Interactive lock down while batch runs

["James W. Kilgore" <eMail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howdy,

We are attempting to shift some legacy interactive workload to batch and have a
situation that I would like some feedback on.

For example, a Payroll process is usually a batch type work load.  The menu
system gives the user a choice to:

(there's more but these are the batch type workload)

1) verify the payroll entries
2) run the calculations
3) print the checks
4) post the payroll

It would be real simple to take option #1 and make it a SBMJOB, if, and it's a
big IF, I could get the people to not run #2 until #1 is done.

Now I know that I could lock an object and prevent #2 from being run while #1 is
already running and have the user try again every five minutes or so.  They
won't go for that.  Why? Because they are used to having a progress bar being
displayed showing them how many minutes are left in the process so they can do
some other stuff while they wait.  They don't have do try and die, they just
watch and wait.

So here is what I would like to do:

1) have the job perform a SBMJOB to utilize the batch CPW
2) lock down the workstation, showing a process bar during the run

If the payroll run were only one program I could have the interactive caller
contain a data queue to sync with the SBMJOB process, but the batch process is a
series of programs, each having their own progress bar: compute gross wages,
compute 401k, compute section 125 medical, compute federal taxes, compute state
takes, compute disability, compute garnishments, etc.

I'm thinking that I would write an interactive "requester" that sits on a data
queue to lock the workstation, does the SBMJOB and each step feeds back it's
particular point in time back to the requester which displays the progress bar.
Since the interactive session uses very little resources it should have minimum
impact on the interactive CPW.

Any better suggestions?

TIA,
J. Kilgore