Multiple choice technology mainframe

How can un used space allocation be returned to the system when a dataset is closed?

  1. RETURN

  2. RLSE

  3. CONTIG

  4. CLOSE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The RLSE (Release) parameter in JCL is used to return unused space allocation to the system when a dataset is closed. RETURN (A) is not a valid parameter, CONTIG (C) requests contiguous space, and CLOSE (D) is not a space allocation parameter.

AI explanation

In z/OS JCL, the SPACE parameter's RLSE (release) sub-parameter tells the system to give back any unused, allocated-but-unwritten space in a dataset's extents back to the system's free space pool at close time (rounded to a track boundary), rather than leaving it reserved to that dataset. RETURN and CLOSE aren't valid SPACE sub-parameters for this purpose, and CONTIG requests contiguous space allocation (a placement constraint), not space release. Hence RLSE is correct.

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