601-856-9432
    Email: software@worksright.com
    Website: www.worksright.com

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Sponsored Links

    System i Developer:  Join the Gurus at the RPG & DB2 Summit in St. Louis, October 17-19
    Connectria Hosting:  What's your IBM System i strategy? Download our FREE report
    Four Hundred Monitor Calendar:  Latest info on national conferences, local events, & Webinars

    IT Jungle Store Top Book Picks

    BACK IN STOCK: Easy Steps to Internet Programming for System i: List Price, $49.95

    The iSeries Express Web Implementer's Guide: List Price, $49.95
    The iSeries Pocket Database Guide: List Price, $59
    The iSeries Pocket SQL Guide: List Price, $59
    The iSeries Pocket WebFacing Primer: List Price, $39
    Migrating to WebSphere Express for iSeries: List Price, $49
    Getting Started with WebSphere Express for iSeries: List Price, $49
    The All-Everything Operating System: List Price, $35
    The Best Joomla! Tutorial Ever!: List Price, $19.95

    Stone Bond Hooks Up with K2 for Enterprise Integration Oracle Takes The Midrange Fight To IBM

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Volume 11, Number 28 -- September 28, 2011
THIS ISSUE SPONSORED BY:

WorksRight Software
SEQUEL Software
System i Developer

Table of Contents

  • Data Needed to Debug Authority Failures, Part 2
  • A Better Way To Read a Job Log
  • Checking Cache Battery Status Without STRSST

Content archive

  • The Four Hundred
  • Four Hundred Stuff
  • Four Hundred Guru

Recent Posts

  • IBM Tweaks Some Power Systems Prices Down, Others Up
  • Disaster Recovery: From OS/400 V5R3 To IBM i 7.4 In 36 Hours
  • The Disconnect In Modernization Planning And Execution
  • Superior Support: One Of The Reasons You Pay The Power Systems Premium
  • IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 25, Number 13
  • IBM i Has a Future ‘If Kept Up To Date,’ IDC Says
  • When You Need Us, We Are Ready To Do Grunt Work
  • Generative AI: Coming to an ERP Near You
  • Four Hundred Monitor, March 22
  • IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 25, Number 12

Subscribe

To get news from IT Jungle sent to your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter.

Pages

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Contributors
  • Four Hundred Monitor
  • IBM i PTF Guide
  • Media Kit
  • Subscribe

Search

Copyright © 2023 IT Jungle