skybot user guide.pdf

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Skybot Scheduler

User Guide


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Copyright

Skybot Scheduler User Guide

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Copyright

Copyright HelpSystems, LLC. All rights reserved.

Skybot is a division of HelpSystems.

www.helpsystems.comU.S.: +1 952-746-4786

Outside the U.S.: +44 (0) 870 120 3148

Technical Support email: [email protected]

Skybot Scheduler and Robot/SCHEDULE are trademarks or registered trademarks of HelpSystems, LLC in the United

States and other countries.

Windows, the Windows logo, Windows Vista, Windows Server, SQL Server, and Internet Explorer are registered trade-

marks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

IBM, AS/400, OS/400, Systemi, Systemi5, i5/OS, Power Systems, iSeries, AIX, and PowerLinux are trade-

marks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and/or other coun-

tries.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Macintosh, Mac, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

HP and HP-UX are registered trademarks of the Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

Oracle, the Oracle logo, and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc.

SUSE is a registered trademark of SUSE LLC in the United States and other countries.

Ubuntu is a registered trademark of Canonical Ltd.

SAP NetWeaver and ABAP are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other coun-

tries.

Informatica, PowerCenter, and Informatica Cloud are reg istered trademarks of Informatica Corporation.

Adobe, Acrobat, and Reader are either registered trademarks or trademarks o f Adobe Systems Incorporated in the

United States and/or other countries.

All other produ ct and company names are trademarks o f their respective hold ers. For third-party conditions and dis-

claimers, see the Release Notes in the product directory.


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About this Help


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About this Help

This user guide is for operators who set up and manag e the job schedule on your en terprise and system administrators

who manage users, security, and access to your network.

This user guide is meant to be used as a reference while you work. Therefore, it is organized so the help topics matchthe options in the product. The topics within each chapter basically follow the order of the Skybot Scheduler product. The

descriptions provide detailed information on valid values, the function of each field, and any additional information that

can help you when using Skybot Scheduler.

Additional Support

If you don't find the answers you need in this user guide, trySkybot Technical Support on our website. There you can

find many support options including LiveChat, online Support topics and videos, Training & Events, and phone numbers

tocontact Technical Support.
http://www.helpsystems.com/node/2775http://www.helpsystems.com/node/2775http://www.helpsystems.com/node/2775http://www.helpsystems.com/node/2513http://www.helpsystems.com/node/2513http://www.helpsystems.com/node/2513http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/89http://www.helpsystems.com/node/89http://www.helpsystems.com/node/89


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About Skybot Scheduler


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About Skybot Scheduler

Skybot Scheduler is a web-based user interface that lets you build and manage an event-driven schedule across all

your systems for enterprise scheduling, coordinated batch processing, and cross-system monitoring. Skybot Scheduler

works across all your servers to:

Monitor essential services and daemonsSchedule batch jobsMonitor file arrival a nd di rectory creation or modificationCoordinate event-driven scheduling across different platformsCapture output from agent systems for troubleshootingControl the user and working directory on the serverProvide reporting for todays stringent regulationsNotify you for Service Level Agreements

Automate you r custom scripts

Skybot Scheduler gives you complete access and control of your job scheduling functions and options. Setting up jobs

couldn't be easier. You select the job type, enter the times it should run, then select the days of the week or month it

should run. That's all there is to it.


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Skybot Scheduler Home Page


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The Skybot Scheduler Home page helps you get started with the product and provides a quick status of the product, a

brief job history, and actions that are required by the operator. You also can quickly access theDashboardfrom this

page.

Getting Started

The Getting Started section guides you through a few important steps for setting up Skybot Scheduler.

Option Description

Enter License Skybot Scheduler requires a validlicense code(primary or trial) for full functionality.

This section lets you know right away if your license code is valid and provides a link

to enter a new code.

Install and License Agents You must install our agent software to run jobs and manage processes on your agent

systems (connected servers). An Agent is the service that runs on your agent systems

and connects to Skybot Scheduler on your Enterprise Server. You must have at least

one agent system configured to run jobs. This section lets you know how many agents

you have configured and provides links to downloadingagent software and viewing

configured agents.

Configure Email Noti-

fication

You can configure Skybot Scheduler to notify you through email of important job sta-

tuses, agent events, or other system events. To use this feature, you must configure

Skybot Scheduler so it can connect to your email server. This section lets you know if

an email server is configured and provides a link toconfigureyour email server.

Configure Users Each user who accesses the system should have an individual user profile allowing

their actions are distinctly audited. Also, at least one user should be configured to be

notified of system events.This section provides a link to the page whe re you canadd or

edit users.

Define Jobs Jobs are the basic unitof work in Skybot Scheduler.Jobs contain commands, envi-

ronment variables, scheduling options, and otherimportant information related to


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scheduling and e xecuting the task you want to perform. This section lets you know

how many jobs you have defined and provides links tocreatinga new job, orviewing

existing jobs.

Hiding the Getting Started

Section

Click ide Getting Started to hide this section. It will remain hidden each time you visit

the page until you click howGetting Started at the top of the page.

Current Status

The Current Status section displaysthe status of key Skybot Scheduler areas.

Option Description

Job Scheduler This lets you know if the job scheduler is running.If it is running or starting, the back-

ground is green. If it's stopped or failed, the background is red.

If the job scheduler has been down for some time, when it's restarted, the job sched-

uler will have a starting status until all missed jobs have been managed.

Job Queues This lets you know if there are locked job queues. If there are, the background is red. If

not, the background is green.

SNMP Monitoring This lets you know if SNMP Monitoring is on. If it is, the background is green. If not, the

background is red.

