MVS Agent 12.3.9 or 21.0.4 cannot submit Jobs out of OS/390 Filename with JCL error

Products

• CA Automic Workload Automation - Automation Engine

Issue/Introduction

After upgrading MVS Agent from version 21.0.3 to 21.0.4 or 12.3.9+, it was found that submission of jobs out of a PDS does not work anymore.
There is a JCL error as the JES2 JCL is not interpreted correctly.
After an EXEC Statement the JCL is interpreted as X'00' instead of 'X40' which leads to an JCL error.

In Job Report

         5 // SET RETCODE='HIGHEST'
         6 //DB2BAT2  EXEC DB2TBAT---- Here many NUL characters are displayed, why?
         7 //SYSPRINT DD SYSOUT=*

Then we have below:
  STMT NO. MESSAGE
         6 IEFC620I UNIDENTIFIABLE CHARACTER   ON THE EXEC STATEMENT
		 ...
         6 IEFC620I UNIDENTIFIABLE CHARACTER   ON THE EXEC STATEMENT
         6 IEFC618I OPERAND FIELD DOES NOT TERMINATE IN COMMA OR BLANK
         6 IEFC621I EXPECTED CONTINUATION NOT RECEIVED

JCL without auto numbering fails, because the very first user JCL line is truncated and filled with hex 0x00 character causing IEFC620I JCL interpreter error.

Environment

Component: Agent MVS

Releases affected : 12.3.9+ and 21.0.4

Cause

Defect introduced via AE-28385: JCL without auto numbering failed now because the very first user JCL line is truncated and filled with hex 0x00 character causing IEFC620I JCL interpreter error.

Resolution

Solution:

Update to a fix version listed below or a newer version.

Fix version:
Component(s): Agent MVS
Automation.Engine 12.3.9 HF2 - Available
Will be fixed on Automation.Engine 21.0.4 HF1
Will be fixed on Automation.Engine 21.0.5

Workaround:

If you are running the Z/OS Agent in 12.3.9 or in  21.0.4 the workaround will consist in activating the automatic line numbering in the JCL before submitting it ('NUMBER ON'). This will prevent the JCL truncating in the JES2 output.

Additional Information

Solution Details: A problem has been fixed, where z/OS job fails with JCL error if JCL doesn't contain auto numbering at column 72-80.