Updating IBM i Job Details

Theme: Configure
Who Is It For? System Administrator, Automation Engineer

What Is It?

In Admin mode, IBM i job type properties can be updated or defined. For a IBM i job, you can:

• Update Job Type: Batch Job
• Update Job Type: Tracked Job
• Update Job Type: Queued Job
• Update Job Type: Operator Replay Job
• Update Job Type: Restricted Mode
• Update Job Type: FTP
• Update Job Type: File Arrival
• Update Tables

For conceptual information, refer to IBM i Job Details in the Concepts online help.

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Only users with the appropriate permissions can access the Lock button and update job properties. For details, refer to Required Privileges in the Accessing Daily Job Definition topic.

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Without the Machine Privilege, you cannot edit the daily job definition.

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Changes made in Daily Job Definition take effect immediately. If the job has already run, changes apply the next time the job runs.

Updating IBM i Job Task Details

To perform this procedure:

Select the Processes button at the top-right of the Operations Summary page. The Processes page displays.

Ensure the Date and Schedule toggle switches are enabled (green) to make date and schedule selections.

Select the desired date(s) to display the associated schedule(s).

Select one or more schedule(s) in the list.

Select one job in the list. Your selection appears in the status bar at the bottom of the page as a breadcrumb trail.

Select the job record (e.g., 1 job(s)) in the status bar to display the Selection panel.

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As an alternative, right-click the job in the list to display the Selection panel.

Select the Daily Job Definition button at the top-left of the panel. The page opens in Read-only mode by default.

Select the Lock button at the top-right to switch to Admin mode. The button displays a white unlocked lock on a green background when enabled.

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The Lock button is not visible to users without the appropriate permissions.

Expand the Task Details panel to expose its content.

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All required fields are marked with a red asterisk.

Select a User Id for running the job. Use the default value of "0/0" or assign an available batch user. User information must be defined as a Batch User ID in OpCon Administration.

Select the machine where the agent is installed from the Machines or Machine Group list. To specify a machine group instead, toggle Machines to Machine Group and select from the list. The toggle appears green when enabled.

Select a Job Type to define the type of job to schedule on the IBM i LSAM:

• Batch Job (default)
• Tracked Job
• Queued Job
• Operator Replay Job
• Restricted Mode
• FTP
• File Arrival

Updating Job Type: Batch Job

In the Job Information frame:

• User ID: IBM i user profile under which the job is submitted

In the Job Description sub-frame:

• Name: Simple name of the job description. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Library: Library associated with the job description name. Accepts OpCon tokens

In the Library List Management sub-frame:

• Current: Current library associated with the running job. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Initial Library List: Initial user part of the library list used to search for objects without a library

In the Job Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Name of the job queue in which the job is placed
• Library: Library associated with the batch queue name

In the Call Information sub-frame:

• Prerun: IBM i job to run immediately before the job specified in Call/Script Name
• Call: Program name using the CALL command, or a command name

In the Additional Information frame:

In the Output Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Output queue used for spooled files
• Library: Library associated with the Output Queue name

In the Message Logging sub-frame:

• Level: Number of messages for logging
• Severity: Lowest severity level that causes an error message to be logged
• Text: Detail of the text logged
• Log CL Commands: Whether commands run in a CL program are logged to the job log via the CL program's message queue

In the Other Info sub-frame:

• Job Date: Calendar date associated with the job
• JobQ Priority: Job queue scheduling priority
• Accounting Code: Accounting code used when logging system resource use
• Inquiry Message Reply: How predefined messages are answered when sent during the job

In the Job Log Retention sub-frame:

• Number of Occurrences: Number of occurrences to save when the same job name runs more than once
• Number of Days: Number of days to retain job logs

Updating Job Type: Tracked Job

In the Job Information frame:

• Job Type: Type of job to schedule on the IBM i LSAM

In the Job Log Retention sub-frame:

• Number of Occurrences: Number of occurrences to save when the same job name runs more than once
• Number of Days: Number of days to retain job logs

Updating Job Type: Queued Job

In the Job Information frame:

• User ID: IBM i user profile under which the job is submitted

In the Job Description sub-frame:

• Name: Simple name of the job description. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Library: Library associated with the job description name. Accepts OpCon tokens

In the Library List Management sub-frame:

• Current: Current library associated with the running job. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Initial Library List: Initial user part of the library list used to search for objects without a library

In the Job Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Name of the job queue in which the job is placed
• Library: Library associated with the batch queue name

In the Call Information sub-frame:

• Prerun: IBM i job to run immediately before the job specified in Call/Script Name

In the Additional Information frame:

In the Output Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Output queue used for spooled files
• Library: Library associated with the Output Queue name