Auditing This lets you know if Auditing is on. If it is, the backgroun d i s green. If not, the back-

ground is red.

History Purge This lets you know the status of history purging on your system.

On: All history purges are enabled (green background)xDisabled: Wherexis any number of purges that are disabled (yellow back-

ground)Off: All history purges are disabled (red b ackground)

Standby Server This lets you know the status of your standby server.

Active: You have configure d your H A environment and your standby server is

connected and replicating the master server's database (green background).Inactive: You have configured your HA environment, but your standby server is

not connected (red background).Not Configured: You have not configured your HA environment (yellow back-

ground)

Note: The underlined statuses are links to the page where you can change that status. For example, if the Job Sched-

uler status is "Stopped," you can click the status to go to the page where you can restart the Job Scheduler.

Job Activity Summary


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The Job Activity Summary section summarizes job activity over the last 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours.

Activity Description

Initiated How many jobs were initiated during the selected time range.

Queued How many jobs are waiting in the job queue.

Running How many jobs are currently running.

Completed How many jobs completed during the selected time range.

Fai led H ow man y jo bs fa il ed du ri ng th e se lecte d time ra ng e.

Canceled How many jobs were canceled during the selected time range.

Erro r H ow man y jo bs re su lte d i n e rro r d urin g th e se le cted ti me ra ng e.

Skipped How many jobs were skipped during the selected time range.

You can change the time range by clicking the hours (6h, 12h, 24h, 48h).

Action Required

The Action Required section shows recent events or schedule irregularities that need your attention. Select an optionfrom the left to see related information.

Option Description

Pending Messages View recent system messages and provides a link to theSystem Messagespage.

Missed Jobs View recent jobs that did not run because the server was not running and provides a


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link to theManage Missed Jobspage

Held Agent Job Queues View currently held agent job queues and provides a link to theAgentspage.

Offline Agents View agents that are currently offline, the status for why it's offline, and a link to the

Agentspage.

Today's Failed Jobs View jobs that have failed today, the reson why they failed, and a link to theJob His-

torypage with only today's failed jobs listed.

Today's Skipped Jobs View jobs that were skipped today, the reason why they were skipped, and a link to the

Job Hi storypage with only today's skipped jobs listed.

Unlicensed Agents View connected agent systems that do not have points allocated and provides a link to

theAgentspage.


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Profile Settings


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Profile Settings

Use the My Profile Settings page to select your default language, change your password, or view a summary of your pro-

file.

Preferences

ClickEdit to change your preferences.

Language: Select the language for Skybot Scheduler to use.

Show dates on history pages: Unchecking this option will hid e dates that match the date filters on the history screens.

Password

ClickEdit to set a new password for the profile you are logged in as.

Old password: Enter your existing password.New password: Enter a new password.

Confirm new password: Re-enter your new password.

Summary

The Summary section provides a brief summary of your account.

ClickSave to save your new language and password changes.


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Filtering Columns


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Filtering Columns

Some columns can be filtered by unique values of your choosing. To filter in this way, click the drop-down list in the

desired column and pointtoFilters .Type the prefix you want to filter by.

When typing unique characters for this filter, there are two wildcards that can be used:

"%" (percent) - This is a wildcard for one or more characters of any value."_" (underscore) - This is a wildcard for one character of any value.

Note: If you do not want the character to be treated as a wildcard, it must be prefixed with "\\" (see image below).

For example, if you want to find objects prefixed by "my_value" :

Using a filter value of "my_value" will consider the underscorea wildcard.Using a filter value of "my\\_value" will force an exact prefix match of "my_value".


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Product Security


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Product Security

Skybot Schedulers role-based security ensures that your users have access to only the parts of the product they need to

perform their jobs. It also makes management of user privileges easier for your system administrators, because they can

change privileges for a large group of users on one page.

Skybot Scheduler provides a virtually limitless combination of security options. You could segregate jobs by department,

division, geographic location, or customer. Managed service providers, cloud computing applications, and large organ-

izations can all benefit from Skybot Schedulers role-based security. For example, one role could have the ability to

access Job History and Audit History, but not be able to manage missed jobs, create new jobs, or create Return Codes.

Another role could create n ew jobs, but not have access to modify a ny job on the system. You can even manage it down

to a lower level, by giving a role access to only specific jobs, agent event monitors, or agents. You could even have a

role that is excluded from everything in the product except the ability to view one job.

In addition to ensuring that only authorized users have access to the correct jobs and objects, Skybot Scheduler also pro-

tects you from outside threats. All conversations across your network are en crypted using Transport Layer Security

(TLS).


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Creating Jobs


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Creating Jobs

Use the Job settings page to create new and edi t existing jobs.

Note: You must have at least one agent configured to schedule a basic job. If you want to use other scheduling options,

such asshared agent environments, return codes, calendars, date lists, Skybot variables, orshared command sets, youmust configure those before you set up your job.

The Job settings page uses the following sections to define your job:

General Job Settings

Use the General section to set basic job information. Agents, agent groups, and non-standard (fiscal) calendars must be

defined before you create a job that uses them.

Name: Provide a unique name for your job. Do not use spaces.Note: If you have Robot/SCHEDULE running on a server where you also have an IBMi agent installed, and you're

using submit-delay processing in Robot/SCHEDULE, be sure the job name you enter here will not be captured by

a submit-delay model job in Robot/SCHEDULE.Description: Provide a useful description for your job.

