AutoSys Job Status Codes Explained — Every Status and What It Means
- AutoSys has 12+ job status codes — know the abbreviations used in autorep output (SU, FA, RU, OH, OI, PE, etc.)
- PEND_MACH means the agent on the target machine is unavailable — check disk space first
- FAILURE requires investigation before restarting — always check the error log first
Every AutoSys job has a status at any given moment. Understanding what each status means is fundamental to monitoring and operating an AutoSys environment. Some statuses are normal progression; others indicate something needs your attention. This article covers every status code you'll encounter.
Normal lifecycle statuses
These are the statuses a job moves through during a healthy execution.
# Check status of a single job autostatus -J daily_report # Check status with full details autorep -J daily_report -d # List all jobs and their current status autorep -J % # Filter by status (SU = SUCCESS, FA = FAILURE, RU = RUNNING) autorep -J % -s SU autorep -J % -s FA autorep -J % -s RU
------------------------------------------------------------
daily_report SU 0 03/19/2026 02:00:01 03/19/2026 02:08:43
weekly_reconcile FA 1 03/19/2026 03:00:00 03/19/2026 03:01:22
monthly_summary OH -- -- --
All status codes with abbreviations
The autorep command uses two-letter abbreviations for status codes. Here they all are:
AC ACTIVATED -- Box is RUNNING but this job hasn't started yet FA FAILURE -- Job completed with non-zero exit code IN INACTIVE -- Job hasn't been triggered; waiting for schedule OH ON_HOLD -- Manually held; won't run until released OI ON_ICE -- Suspended; won't run even when conditions reappear PE PEND_MACH -- Waiting for target machine (agent offline) QU QUE_WAIT -- Waiting for available machine load/resources RE RESTART -- Job is being restarted after failure RU RUNNING -- Job is currently executing ST STARTING -- Job sent to agent; waiting for execution to begin SU SUCCESS -- Job completed with exit code 0 TE TERMINATED -- Job was killed (term_run_time, KILLJOB event, etc.)
The problem statuses and what to do
These statuses almost always require your attention:
# ── FAILURE: job failed ────────────────────────────────────────── # Check the error log first cat /logs/autosys/daily_report.err # Then check the event log autorep -J daily_report -d # Retry (force start) after fixing the underlying issue sendevent -E FORCE_STARTJOB -J daily_report # ── PEND_MACH: agent machine offline ───────────────────────────── # Check the machine autoping -m prod-server-01 autorep -M prod-server-01 # Check disk space on the agent machine (most common cause) # ssh prod-server-01 'df -h' # ── TERMINATED: job was killed ──────────────────────────────────── # Check if killed by term_run_time or manually autorep -J slow_job -d | grep term # If due to term_run_time, increase it: update_job: slow_job term_run_time: 180
ERROR: Database connection timeout after 30s
PEND_MACH — prod-server-01: MISSING (agent service down)
Disk usage on prod-server-01: /apps 100% — agent stopped
df -h, and clear space before restarting the agent service.| Status | Abbrev. | Normal or problem? | Action needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| INACTIVE | IN | Normal | No — just not scheduled yet |
| ACTIVATED | AC | Normal | No — box is running, job will start when conditions met |
| STARTING | ST | Normal | No — brief transition state |
| RUNNING | RU | Normal | No (unless running longer than expected) |
| SUCCESS | SU | Normal | No |
| FAILURE | FA | Problem | Yes — investigate and fix |
| ON_HOLD | OH | Normal (if intentional) | Check if intentional |
| ON_ICE | OI | Normal (if intentional) | Check if intentional |
| PEND_MACH | PE | Problem | Yes — check agent machine |
| QUE_WAIT | QU | Possible problem | Check machine load |
| TERMINATED | TE | Problem (usually) | Investigate cause |
| RESTART | RE | Normal (auto-retry) | Monitor for continued failure |
🎯 Key Takeaways
- AutoSys has 12+ job status codes — know the abbreviations used in autorep output (SU, FA, RU, OH, OI, PE, etc.)
- PEND_MACH means the agent on the target machine is unavailable — check disk space first
- FAILURE requires investigation before restarting — always check the error log first
- ACTIVATED means a job is inside a running BOX but hasn't started yet — this is normal, not a problem
⚠ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✕Confusing ON_HOLD and ON_ICE — they sound similar but behave differently when released
- ✕Not checking PEND_MACH machine disk space first — it's the most common cause and quickest fix
- ✕Restarting jobs in FAILURE without first reading the error log — the underlying cause might make the restart fail again immediately
- ✕Not distinguishing INACTIVE from ON_ICE — INACTIVE just means not scheduled yet; it's not a problem
Interview Questions on This Topic
- QWhat does PEND_MACH status mean in AutoSys?
- QWhat is the difference between ON_HOLD and ON_ICE in AutoSys?
- QWhat does ACTIVATED status mean for a job inside a BOX?
- QHow do you force-start a job that is in FAILURE status?
- QWhat is the most common cause of jobs going to PEND_MACH in bulk?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does PEND_MACH mean in AutoSys?
PEND_MACH (PE) means the job is waiting for its target machine to become available. The Remote Agent on the target machine is not responding — usually because the agent service has stopped (commonly due to a full disk), the machine is offline, or there's a network issue.
What does ACTIVATED mean in AutoSys?
ACTIVATED (AC) means the job's parent BOX is in RUNNING state, but the job itself hasn't started yet because its own conditions (start_times, condition attribute) haven't been met. It's a normal state — the job is queued inside a running box.
What is the difference between ON_HOLD and ON_ICE?
ON_HOLD: When you release a job from ON_HOLD (off_hold), it will run if its starting conditions are currently satisfied. ON_ICE: When you take a job off ICE (off_ice), it will NOT run even if conditions are met — it waits until its conditions reoccur in the next scheduling cycle. ON_ICE is a stronger suspension.
How do I restart a failed AutoSys job?
First check the error log to understand why it failed. Fix the underlying issue. Then use sendevent -E FORCE_STARTJOB -J jobname to restart it. Don't restart without investigating — you may be running a broken job again.
What does TERMINATED status mean in AutoSys?
TERMINATED (TE) means the job was killed. This can happen because term_run_time was exceeded (AutoSys killed it after max runtime), someone manually sent a KILLJOB event, or the agent machine went down while the job was running. Check autorep -d to see the details.
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