In the Message Logging sub-frame:

• Level: Number of messages for logging
• Severity: Lowest severity level that causes an error message to be logged
• Text: Detail of the text logged
• Log CL Commands: Whether commands run in a CL program are logged to the job log via the CL program's message queue

In the Other Info sub-frame:

• Job Date: Calendar date associated with the job
• JobQ Priority: Job queue scheduling priority
• Accounting Code: Accounting code used when logging system resource use
• Inquiry Message Reply: How predefined messages are answered when sent during the job

In the Job Log Retention sub-frame:

• Number of Occurrences: Number of occurrences to save when the same job name runs more than once
• Number of Days: Number of days to retain job logs

Updating Job Type: Operator Replay Job

In the Job Information frame:

• User ID: IBM i user profile under which the job is submitted

In the Job Description sub-frame:

• Name: Simple name of the job description. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Library: Library associated with the job description name. Accepts OpCon tokens

In the Library List Management sub-frame:

• Current: Current library associated with the running job. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Initial Library List: Initial user part of the library list used to search for objects without a library

In the Job Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Name of the job queue in which the job is placed
• Library: Library associated with the batch queue name

In the Call Information sub-frame:

• Prerun: IBM i job to run immediately before the job specified in Call/Script Name
• Script Name: Script name for an Operator Replay Job or Restricted Mode Job. Must not exceed 2000 characters

In the Additional Information frame:

In the Output Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Output queue used for spooled files
• Library: Library associated with the Output Queue name

In the Message Logging sub-frame:

• Level: Number of messages for logging
• Severity: Lowest severity level that causes an error message to be logged
• Text: Detail of the text logged
• Log CL Commands: Whether commands run in a CL program are logged to the job log via the CL program's message queue

In the Other Info sub-frame:

• Job Date: Calendar date associated with the job
• JobQ Priority: Job queue scheduling priority
• Accounting Code: Accounting code used when logging system resource use
• Inquiry Message Reply: How predefined messages are answered when sent during the job

In the Job Log Retention sub-frame:

• Number of Occurrences: Number of occurrences to save when the same job name runs more than once
• Number of Days: Number of days to retain job logs

Updating Job Type: Restricted Mode

In the Job Information frame:

• User ID: IBM i user profile under which the job is submitted

In the Job Description sub-frame:

• Name: Simple name of the job description. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Library: Library associated with the job description name. Accepts OpCon tokens

In the Library List Management sub-frame:

• Current: Current library associated with the running job. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Initial Library List: Initial user part of the library list used to search for objects without a library

In the Job Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Name of the job queue in which the job is placed
• Library: Library associated with the batch queue name

In the Call Information sub-frame:

• Prerun: IBM i job to run immediately before the job specified in Call/Script Name
• Script Name: Script name for an Operator Replay Job or Restricted Mode Job. Must not exceed 2000 characters

In the Additional Information frame:

In the Output Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Output queue used for spooled files
• Library: Library associated with the Output Queue name

In the Message Logging sub-frame:

• Level: Number of messages for logging
• Severity: Lowest severity level that causes an error message to be logged
• Text: Detail of the text logged
• Log CL Commands: Whether commands run in a CL program are logged to the job log via the CL program's message queue

In the Other Info sub-frame:

• Job Date: Calendar date associated with the job
• JobQ Priority: Job queue scheduling priority
• Accounting Code: Accounting code used when logging system resource use
• Inquiry Message Reply: How predefined messages are answered when sent during the job

In the Job Log Retention sub-frame:

• Number of Occurrences: Number of occurrences to save when the same job name runs more than once
• Number of Days: Number of days to retain job logs

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This job type does not have access to:

• Messages
• Spool Files :::

Updating Job Type: FTP

In the Job Information frame:

• User ID: IBM i user profile under which the job is submitted

In the Job Description sub-frame:

• Name: Simple name of the job description. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Library: Library associated with the job description name. Accepts OpCon tokens

In the Library List Management sub-frame:

• Current: Current library associated with the running job. Accepts OpCon tokens
• Initial Library List: Initial user part of the library list used to search for objects without a library

In the Job Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Name of the job queue in which the job is placed
• Library: Library associated with the batch queue name

In the Call Information sub-frame:

• Prerun: IBM i job to run immediately before the job specified in Call/Script Name

In the Transfer Information sub-frame:

• Action Type (Required): FTP command to use
• Transfer Type (Required): Type of transfer — binary or ASCII
• User: FTP user for connecting to the remote system

In the Remote Information sub-frame:

• Remote System: Name of the remote system
• Remote File Name: Name for the file on the remote machine
• Remote Library or Directory: Library or directory to receive the file on the remote machine

