Application Calendar

Application calendar

• Description
• Functionality
• Related topics
• Technical documentation

Description

For tasks that are to be executed automatically in the background at certain times or that would place too heavy a load on the DP system during operation, there is the option of moving evaluation, closing and printing tasks to an application calendar. The tasks are then not executed directly, but scheduled for an automatic ClassiX service (server).

Such tasks to be executed automatically are managed by means of so-called application calendars (also known as automation calendars) and their execution steps. There are basically three different types of application calendars:

• Recurring tasks (batch run)
• Interval tasks
• One-off tasks

A task is described as "recurring" if the smallest unit for repeating the task is "one day". These are usually so-called night runs, which are started daily by the system administration. To set up such a "night run" server, a ClassiX start file (e.g. as App Suite (*.cxp) or directly the app applicationScheduleExceute.app) must be executed on a client via batch file, which checks and processes all pending tasks at a certain time (e.g. every night as a cron service of the operating system). Hence the name "batch run".

An example of an evaluation shifted to the night is the post-calculation of customer orders (this is a so-called system application). In the case of very large and complex orders, the ongoing post-calculation during daytime operations can cause considerable database blockages and waiting times. Such a post-run is activated in the client.

Users also have the option of scheduling very extensive evaluations so that these can be found in their saved lists the next morning or these saved lists can be printed out during the night directly on the user's standard printer (these are so-called user applications). Each user can also schedule each evaluation several times with different settings. For each user, a separate user group is created with his specific settings and assigned to the respective user application.

Examples of user applications:

• supply chain management
• Supplier declaration

Only user applications have subordinate user groups with the execution steps they contain. System applications directly contain the execution steps.

Once all these recurring tasks have been processed, the service terminates atomatically.

Interval tasks
If tasks are defined with an "interval", a so-called time trigger is activated internally after the call, which calls the task periodically according to the set interval (e.g. 5 min). The "Interval" specification can also be set or overwritten with the environment variable CX_APP_SCHEDULE_SNIFFER_INTERVAL.

One-off tasks
If tasks are not defined as "Recurring (batch run)" or with an "Interval", they are considered "one-off" tasks and are only executed once. Such one-off tasks are also processed in the so-called night runs or can be started directly manually.

Execution as a web service

The application calendar can be executed as a MorphIT instance.

'static': {
        'request_timeout': 300*1000,
        "webservice": {
            'enabled': true,
            'registration_webservice': false,
            "instances": [
                {
                    'id': 'app_schedule', // To recognize the instance in the admin console
                    "registration_webservice": "EXECUTE_APPLICATION_SCHEDULE?USERID=cx&PASSWORD=cx",
                    'launch': {
                        // Define start command for this webservice instance (first set dlls, then call start batch)
                        'cmd': 'Y:\\classix\\Pythia\\projects\\Pythia\\Pythia.bat',
                        'config': {
                            'env':{  // Custom environment variables
                                'CX_DISABLE_LOGIN_SID':'TRUE', //Set CX_DISABLE_LOGIN_SID for start batch
                                'CX_APP_SCHEDULE_SNIFFER_INTERVAL':'60min', //Set CX_APP_SCHEDULE_SNIFFER_INTERVAL for start batch
                                
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    }

'static': {
        'request_timeout': 300*1000,
        "webservice": {
            'enabled': true,
            'registration_webservice': false,
            "instances": [
                {
                    'id': 'app_schedule', // To recognize the instance in the admin console
                    "registration_webservice": "EXECUTE_APPLICATION_SCHEDULE",
                    'launch': {
                        // Define start command for this webservice instance (first set dlls, then call start batch)
                        'cmd': 'Y:\\classix\\Pythia\\projects\\Pythia\\Pythia.bat',
                        'config': {
                            'env':{  // Custom environment variables
                                'CX_DISABLE_LOGIN_SID':'FALSE', //Set CX_DISABLE_LOGIN_SID for start batch
                                'CX_USER':'cx', //Set CX_USER for start batch
                                'CX_APP_SCHEDULE_SNIFFER_INTERVAL':'60min', //Set CX_APP_SCHEDULE_SNIFFER_INTERVAL for start batch
                                
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    }

For the functionality described above, the SID of the user account of the MorphIT services must be stored in the database for the user cx. Accordingly, the user account must be stored manually with the services or alternatively it must be ensured that the user of the stored SID is always logged on to the computer.
An automatic login by additionally specifying the password as a variable is not possible, please use the Cloudconfig above.