Agent/Group: Select whether you want the j ob to run on a specific agent or o n a n a gent group . Then, select the

name from the drop-down list.Priority: Type or select an agent queue priority for this job. Number 1 is the highest priority. For example, if two jobs

are submitted to an agent queue at the same time, the job with a priority of 25 will run before the job with a priority

of 99.Calendar: Select a calendar to use with the job.Note: To select a non-standard calendar, you must set it up before you create the job. SeeCalendarsfor help on

creating calendars.Time Zone: This option lets you schedule the job according to the time zone of either the agent or the server. The

time zone affects all time calculations related to this job, includingschedule exceptionsand special i nstances.Note: If you selected a Preferred Agent or Utilization Balanced agent group (above), you'll only be able to select


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Creating Jobs


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ClickOK to save the schedule. Each scheduled time is now visible (highlighted in blue) and ea sy to edit or delete.

This job now runs every day at 5:00 a.m. and every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m.

Once you have established a schedule type and times to run, use the Schedule Exceptions section if you want the job to

run outside of the normal schedule.

Creating Exceptions to the Normal Schedule

Use the Schedule Exceptions section to create exceptions to the job's regular schedule. For example, you can schedule

a job to run every Monday and Wednesday, then use a Date List to tell the job not to run on certain dates such as holi-

days. The job runs on every Monday and Wednesdayexcept those specified in the Date List. For those exceptions, you

can also specify if the job should run on the preceding working day, on the following working day, or not run at all.


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Creating Jobs


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Run Time Range Allowed: Set the time range (From and To) during which this job can run. If the job attempts to

run outside of this range, it will be skipped.Non-Working Days: Use this option when you use a scheduling option where you do not know what day of the

week a job will run. For example, the Day of Period option lets you run a job on the first day of the month. But, if the

first day is a Saturday, use the Non-Working Days option to tellSkybot Scheduler what to do. You can:Run the job on all days it's scheduled, regardless of it if it lands on a non-working day.

Run the job only on working days. If the job is scheduled to run on a non-working day, it will be skipped.Run the job on the preceding working day. This option runs the job on the last working day before it's

schedule to run.Run the job on the following working day. This option runs the job on the first working day after it's sched-

uled to run.Omit Date Lists: Click the drop-down list to select aDate List for a list of dates that the job will not run on.

Setting an Agent Environment

Use the Agent Environment section to select the environment type. You can use a shared environment (Shared Agent

Environment or IBMi Agent Environmentboth of which are defined under Objects), or you can set up a private envi-

ronment that only this job uses (Username and Password, Run as Agent's User, or 'setuid'). You also enter the other nec-

essary information; what you need to enter will vary depending on which environment type you selected.

Note:

The type of agent environment you select in this section must match the type of agent you selected in the General

section above. For example, You won't be able to save this job if you selected a Windows agent and an IBMi agent envi-

ronment.

See detailed information about setting agent environments.

For this example, we'll use a Shared Agent Environment. The username, working path, and variables (if any exist) pop-

ulate automatically once you select an environment from the Agent Environment drop-down list.


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Creating Jobs


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Adding Commands to a Job

Use the Commands section to set up commands, return codes (doesn't apply to IBMi commands), and fail actions for the

job.

For all agents except the IBMi, you can:

Use a shared command set.Manually e nter commands (private command set).Use one of the Skybot Scheduler command builders (private command set).

For IBMi agents, you can:

Use a shared IBMi command set.Manually enter IBMi commands (private IBMi command set).

Note: To use a shared command set or a shared IBMi command set, you must have one set up before creating a job. If

you use either type of shared command set, you will not be able to move or change the commands in the set from this

page. SeeCommand SetsorIBMi Command Setsfor help on creating new command sets or editing existing ones.

If you're using a private command set or a private IBMi command set, you can create a new command by copying an

existing one. This is extremely useful for complex commands. See step 4 below.

To add commandsto a job:

1. Select the ommand Set Type . See the above bullet points for help in making a selection.2. If you chose one of the shared command sets in step 1, select the command set you want to use. Then, skip the

rest of these steps.3. If you chose one of the private command sets in step 1, see below for instructions on adding commands.


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Creating Jobs


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4. To copy an existing command, right-click it and select Copy. Then, click the new command to make any necessary

changes to it.

For this example, we'll set up manual commands for just this job. See detailed information about each of the available

Command options.

1. ClickAdd

and selectCommand

.2. Enter the command or script in the Command column.

Notes:

Theexitsystem command should be used with caution on Windows. Whenexitis used in a command, it

immediately ends the current process before Skybot Scheduler is finished evaluating the results. Using the

parameter/bcan help.The Windowstimeoutcommand should be avoided when writing commands in Skybot Scheduler. It will

prevent the job from completing. Thetimeoutcommand waits for user input (even if the'/NOBREAK'

option is used) and this interferes with Skybot Scheduler determining when a command has completed.If you're adding a call to vlaunch.exe, consider using theWindows Desktop Application Command window

instead of manually adding it here. The advantage is that the Windows Desktop Application Command win-

dow automatically builds the correct syntax for doing the call. However, if you must add it here, use the fol-

lowing syntax:

windows path\vlaunch.exe" "command.exe parm1 parm2 parm3This passes the command string, including all parameters, to the Skybot Agent Transponder for execution,

and continues with the next job command without waiting for the results.windows path\vlaunch.exe" /W "command.exe parm1 parm2 parm3

This stops and wai ts for the command to execute via the Skybot Agent Transponder, and gets a return code

from the command that can be tested.3. Click the value in theReturn Code column, then click the pencil ) next to the value to open the Select Return

Code window. You can enable and select a shared return code, or create an individual return code for this com-

mand. (Return codes don't apply to IBMi commands.)Clickherefor return code guidelines.