In the Local Information sub-frame:

• Local File Name: File name on the IBM i machine to transfer
• Local Library or Directory: Library or directory containing the file on the IBM i machine

In the Additional Information frame:

In the Output Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Output queue used for spooled files
• Library: Library associated with the Output Queue name

In the Message Logging sub-frame:

• Level: Number of messages for logging
• Severity: Lowest severity level that causes an error message to be logged
• Text: Detail of the text logged
• Log CL Commands: Whether commands run in a CL program are logged to the job log via the CL program's message queue

In the Other Info sub-frame:

• Job Date: Calendar date associated with the job
• JobQ Priority: Job queue scheduling priority
• Accounting Code: Accounting code used when logging system resource use
• Inquiry Message Reply: How predefined messages are answered when sent during the job

In the Job Log Retention sub-frame:

• Number of Occurrences: Number of occurrences to save when the same job name runs more than once
• Number of Days: Number of days to retain job logs

Updating Job Type: File Arrival

In the Job Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Name of the job queue in which the job is placed
• Library: Library associated with the batch queue name

In the File Arrival sub-frame:

• User ID: IBM i user profile under which the job is submitted
• File Name: File path and name of the file to detect

In the Check File Authority sub-frame:

• Read/Write/Execute: Object authority type to verify for the named User ID
• Check Lock on DB2 File: Whether to verify that no in-use locks exist on any DB2 database files
• Failure Condition: Action to take based on job failure or success status

In the File Creation Window sub-frame:

In the Start Time sub-frame:

• Start Days/Start Time: The File Arrival job waits until Start Time before looking for a file. If already active, the job sleeps until Start Time occurs

A token can be used instead of the Start Day/Start Time input field. :::

In the End Time sub-frame:

• End Days/End Time: When a Job End Time is specified, the File Creation End time is used only to validate when the file was created, not to determine job end time

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A token can be used instead of the End Day/End Time input field.

In the File Stable Duration sub-frame:

• Seconds: Time the file size must remain stable to indicate the file has finished arriving

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A token can be used instead of the seconds input field.

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The following fields (Job End Time) are for machines with "fileWatcher.v3" capabilities.

In the Job End Time sub-frame:

• Re Check Frequency: Enables a continuous loop of checking until a matching file is found, typically used with Job End Time. When zero, a one-time check is performed and Job End Time is ignored
• Time: Job's end time for looped file arrival checks in a directory

In the agent Dynamics Variable sub-frame:

• *File Variable Name: Root name of the file (including extension for IFS stream files) stored similarly to the OpCon system property $ARRIVED FILE SHORT NAME
• Record Count Variable: Number of records (DB2 files/tables) or data bytes (IFS non-DB2 file systems) stored when a file is found

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The following fields (Failure Code to agent Dynamic Variable & OpCon Properties) are for machines with "fileWatcher.v3" capabilities.

• Failure Code to agent Dynamic Variable: Stores a job failure code to the agent local Dynamic Variables table when a variable name is provided. The agent also sends this code and interim status information to the OpCon Detailed Job Messages table and sends agent Feedback codes that can enable optional Event processing for the File Arrival job

In the OpCon Properties sub-frame:

• File Size to Property: Sends the number of records (DB2 tables) or total bytes (IBM i file systems outside DB2) to OpCon for storage in an OpCon property. Defaults to zero for file not found or empty file
• Failure Code to Property: Sends a failure code to OpCon for File Arrival job failures — either an expected exception condition or unexpected program failure. The code can be stored in an OpCon property for end-of-job Event processing. See Job Completion Codes for a summary of failure codes

In the Additional Information frame:

In the Output Queue sub-frame:

• Name: Output queue used for spooled files
• Library: Library associated with the Output Queue name

In the Message Logging sub-frame:

• Level: Number of messages for logging
• Severity: Lowest severity level that causes an error message to be logged
• Text: Detail of the text logged
• Log CL Commands: Whether commands run in a CL program are logged to the job log via the CL program's message queue

In the Other Info sub-frame:

• Job Date: Calendar date associated with the job
• JobQ Priority: Job queue scheduling priority
• Accounting Code: Accounting code used when logging system resource use
• Inquiry Message Reply: How predefined messages are answered when sent during the job

In the Job Log Retention sub-frame:

• Number of Occurrences: Number of occurrences to save when the same job name runs more than once
• Number of Days: Number of days to retain job logs

Updating Tables

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The following sections are available for most job types:

• Messages
• Spool Files
• Variables

In the Message frame:

To edit a row, select the edit button next to it. To add a value, select the green plus button at the bottom of the grid. To delete, select the red trash icon next to the row.