Functionality

• Input window
• List window
• Pending application calendar entries
  
• Execution
• Log entry
  
• Web service

Input window

This app is used to maintain application calendar (entries).

Toolbar

Symbol	Description
	Create new application calendar(s)
	Save changes
	Delete application calendar (entry)
	Print application calendar (entry)
	Create/edit notes

ATTENTION: The e-mail of the employee of the executing user is used as the sender. If the user does not have an employee role, the default email sender is checked.
To create a default email address, an email address with the comment "AUTOMATED_EMAIL_SENDER" must be entered in the telecommunications data in the client.

"\"PYTHIA Abgleich\""

({ "PYTHIA Abgleich" }) Execute

({
   LocalVar(appStep) -> appStep
   appStep Copy(last.transaction.new.counter) Integer appStep Copy(last.transaction.risk.counter) Integer appStep Copy(last.transaction.changed.counter) Integer
   "Pythia: %i neue Treffer, %i geänderte Whitelist-Einträge, %i geänderte Blacklist Einträge" String(STACK)
}) Execute

List

This app is used to list all application calendar (entries).

Toolbar

Symbol	Description
	Empty list
	Create new application calendar (entry)
	Edit application calendar (entry)
	Delete application calendar (entry)
	Create/edit notes
	Document history
	Copy to clipboard

Position window

This app is used to edit an application calendar (entry), whether group or individual execution.

Execution

There is a central app (applicationScheduleExecute.app) with which all pending application calendars are executed. This app can either be started directly (e.g. for night runs) or included in an app suite using the message EXECUTE_APPLICATION_SCHEDULE.

Here, a separate time trigger is set for each interval application calendar (see applicationScheduleTriggeredStart.app), all other recurring or one-time application calendars are also executed. If new application calendars are constantly coming into the system (e.g. through an API), you can start an application calendar sniffer (see cxApplicationSchedule::StartApplicationScheduleSniffer), which searches for new application calendars at specified time intervals and executes them if it is their turn.

If a task has been executed, either the task itself or, in the case of repeatable or system tasks, a copy of it is moved to the applications log.

If warning or error messages occur during the execution of a task, they are suppressed and written to files separated by month in the directory ...\System\SystemOut\AppScheduleLog\YYYY-MM\xxxx.log. However, other tasks that have not yet been executed will continue to be executed.

Scalability of night runs

As there is usually only a short time window available for night runs, it is possible to start several night run instances and assign them to a category. The individual night runs then only perform the tasks that are assigned to their category. Here a main instance, e.g. category A, should be defined, which is then executed shortly before the other instances, so that it can complete leading system tasks (start statistical periods, import latest currency table), which the other instances will use later.

A category can therefore be assigned to each application. In addition, each application can be given a code number for the sequence. When the night runs are executed, all applications are sorted in ascending order. Thus, the task with the highest priority has the lowest number.

The category of the instance is assigned using the environment variable CX_BATCH_ID. This can be set before calling the system with the command "SET CX_BATCH_ID=A" or via the system environment variables!

Web service

Application calendars can also be started with the POST message EXECUTE_APPLICATION_SCHEDULE?USERID=myUserID&PASSWORD=myPassword&BATCHID=A via a web service.

This app can be used to view the log entries for the log of each executed step.

Pending application calendar entries

This app is used to list the application calendar entries to be executed in the near future. Here, for example, you can check what will be started today. The dates of recurring applications are also calculated and taken into account.

The user can be set as a filter. Only users for whom due applications are scheduled are displayed in the user list. If no user is registered, the pending tasks of all users are displayed.

Using the date field, the due date can also be checked for a date in the future.

Related topics

• Index

Technical Documentation

• Implementation
• Quality assurance
• Base module
  • Editing module
  • Selection module

Application Calendar Module

Module name

appsched.mod - appscedt.mod - appscsel.mod - appscprn.mod

Classes

CX_APPLICATION_SCHEDULE

CX_COMPOUND_TXN

CX_TRANSACTION

Security

In addition to restricting access rights via the class and its data fields, the module can be restricted in its use via some of the received messages.