4. Click the value in the Fail Action column, then click the pencil ) next to the value to open the Select Failed

Action window. Select an item from theWhen command fails list. You can choose: Fail Job (the job will end and

show a status of Failed), Continue to next Command (this command will fail, but the job will continue to run with

the next command), Retry command before Failing Job, and Retry command before continuing to next Command.Ifyou select either of the "retry" choices, you must enter the umber of Retries and the time to ait Between

Retries in seconds.ClickSave when you're finished.Note: If a job has an IBMi command that doesn't pass validation on the IBMi agent, the command retry settings

are ignored (Fail Job/ Continue to next Command settings are still used). The job log will contain messages about

the invalid parameter, but no retries will be attempted. An example of an IBMi command that would fail to validate

is: SNDMSG MSG(string will not validate) TOUSR(myuser). It contains an unquoted string with a space in

it.


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5. Repeat for each command you need to add manually.

You can also use the Skybot Scheduler command builders to write commands for file transfers, running a n Informatica

Cloud task, running an Informatica PowerCenter workflow, managing an Oracle concurrent request, running an SAP job,event, or variant, managing a SQLServer job, sending a request to a web server, or launching a desktop application.

See the following for help setting up these type of commands:

File Transfer JobsInformatica Cloud TasksInformatica WorkflowsOracle Concurrent Request JobsSAPNetWeaver EventsSAPNetWeaver JobsSAPNetWeaver Process ChainsSAPNetWeaver VariantsSQLServer JobsWeb Service Request JobsWindows Desktop Application Jobs

Handling Missed Run Times

Use the MissedRun Time Options section to set the action to perform when missed run times occur for the job. Click the

drop-down list to select an action.

Note: The missed run time option does not apply to jobs using the Run Intercepted Job schedule option.

You can select from the following o ptions:

Manually manage all missed run times.Run all missed run times.Ignore all missed run times.

Choosing this option may result in the job appearing as Canceled in the Job History. This will occur only if

the job has already been queued at the missed run time. If the job has not been queued, no record of the

job will appe ar i n the Job History.Mark all missed run times as Failed.Mark all missed run times as Completed.Run the first missed run time, manually manage others.Run the first missed run time, Ignore others.



job will appe ar i n the Job History.


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Creating Jobs


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Run the first missed run time, mark others as Failed.Run the first missed run time, mark others as Completed.

Logging Options

Use the Logging section to save the job log to your server.

Managing JobHistory Purging

Use the Job History Purge section to define purging for the job's history. You can use defaults set by the product or

define purge settings specifically for one job.

Use Defaults: Select this option if you want to use the system defaults for purging job logs for this job. The defaults

are defined in the Job History section ofSystem Settings.Purge: Select this option if you want to define purge settings specifically for the job.Runs to Keep: Set the default number of runs to keep for the job.


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Use the General section to set basic job information. Agents, agent groups, and non-standard (fiscal) calendars must be

defined before you create a job that uses them.

Name: Provide a unique name for your job. Do not use spaces.Note: If you have Robot/SCHEDULE running on a server where you also have an IBMi agent installed, and you're

using submit-delay processing in Robot/SCHEDULE, be sure the job name you enter here will not be captured by

a submit-delay model job in Robot/SCHEDULE.Description: Provide a useful description for your job.

Agent/Group: Select whether you want the j ob to run on a specific agent or o n a n a gent group . Then, select thename from the drop-down list.Priority: Type or select an agent queue priority for this job. Number 1 is the highest priority. For example, if two jobs

are submitted to an agent queue at the same time, the job with a priority of 25 will run before the job with a priority

of 99.Calendar: Select a calendar to use with the job.Note: To select a non-standard calendar, you must set it up before you create the job. SeeCalendarsfor help on

creating calendars.Time Zone: This option lets you schedule the job according to the time zone of either the agent or the server. The

time zone affects all time calculations related to this job, includingschedule exceptionsand special i nstances.Note: If you selected a Preferred Agent or Utilization Balanced agent group (above), you'll only be able to select

the server time zone.Tags: Enter a Tag or tags for this job.


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Job Scheduling


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Of the: Set the type of period (month, quarter, semester, year).Counting days: Select if you want to count from the beginning of the period or from the end of the period. For exam-

ple, if you know you need a job to always run a week after the start of a period, you would enter 7 in the Run set-

ting and "after the start" in the Run on day setting.At: Set the time of day to run the job.

ClickOK to save the schedule. You can add multiple schedules for each job by clicking dd Schedule .

Timed Interval

Timed Interval scheduling lets you schedule jobs that will routinely run and w ill be au tomatically rescheduled to run

again in a specific time interval.

Run Every: Enter the interval number (hours or minutes). Select hours or minutes from the second drop-down

menu.Run on Non-Working days: Check this option if you want the job to run on a non-working day.On Save: Click this option to cause the first instance of the new job to be scheduled approximately one minute

from the time the job is initially saved. Subsequent maintenance of the job continues running using the previously

submitted time to calculate the next runtime. Changing the base date/time during maintenance will cause the job

to re-schedule at the new base date/time instead of staying on the current interval schedule.Base Date: Set a date for this job to start running.Base Time: Set a time for this job to start running.


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Job Scheduling


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Add Run Time Range: Click dd Run Time Range if you want to add a time range for the job to run. Click theRun

drop-down list and select one of the following.Daily: Select this option to set a time range that the job can run in every day.Weekly: Select this option to run the job during the time range you select and on the week of the month that

you specify (first, second, third, fourth, fifth, last). You also can specify which days of that week the job

should run.Nightly: Select this option to run the job during an overnight time range. The From time must be greater

than the until time. For example, From 23:00 until 3:00 would be 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. the next day.Overnight: Select this option to run the job during the overnight time range you select and on the week of

the month that you specify (first, second, third, fourth, fifth, last). You also can specify which days of that

week the job should run.