Inside the Message dialog:

• Message ID: 7-character Message ID displayed at the beginning of the message. Required if Severity is set to 00
• Compare Data: Characters to find in the message (defined by the message ID). Must not exceed 30 characters
• Position: Position in the message (defined by Msg ID) at which to start looking for the Compare Data word
• Severity: Messages to look for based on severity
• Action: What the agent does when a message meets the defined criteria
• Reply: Response the agent sends when Action is set to 'Reply' or 'Both' and the message meets the search criteria
• End Job: Whether to end the OpCon job after the message meets the criteria or allow it to continue running
• Event: OpCon event to send to the SAM-SS when the message meets the search criteria

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Messages can be defined for all job types except Restricted Mode.

In the Spool Files frame:

To edit a row, select the edit button next to it. To add a value, select the green plus icon at the bottom of the grid. To delete, select the red trash icon next to the row.

• File Name: Name of the file containing the job output
• User: User name
• OutQ Name: Outq Name
• OutQ Library: Library containing the Outq
• Total Copies: Number of spool file copies to create
• Hold: Whether to print the spool file
• Save: Whether to save the spool file after printing

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Spool Files can be defined for all job types except Restricted Mode and File Arrival.

In the Variables frame:

To edit a value, select inside the cell to edit. To add a value, select the green plus icon at the bottom of the grid. To delete, select the red trash icon next to the row.

• Variable Name: Name of the IBM i LSAM Dynamic Variable that stores the value
• Value: Character string to store in the IBM i LSAM Dynamic Variables table

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Select the Undo button to revert any unsaved changes.

Select the Save button to save changes.

Configuration Options

Setting	What It Does	Default	Notes
User ID	IBM i user profile under which the job is submitted	—	—
Name	Simple name of the job description.	—	—
Library	Library associated with the job description name.	—	—
Current	Current library associated with the running job.	—	—
Initial Library List	Initial user part of the library list used to search for objects without a library	—	—
Prerun	IBM i job to run immediately before the job specified in Call/Script Name	—	—
Call	Program name using the CALL command, or a command name	—	—
Level	Number of messages for logging	—	—
Severity	Lowest severity level that causes an error message to be logged	—	—
Text	Detail of the text logged	—	—
Log CL Commands	Whether commands run in a CL program are logged to the job log via the CL program's message queue	—	—
Job Date	Calendar date associated with the job	—	—
JobQ Priority	Job queue scheduling priority	—	—
Accounting Code	Accounting code used when logging system resource use	—	—
Inquiry Message Reply	How predefined messages are answered when sent during the job	—	—
Number of Occurrences	Number of occurrences to save when the same job name runs more than once	—	—
Number of Days	Number of days to retain job logs	—	—
Job Type	Type of job to schedule on the IBM i LSAM	—	—
Script Name	Script name for an Operator Replay Job or Restricted Mode Job.	—	—
User	FTP user for connecting to the remote system	—	—
Remote System	Name of the remote system	—	—
Remote File Name	Name for the file on the remote machine	—	—
Remote Library or Directory	Library or directory to receive the file on the remote machine	—	—
Local File Name	File name on the IBM i machine to transfer	—	—
Local Library or Directory	Library or directory containing the file on the IBM i machine	—	—

FAQs

Q: What does Updating IBM i Job Details cover?

This page covers Updating IBM i Job Task Details.

Glossary

SAM-SS (SAM and Supporting Services): The collective term for the OpCon server-side processing programs: SAM, SMANetCom, SMA Notify Handler, SMA Request Router, and SMA Start Time Calculator.

SAM (Schedule Activity Monitor): The logical processor for OpCon workflow automation. SAM monitors schedule and job start times, dependencies, and user commands to determine job execution timing, and processes OpCon events.

LSAM (Local Schedule Activity Monitor): An agent installed on a target platform that runs jobs in the native language of that platform and communicates results back to SAM via SMANetCom over TCP/IP.

Frequency: A set of rules that defines when a job or schedule is eligible to run, based on calendar rules, day-of-week settings, period offsets, and other timing criteria.

OpCon Event: A command sent to OpCon that triggers an automated action, such as adding a job to a schedule, updating a property value, sending a notification, or changing a job or schedule status.

Token (Global Property): A named value stored in the OpCon database, referenced in job definitions and events using [[PropertyName]] syntax. Tokens pass dynamic values — such as dates, file paths, or counts — into automation workflows.

Calendar: A named collection of dates in OpCon used by schedules and frequencies to determine when automation runs or is excluded. Calendars can represent holidays, working days, or any custom date set.

Resource: A numeric variable in OpCon representing a finite pool. Jobs can be configured to require a set number of resource units to run, limiting concurrent executions and preventing resource contention.