The functional structure of OS/360, Part II: Job and task management

In OS/360, for which the basic unit of work is the task, resources are allocated only to tasks. In general, resources are allocated dynamically to permit easier planning on the part of the programmer, achieve more efficient utilization of storage space, and open t8he way for concurrenetx ecution of a number of tasks. Users notify the system of work requirements by defining each job as a sequence of job-control statements. The number of tasks entailed by a job depends upon the nature of the job. The system permits job definitions to be cataloged, thereby simplifying the job resubmittal process. Reading of job specifications and source data, printing of job results, and job execution can occur simultaneously for differenjot bs. Job inputs and outputs mbaey queued in direct-access storage, thereby avoiding the need for external batching and permitting priority-governed job execution. In its multijob-initiation mode, the system can process a number of jobs concurrently.