KIXBTCH           (Environment)

DESCRIPTION
The "KIXBTCH" environment variable tells Sun MTP to perform batch processing and
where to look for batch jobs to execute. There are two methods for scheduling
batch jobs in the Sun MTP environment. The first is the standard Sun MTP batch 
system described below. Another batch system is the Sun MBM product that 
works in conjunction with Sun MTP to exercise considerably more control over 
batch jobs. In either case, the "KIXBTCH" environment must be set to activate 
batch processing.


VALUES
The value of "KIXBTCH" is a colon-separated list of batch entries. Each entry
must specify a system directory. The directory pathname may optionally
be followed by a time interval. The format is as follows:

   directory[starttime-endtime][:directory[starttime-endtime]]. . .

where starttime and endtime have the following 24 hour format: hhmm. The items
in brackets are optional.


INTERPRETATION
Sun MTP does not perform batch processing unless "KIXBTCH" identifies at least
one valid batch directory. At set intervals, Sun MTP looks in each "KIXBTCH"
directory for batch jobs. If a directory is specified with a start and end time,
Sun MTP only searches that directory if the current time is between the start and
end time.

When Sun MTP searches a batch directory, it looks for COBOL .int and .gnt files 
to execute. On UNIX systems, Sun MTP also executes any file with execute 
permissions (including UNIX shell scripts). COBOL programs called within a 
shell script must be run with the unikixvsam COBOL runtime system. 


CONCLUSIONS
Because Sun MTP makes hard links to batch jobs in the "KIXBTCH" directories, all
of the directories listed in "KIXBTCH" must reside on the same file system as
$KIXSYS.

Note that if you specify a time interval for a particular directory, the start
time must be before the end time in order for Sun MTP to process that directory.

Sun MTPScan displays the value of "KIXBTCH" as it is being used by a Sun MTP system.
Even with the system up and running, it does not mean that the value of the
environment variable is correct. If the system exhibits strange behavior,
examine the values of all environment variables on Sun MTPScan's Environment Screen
to ensure that the Sun MTP system has been told correctly where to look for the
components needed to execute a system.
