If you have MPEX, you can set up yet another background job to execute within a
WHILE loop and, say, 5 minute pauses:

SETVAR variable 999
WHILE variable > 998
     RUN MAIN.PUB.VESOFT,MPEX;PARM=1;INFO=&
          'SETVAR variable JSCOUNT ("jobname,user.account,group")'
     IF JSCOUNT < 1 THEN
          TELLOP BIG TROUBLE; job.... is not executing
     ENDIF
     PAUSE 300
ENDWHILE

Where I formerly worked, I had such a background job to keep tabs on all of the
other background jobs. I had several executions of MPEX in the WHILE loop.
(Please, no questions on how I kept tabs on the background job that watched the
other background jobs.)
===================
Leonard S. Berkowitz
Perot Health Care Systems
(Harvard Pilgrim Health Care account)
voice: 617-509-1212
fax:   617-509-3737
pager: 781-226-2431







Donna Garverick <[log in to unmask]> on 11/01/2000 04:44:39 PM

Please respond to Donna Garverick <[log in to unmask]>








 To:      [log in to unmask]

 cc:      (bcc: Leonard Berkowitz/CORP/HPHC)



 Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] job number?








Larry Barnes wrote:

> I believe the variable you use is hplastjob.  this is the job number of
> the last job you streamed.

the operative phrase is 'you streamed'....

> Michael Hone wrote:
>
> > I wrote this command file for just such occasions:
> >
> > USER DEFINED COMMAND FILE:  FINDJOB.COMMANDS.SGAII
> >
> > PARM date jobname
> > LISTSPF @;SELEQ=[(DATE=!date)AND(JOBNAME=!jobname)];DETAIL

not a bad suggestion...but i think you're still faced with having to know
more about the job than you already know.

to elaborate....  you have a background job.  it's normally always
running.  you may or may not have streamed it (you personally probably
didn't but you can't assume that hplastjob is meaningful).  you don't know
when it was streamed (but you don't really care).  but for whatever reason
you want to test if it's still running.  so given that you know *very*
little about this job -- other than it's name -- how do you find out it's
job number?  hmmmm....      - d

--
Donna Garverick     Sr. System Programmer
925-210-6631        [log in to unmask]

"Unix _is_ user friendly.
It's just very selective about who its friends are.
And sometimes even best friends have fights."

>>>MY opinions, not Longs Drug Stores'<<<