Daily Interval

Daily Interval scheduling lets you run a job with a set number of days between each run.

Count: When calculating the run time for a job, only count the selected type of days. You can select from all days,

working days, or non-working days. For example, 5 days after the start of a period could be different if you are not

counting non-working days.Run every: Set the number of days between run times.Start run date: Set the date of the first job run. This date should equal or be greater than today.Run time: Set the time each day this job is supposed to run.


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Job Scheduling


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Start run date: Set the date of the first job run. This date should equal or be greater than today.

React only during Day of Week range

The Day of Week Range option lets you narrow the job time to a time range for every day that you want to run the job.

React all day: Check this option if you want the job to be reactive during the entire day. You also can select a time

range.Every: Choose which week of the month the job will be reactive. You can select from Every Week, First Week, Sec-

ond Week, Third Week, Fourth Week, Fifth Week, or Last Week. You also can specify which days of that week the

job should b e re active.

React only during Date List range

The Date List Range option lets you add a time range to jobs that run on a specified Date List. More than one Date List

can be selected. On days specified in the Date Lists, the job runs at every runtime specified.

React only during Day of Period range


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Job Scheduling


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Day of Period Range scheduling lets you add a time range to jobs that will routinely run on the given days relative to the

start or end of a specific period.

Count: When calculating the run time for a job, only count the selected type of days. You can select from all days,

working days, or non-working days. For example, 5 days after the start of a period could be different if you are not

counting non-working days.React all day: Check this option if you want the job to be reactive during the entire day. You also can select a time

range.Run on day: Select the number of days you want to count from the beginning or before the end of a period. If you

select 1 days, the job will run on the first or last day, depending on your Counting days setting.Of the: Set the type of period (month, quarter, semester, year). You also can select a time range.

Run Intercepted Job

The Run Intercepted Job option lets you automatically scan a defined SAP system for intercepted jobs and run them as a

Skybot Scheduler job. You can create Run Intercepted jobs from scratch or by using theIntercepted Job Historypage.

Note: You must have at least one agent or agent group configured to schedule a basic job (you cannot define a 'run

intercepted job' to the All Agents group). Also, the Poll Intercepted Jobs option must be selected in the SAP NetWeaver

system definition. If you want to use other scheduling options, such as tags, shared agent environments, return codes,

calendars, date lists, Skybot variables, or shared command sets, you must configure those before you set up your job.

This option is not available for scheduling job suites.

Run Time Range Allowed: Set the time range (From and To) during which intercepted jobs that meet the criteria

may run immediately. If the intercepted job attempts to run outside of this range, it will be delayed until the nexttime the From time occurs.For example, if a run intercepted job has a time range of 17:0005:00, and an intercepted job matching that criteria

is detected at 06:00, it will be delayed until 17:00 that same day.Restricted Days: Restricted days indicate what days that this time range applies to. Having them all checked, or

none checked has the same results (the time range applies to all days).


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Job Scheduling


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Intercept Criteria: Select a system definition to be used with this intercept job, and define the combination of job

name, job owner, and client this job will scan for in the intercepted job history An asterisk (*) can be used as a wild-

card.

Cron Expression

Use the Cron Expression schedule type to create UNIX-type Cron Expressions. Clickherefor more in formation on set-

ting up a Cron Expression type job.

The following options are available for each scheduling type:

Option Description

Skip if running Check this box so if the previous submission of the job is still active (running, on the

queue, or checking conditions), it skips the next submission of the job. If the job is

assigned to an agent group, thejobwill be skipped only on the agents where it is

active.

Generate history when

skipping

Check this box so if thejob is skipped for any reason, Skybot Scheduler keeps a rec-

ord of the instance.

Hold on Failure Check this box so if the previous submission of the job run fails,it holds the job. This

lets you diagnose the problem and release the job when you are ready, instead of hav-

ing the scheduler continue to submit a job that repeatedly fails. If the job is assigned to

an agent group, the job willbe held only for the agents where it has failed.


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Adding Exceptions to the Normal Schedule


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Adding Exceptions to the Normal Schedule

Use the Schedule Exceptions section to create exceptions to the job's regular schedule. For example, you can schedule

a job to run every Monday and Wednesday, then use a Date List to tell the job not to run on certain dates such as holi-

days. The job runs on every Monday and Wednesdayexcept those specified in the Date List. For those exceptions, you

can also specify if the job should run on the preceding working day, on the following working day, or not run at all.

Run Time Range Allowed: Set the time range (From and To) during which this job can run. If the job attempts to

run outside of this range, it will be skipped.Non-Working Days: Use this option when you use a scheduling option where you do not know what day of the

week a job will run. For example, the Day of Period option lets you run a job on the first day of the month. But, if the

first day is a Saturday, use the Non-Working Days option to tellSkybot Scheduler what to do. You can:Run the job on all days it's scheduled, regardless of it if it lands on a non-working day.Run the job only on working days. If the job is scheduled to run on a non-working day, it will be skipped.Run the job on the preceding working day. This option runs the job on the last working day before it's

schedule to run.Run the job on the following working day. This option runs the job on the first working day after it's sched-

uled to run.Omit Date Lists: Click the drop-down list to select aDate List for a list of dates that the job will not run on.


