Learn the definition and meaning of an abend in mainframe programming. Discover what causes jobs to abnormally end and how to handle abends.
Table of Contents
Question
What is an abend?
A. Job Not Executed
B. Job is in Loop
C. Job failed
D. Job forced to success
Answer
C. Job failed
Explanation
An abend, short for “abnormal end”, is a term used in mainframe programming to indicate that a job has unexpectedly terminated due to an error before reaching its normal completion. When a program encounters a serious problem that prevents it from continuing to execute properly, the operating system will force an abend to stop the failing process.
Some common reasons a job may abend include:
- Program exceptions like invalid instructions, protection violations, or addressing errors
- Exceeding time limits or other job-related thresholds
- System issues such as lack of storage or I/O errors
- Logic errors in the application code itself
When an abend occurs, the operating system ends the job, releases its resources, and typically generates diagnostic information like a memory dump and an explanatory abend code to help identify the source of the problem. Mainframe programmers must then analyze this data to determine the root cause, correct the underlying issue, and rerun the job.
In summary, the correct answer is C – an abend means the job failed or abnormally terminated prematurely due to an error condition. It does not mean the job didn’t execute at all (A), got stuck in a loop (B), or was forced to complete successfully (D). Properly handling abends is a key skill for mainframe developers.
Wipro Mainframe MySkillz Trendnxt certification exam assessment practice question and answer (Q&A) dump including multiple choice questions (MCQ) and objective type questions, with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the Wipro Mainframe MySkillz Trendnxt exam and earn Wipro Mainframe MySkillz Trendnxt certification.