Preventing long running transactions from holding record locks

A method includes receiving, at a job control manager, a command specifying execution of a batch application. The method further includes receiving, at the job control manager, a commit count associated with the batch application, and initiating the batch application, with the batch application processing a group of records. The method also includes locking a first record of the group of records in response to the first record being processed by the batch application with the proviso that the batch application does not cause the first record to be unlocked unless the batch application has finished processing a last record in the group of records. Moreover, the method includes committing, in response to the batch application having completed processing of an nth record of the group of records, all records of the group of records that are locked resulting from execution of the batch application.