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Agent Environment


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Agent Environment

Use the Agent Environment section to assign the environment type and working path, and to add environment variables

for your job. You can use a shared environment (Shared Agent Environment or IBMi Agent Environmentboth of which

are defined under Objects), or you can set up a private environment that only this job uses (Username and Password,

Run as Agent's User, or 'setuid').

The following environment types are available:

Environment Type Description

Shared Agent Envi-

ronment

Select this option to use an agent environment that you created under the Objects

menu. SeeManaging Agent Environmentsfor help creating new agent environments.

The Username, Working Path, and Environment Variables fill in automatically. You can

overwrite the Working Path and Environment Variables fields to create an agent envi-

ronment that merges settings from the object (underObjects) with custom settings for

this job. This does not change the original object.

User Name and Password Select this option to enter a valid username and password for the agent, and a working

path.

Run as Agent's User Select this option to run jobs as the agent's user, without specifying the user name and

password. You must still enter a working path.

Note: Agents ru nning jobs with this ag ent environment must have "Allow Jobs to Run

as Agent's User" turned on under General Agent Settings.

'setuid' (UNIXAgents only) Select this option to run jobs as a user on the UNIXagent.

Note: This environment type is secured by running the script allownopwd.sh on your

UNIXagent. For more detailed instructions, seeInstalling Agents on UNIX, Linux, and

Mac Systemsunder the Support Self-Servicetab on our website.

IBMi Agent Environment Select this option to use an IBMi agent environment that you created under the

Objects menu. SeeManaging IBM i Agent Environmentsfor help creating new IBMi

agent environments. Enter a job name only if you want to override the job name on the

IBMi.

Note: For detailed information on running a Skybot IBMi agent, seeInstalling or Updat-

ing Skybot Scheduler Agents on the IBM iunder the Support Self-Servicetab on our

website.

AddingEnvironment Variables (optional)

Select Add Variable to add an environment variable or select a variable to edit it. Enter the name and value of the envi-

ronment variable.

Notes:

For Windows. UNIX, and Linux users, add this environment variable to an agent, "SKYBOT_CONFIG_JOBIN-

FO=true", to have all jobs that run on that agent include the following Skybot job information environment var-

iables:SKYBOT_JOB_RUN_IDSKYBOT_SUITE_RUN_ID (jo b suite member j obs o nly)

SKYBOT_JOB_NAMESKYBOT_SUITE_NAME (job suite member jobs only)SKYBOT_AGENT_NAMESKYBOT_SCHEDULED_DATE (YYYYMMDD)SKYBOT_SCHEDULED_TIME (HHMMSS)SKYBOT_SCHEDULED_MILLIS

For UNIX and Linux users who want to emulate the behavior of a clean environment with a full login sequence (su

- someuser), instead of an inherited environment (su someuser), use the following environment variable: "__

PROCESS_LOGIN=true".
http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/3969http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/1804http://www.helpsystems.com/node/378http://www.helpsystems.com/node/378http://www.helpsystems.com/node/378http://www.helpsystems.com/node/378http://www.helpsystems.com/node/378http://www.helpsystems.com/node/378http://www.helpsystems.com/node/378http://www.helpsystems.com/node/378


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Agent Environment


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When a Skybot Scheduler job is started with the clean environment (su -), environment variables from the agent's

shell are not passed into the process.If your FTP server only accepts active transfers, create the following environment variable and use it when you

create the file transfer job: "set SKYBOT_FTP_LOCAL_MODE=active".If your FTP server is configured to use preferred authentications, create the following environment variable and

use it when you create the file transfer job : "SKYBOT_SFTP_PREFERRED_AUTH".

See Configuring Agent Environmentsfor more information on creating environment variables.


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Use the Missed Run Time Options section to set the action to perform when missed run times occur for the job. Click the

drop-down list to select an action.

Note: The missed run time option does not apply to jobs using the Run Intercepted Job schedule option.

You can select from the following o ptions:

Manually manage all missed run times.Run all missed run times.Ignore all missed run times.



job will appe ar i n the Job History.Mark all missed run times as Failed.Mark all missed run times as Completed.Run the first missed run time, manually manage others.Run the first missed run time, Ignore others.


the job has already been queued at the missed run time. If the job has not been queued, no record of thejob will appe ar i n the Job History.

Run the first missed run time, mark others as Failed.Run the first missed run time, mark others as Completed.


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Cron Expression Overview


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A Cro n e xpression is a string o f fields separated by white space that represents a set of times, used to sched ule tasks.

The Cron Expression schedule type lets you create jobs on your UNIX, Linux, and Windows servers with cron-type

scheduling.

Notes:

This does not create a Cron job.Since not all versions of Cron work the same, we make no guarantees that this schedule type will work with your

system.Daylight Saving Time considerations: In the spring, on the night when the system clock is moved ahead from 2:00

AM to 3 :00 AM, any job scheduled with a Cron expression to run between 2 :00 AM and 2:59 AM will not run. In the

fall, on the night when the system clock is moved back from 2:00 AM to 1:00 AM, any job scheduled wi th a Cron

expression to run between 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM will not run twice. It will run at the designated time after the

change back to Standard Time.

Field Name Allowed Values Allowed Special Characters

Minute 0-59 , - * /

Hour 0-23 , - * /Day of Month 1-31 , - * ? / L W

Month 1-12 or JAN-DEC , - * /

Weekday 1-6 or MON-SAT; 0 ,7 or SUN , - * ? / L #

Year (optional) empty, 1970-100 years from now , - * /

Skybot Scheduler JobSetup Screen

The '*' character is used to specify all values. For example, "*" in the minute field means "every minute."


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The '?' character is allowed for the day of month and weekdayfields. It is used to specify 'no specific value.' This is useful

when you need to specify something in one of the two fields, but not the other.

