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web-applicationsftptriggersmainframe

Triggering a JOB in Mainframe after FTP and FTP back the response

The below is my requirement. The user uploads a csv/text file to Web Application. The Web Application FTPs the file to a Mainframe server. This action has to trigger a JCL / Service. The Mainframe processes the uploaded file and FTPs the response to a location accessible by the Web Application. The response is shown in the Application.

  1. Is the requirement feasible ?
  2. Can FTP trigger a JOB / Service in Mainframe after file transfer?
  3. Can a Mainframe JOB / Service FTP the response to an external system ?
Solution

  • You can use the "QUOTE SITE FILETYPE=JES" to submit a job to the internal reader on the mainframe. This lets you directly write a job stream and start it running.

    Once the job completes, you can read the spooled output, also using FTP. The output datasets, IIRC, are created with the job number in the form "JOB#####.n", where n is the dataset number starting at 0.

    Your requirement is very feasible, in fact, it is also very easy to accomplish with just some simple JCL and FTP commands.