Home
HCL Workload Automation for Z
Welcome to the HCL Workload Automation for Z documentation, where you can find information about how to install, maintain, and use the product.
Workload Automation Programming Language for z/OS User's Guide and Reference
Current Plan Operation commands
Use the Current Plan Operation commands to perform specific functions against operations in the current plan, using a common set of keywords to identify the operation you want.
Common syntax
Use the current plan operation commands to work with operations, by using a common syntax with specific sets of keywords.
Performance considerations

HCL Workload Automation for Z
Welcome to the HCL Workload Automation for Z documentation, where you can find information about how to install, maintain, and use the product.
- Program Directory
- Dynamic Workload Console Readmes
  For the latest information about a Dynamic Workload Console fix pack, see the appropriate Readme File.
- Planning and Installation
- Customization and Tuning
- Managing the Workload
  You can plan when and how your workload runs and manage it as part of a plan.
- Scheduling End-to-end with z-centric Capabilities
- Quick Reference
- Diagnosis Guide and Reference
- Workload Automation Programming Language for z/OS User's Guide and Reference
  - About this publication
  - Overview
    The Workload Automation Programming Language is a programming language that provides you with easy access to the features of the HCL Workload Automation for Z Program Interface (PIF).
  - Running Workload Automation Programming Language
    You can run Workload Automation Programming Language as a batch job by using the compiled REXX exec, as a load module, online within a TSO session, as a started task workstation, or as a console command. A user program must run as an authorized program.
  - Core programming commands
    The following sections describe the Workload Automation Programming Language commands that control the behavior and logic of the program. Use the commands to set options, return codes, determine an output, modify the flow, change variables, or make decisions.
  - Workload Automation Programming Language functions
    Some commands in Workload Automation Programming Language operate in REXX mode. These commands are CONSOLE, DISPLAY, DO, IF, LOG, SETVAR when the equal sign (=) is used, and WRITE.
  - Data Access commands based on PIF
    The Data Access commands supported by Workload Automation Programming Language are low level commands based on the HCL Workload Automation for Z programming interface (PIF).
  - Current Plan Operation commands
    Use the Current Plan Operation commands to perform specific functions against operations in the current plan, using a common set of keywords to identify the operation you want.
    - Common syntax
      Use the current plan operation commands to work with operations, by using a common syntax with specific sets of keywords.
      - Identification keywords
        Use the following keywords to identify the potential operations to update. You can use any combination of the following keywords.
      - Filter keywords
        Use the filter keywords to select the operations to be modified from the list found by the identification keywords.
      - Data keywords
        Use the data keywords to specify what to do with the data identified by the command.
      - Performance considerations
      - Relative date and variables
        To produce relative dates, can use the equal sign (=), plus sign (+), or minus sign (–) in the DATE, TIME, and RANGE keywords.
      - Automatic detection of current state of operation
        The Current Plan Operation commands can be targeted to perform commands that might already have been actioned in some way, either by manual operator action or some other automation.
      - SAVELIST and USELIST
        Use these commands to save a list of the records that they process into a SAVELIST format. This allows a series of commands to be guaranteed to run across the same set of operations.
      - Relationship to the EQQWXMOD WAPLEXEC
        The EQQWXMOD WAPLEXEC program was the prototype for many of these commands and they have been transferred into the base language of Workload Automation Programming Language. There are a few amendments in syntax to avoid conflicts with existing Workload Automation Programming Language commands and some commands have been combined.
    - ALTER
      Use the ALTER command to modify the attributes on an operation.
    - BIND
      Use the BIND command to trigger an operation on a shadow workstation, to attempt to bind to its counterpart on the remote engine.
    - FIND
      Use FIND to find an operation, or a set of operations, matching the input criteria. It performs no action against the operation, therefore you can use it to create OBJECT variables or SAVELISTs to be later processed by other commands.
    - FORCE
      Use FORCE to submit an operation that could otherwise wait for special resources, workstation shutdown or that has job submission disabled. If the operation has predecessors outstanding, it cannot be forced. This command is equivalent to the EX command in ISPF panels.
    - HOLD
      Use HOLD to add a Manual Hold condition to an operation. This means the operation waits to be manually released after all of its prerequisites have been met.
    - KILL
      Use KILL to kill an operation on a z-centric workstation.
    - NOP
      Use NOP to specify a No Process condition against an operation. This means that when the operationʼs prerequisites have been met, HCL Workload Automation for Z sets the operation complete.
    - QUEUE_BEHIND
      Use QUEUE_BEHIND to make become the running job, or other jobs in the same occurrence as the running job, a successor behind the identified operations. The QUEUE_BEHIND command can be abbreviated to QUEUE.
    - RELEASE
      Use RELEASE to remove a Manual Hold condition from an operation. This means that the operation is ready to be run after all of its prerequisites have been met.
    - REPLY
      Use REPLY to reply to a recovery prompt for FT operations.
    - UNNOP
      Use UNNOP to remove a No Process condition against an operation.
  - Current Plan Occurrence commands
    Use the Current Plan Occurrence commands to perform specific functions against all operations within a single occurrence in the current plan, using a common set of keywords to identify the occurrence.
  - Function Based commands
    The Function Based commands combine various low level PIF commands. Use the Function Based commands to perform specific scheduling or operational functions.
  - Using TSO commands within Workload Automation Programming Language
    Some TSO commands are specific to HCL Workload Automation for Z; you can run them natively in TSO, through program EQQEVPGM, and through Workload Automation Programming Language.
  - Batch loader commands
    The batch loader function of Workload Automation Programming Language uses a set of statements to define or modify objects within the HCL Workload Automation for Z database.
  - Variable substitution
    Workload Automation Programming Language supports variable substitution within its control statements. In this way, the actual values required for each command run are provided (for example, the occurrence name or Input Arrival date).
  - Performance considerations
    With Workload Automation Programming Language you can use different methods to perform the same action. Each method has different implications for ease of use and performance, the balance of which might change depending on the volume of records to which it is being directed.
  - Resource reference
  - OPTIONS keywords
    Use the following keywords with the OPTIONS statement.
  - Workload Automation Programming Language variables
    In addition to the HCL Workload Automation for Z variables and user variables, Workload Automation Programming Language has access to some additional information relating to the job running Workload Automation Programming Language and when scheduled the operation and occurrence within which it is running.
  - WAPLEXEC programs
    The Workload Automation Programming Language for z/OS is a REXX based tool provided to give you easy access to the features of the HCL Workload Automation for Z Program Interface (PIF). Workload Automation Programming Language can be extended by WAPLEXEC programs, which are REXX programs using Workload Automation Programming Language functions to tackle specific tasks or functions.
  - Messages and Return Codes
    Messages and return codes provide information for problems occurred.
- Driving HCL Workload Automation for Z

Performance considerations

The Identification keywords run a query against the HCL Workload Automation for Z Current Plan, and extract key information for every operation that matches. The Filter keywords filter down this information before taking action. The more precise you are in the Identification keywords, the faster the process will complete. Therefore, consider how many matches you might expect to find on the current plan at any one time using the Identification keywords when considering the estimated duration of the command.

Note: Using these commands can produce a lot of updates to the current plan, if you use the COUNT(0) feature. This can be across many different occurrences. The command automatically performs a PIF EXECUTE MCPBLK command after every change of occurrence to ensure no more than 255 operations are modified in a single transaction.

Have feedback?
Google Analytics is used to store comments and ratings. To provide a comment or rating for a topic, click Accept All Cookies or Allow All in Cookie Preferences in the footer of this page.