The '-' character is used to specify ranges For example "10-12" in the hour field means "the hours 10, 11 and 12."

The ',' character is used to specify additional values. For example "MON,WED,FRI" in the weekday field means "the days

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday."

The '/' character is used to specify increments. For example "0/15" in the minute field means "the minutes 0, 15, 30, and

45". And "5/15" in the minute field means "the minutes 5, 20, 35, and 50". Specifying '*' before the '/' is equivalent to spec-

ifying 0 is the value to start with. Essentially, for each field in the expression, there is a set of numbers that can be turned

on or off. For minutes, the numbers range from 0 to 59. For hours, 0 to 23, for days of the month 0 to 31, and for months 1

to 12. The "/" character simply helps you turn on every "nth" value in the given set. Thus "7/6" in the month field only turns

on month "7", it does NOT mean every 6th month, please note that subtlety.

The 'L' character is allowed for the day of month and weekday fields. This character is short-hand for "last", but it has dif-

ferent meaning in each of the two fields. For example, the value "L" in the day of month field means "the last day of the

month" - day 31 for January, day 28 for February on non-leap years. If used in the weekday field by itself, it simply means

"6" or "SAT". But if used in the weekday field after another value, it means "the last xxx day of the month" - for example

"5L" means "the last friday of the month". When using the 'L' option, it is important not to specify lists, or ranges of values,

as you'll get confusing results.

The 'W' character is allowed for the day of month field. This character is used to specify the weekday (Monday-Friday)

nearest the given day. As an example, if you were to specify "15W" as the value for the day-of-month field, the meaning

is: "the nearest weekday to the 15th of the month". So if the 15th is a Saturday, the trigger will fire on Friday the 14th. If

the 15th is a Sunday, the trigger will fire on Monday the 16th. If the 15th is a Tuesday, then it will fire on Tuesday the

15th. However if you specify "1W" as the value for day of month, and the 1st is a Saturday, the trigger will fire on Monday

the 3rd, as it will not 'jump' over the boundary of a month's days. The 'W' character can only be specified when the day of

month is a single day, not a range or list of days.

The 'L' and 'W' characters can also be combined for the day of month expression to yield 'LW', which translates to "last

weekday of the month."

The '#' character is allowed for the weekday field. This character is used to specify "the nth" XXX day of the month. For

example, the value of "5#3" in the day-of-week field means the third Friday of the month (day 5 = Friday and "#3" = the

3rd one in the month). Other examples: "1#1" = the first Monday of the month and "3#5" = the fifth Wednesday of the

month. Note that if you specify "#5" and there is not 5 of the given day-of-week in the month, then no firing will occur thatmonth. If the '#' character is used, there can only be one expression in the day-of-week field ("3#1,5#3" is not valid, since

there are two expressions).

The legal characters and the names of months and days of the week are not case sensitive.

Overflowing ranges is supported - that is, having a larger number on the left hand side than the right. You might do 22-2

to catch 10 o'clock at night until 2 o'clock in the morning, or you might have NOV-FEB. It is very important to note that

overuse of overflowing ranges creates ranges that don't make sense and no effort has been made to determine which

interpretation CronExpression chooses. An example would be "0 0 14 -6 ? * FRI-MON."

Skybot Scheduler supports an asterisk ('*') in either or both the day of month and weekday fields .

When it is found, it (or one) is replaced internally with a '?'

Examples:

('* * * * 6-7 *') is internally converted to ('* * ? * 6-7 *').('* * 3 * * *') is internally converted to ('* * 3 * ? *').('* * * * * *') is internally converted to ('* * * * ? *').

When both day of month and weekday fields are explicitly set ('* * 3 * 6-7 *'), internally we check both and return which-

ever comes first.

In the example above, the result today (4/20/2011) returns 4/20/2011 (this Friday).

If it was set to ('* * 21 * 6-7 *'), it would return 4/21 (the 21st of the month).


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Commands


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Commands

Use the Commands section to set up commands, return codes (doesn't apply to IBMi commands), and fail actions for the

job. You can use a shared command set, use a shared IBMi shared command set, manually enter a command, or u se

one of the Skybot Scheduler command builders.

Manual Command or IBM i Command

If you don't want to use a shared command set, a shared IBMi command set, or a command builder, you can manually

add a new command to the job.

1. ClickAdd

and selectCommand

.2. Enter the command or script in the Command column.

Notes:

Theexitsystem command should be used with caution on Windows. Whenexitis used in a command, it

immediately ends the current process before Skybot Scheduler is finished evaluating the results. Using the

parameter/bcan help.The Windowstimeoutcommand should be avoided when writing commands in Skybot Scheduler. It will

prevent the job from completing. Thetimeoutcommand waits for user input (even if the'/NOBREAK'

option is used) and this interferes with Skybot Scheduler determining when a command has completed.If you're adding a call to vlaunch.exe, consider using theWindows Desktop Application Command window

instead of manually adding it here. The advantage is that the Windows Desktop Application Command win-

dow automatically builds the correct syntax for doing the call. However, if you must add it here, use the fol-

lowing syntax:windows path\vlaunch.exe" "command.exe parm1 parm2 parm3

This passes the command string, including all parameters, to the Skybot Agent Transponder for execution,

and continues with the next job command without waiting for the results.windows path\vlaunch.exe" /W "command.exe parm1 parm2 parm3

This stops and waits for the command to execute via the Skybot Agent Transponder, and gets a return code

from the command that can be tested.3. Click the value in theReturn Code column, then click the pencil ) next to the value to open the Select Return

Code window. You can enable and select a shared return code, or create an individual return code for this com-

mand. (Return codes don't apply to IBMi commands.)Clickherefor return code guidelines.

