Walt, <------ snip ------> Unfortunately, since different systems in a sysplex (or sharing the spool) could have very different times and dates, they could get very unexpected results if we let those symbols be used in batch job JCL.
Suppose the job converted on a system where the date is today, and ran on a system where the date is several days, or weeks, ago. (The normal case is to have them very close, of course. And the more likely unusual case is to have them simply a few hours off. But nothing requires that the dates/times be anywhere close across systems, that I know of.) <------ snip ------> According to "Setting Up a Sysplex": "Similarly, for MVS to monitor and sequence events in a sysplex as you intend, time must be synchronized across all systems." and "MVS compares time stamps from the TOD clock with time stamps recorded in the sysplex couple data set. If time stamps in the couple data set are later than those specified by the incoming system, MVS determines this is an error and does not allow the system to join the sysplex." How is then possible to have different times and dates in a sysplex? I always assumed there is a single clock and a single time in a sysplex, and all sysplex-wide applications use this concept: all logs, data sharing, couple data sets... Zaromil ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html