4. Click the value in the Fail Action column, then click the pencil ) next to the value to open the Select Failed

Action windo w. Select an item from theWhen command fails list. You can choose: Fail Job (the job will end and

show a status of Failed), Continue to next Command (this command will fail, but the job will continue to run with

the next command), Retry command before Failing Job, and Retry command before continuing to next Command.If you select either of the "retry" choices, you must enter the umber of Retries and the time to ait Between

Retries in seconds.ClickSave when you're finished.Note: If a job has an IBMi command that doesn't pass validation on the IBMi agent, the command retry settings

are ignored (Fail Job/ Continue to next Command settings are still used). The job log will contain messages about

the invalid parameter, but no retries will be attempted. An example of an IBMi command that would fail to validate

is: SNDMSG MSG(string will not validate) TOUSR(myuser). It contains an unquoted string with a space in

it.


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Commands


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ClickSave to save your file transfer command. Skybot Scheduler writes the FTP syntax for you automatically.

Notes:

IBM Power Systems (System i, iSeries, AS/400) servers with IFS require the following SITE commands in order tosuccessfully complete the file transfer: listfmt 1; namefmt 1.File Transfer commands use the following return codes:

0 - return code for successful completion

1 - return code for any failure of file transfer

2 - return code only for failure to delete source file (not for file transfer failure)

Informatica Cloud Task

You can use the command builder to create a Skybot Scheduler job that runs an Informatica Cloud task.

Select Informatica Cloud Task from the drop-down list. The Informatica Cloud Task Command wind ow displays.

Note: You must create anInformatica Cl oud server definitionbefore you can add an Informatica Cloud task command.

Server Definition: Select the Informatica Cloud server definition to connect to.Task Type: Select task type code from the list, or type it in the box if it's not listed.Task Name: Type the name of the task or task flow that this command should run.ContinueImmediately: Select this ifyou want this task started, but don't need Skybot Scheduler to monitor or wait

for the task to complete.


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Commands


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ClickSave to save your Informatica C loud Task command.

InformaticaWorkflow

You can use the command builder to create a Skybot Scheduler job that runs an Informatica workflow.

Select Informatica Workflow from the drop-dow n list. The Informatica Workflow Command w indow d isplays.

Note:

You must create an Informatica PowerCenter system definitionbefore you can add an Informatica Workflow com-

mand.

System Definition: Select the Informatica PowerCenter system definition to connect to.

Integration Service Name: Select the Integration Service to use inside the repository.Folder Name: Select the folder within the selected repository.Workflow: Select the Workflow to execute.Task Instance Path: To start the Workflow at a specific task, enter the path to the task. The Task Instance Path is

period deli mited, so you may specify tasks that are nested in worklets. For example, "w1.task1" would run 'task1' in

worklet 'w1' inside of the selected workflow. If you do not enter a path, the job runs the entire Workflow.Check the box to only run the task specified above.

Operating System Profile: Enter the operating system user for the Workflow.Run Instance Name: Enter a run instance name for running the Workflow.Retrieve Log: Select this check box if you want to include the Workflow log in the Skybot job log.Parameters: To pass parameters to the Workflow, provide the name of an existing parameter file or create a new

parameter list.If you are creating a new parameter list:

You must enter a value in the Scope column.Do not add [brackets] around the value you enter for the scope. The Informatica web service adds the brack-

ets to whatever is passed in for the scope.


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Commands


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ClickSave to save your Informatica Workflow command.

Oracle Concurrent Request

You can use the command builder to create a Skybot Scheduler job that runs an Oracle Concurrent Request.

Select Oracle Concurrent Request from the drop-down list to add an Oracle concurrent request command. The

Oracle Concurrent Request Command window opens.

Note: You must create anOracle System Definitionbefore you can add an Oracle concurrent request command.


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Commands


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System Definition: Select an Oracle system definition for this concurrent request.Wait: Select theYes check box if you want Skybot Scheduler to wait until the submitted concurrent request is com-

pleted before marking the Skybot job as complete.Program Application Shortname: Enter the application shortname from Oracle.Concurrent Program: Enter the name of the Oracle concurrent program to be used for this request.Program Name: Enter the program name you want to give this concurrent request. Or, you can leave this blank to

use: Skybot Job Name(run number).How a job displays in Oracle depends on what, if anything, is entered into this box. If you enter a program name, it

will display in Oracle as: "Program Name(Concurrent Program Name)". If you leave this box blank, it will display

as: "Skybot Job Name(run number)(Concurrent Program Name)". Notice that the run number is only displayed if

you leave this box blank.To add the parameters for this concurrent request, clickAdd Parameters . Then, enter the parameterName (which

can be anything because the name is for your reference only) and the Value (which must be a legitimate param-

eter value). The order of the parameters must match the requirements for the Oracle application. You can add

more than one parameter. To delete a parameter, click the X at the end of the row.To pass null parameters to CONSUB, use ' " " ' without spaces (single-quote double-quote double-quote single-

quote) for each null parameter.

In the following example, FND is the shortname for the Application Object Library, FNDCPPGS is the Concurrent Pro-

grams Report, and the parameter value of FND limits the report to Concurrent Programs in the FND (Application Object

Library). Once the request in this example is submitted on the Oracle system, it will have a Name of "Skybot Job (Con-

current Programs Report)."


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Commands


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ClickSave to save your Oracle concurrent request command.

SAP NetWeaver Event

You can use the command builder to create a Skybot Scheduler job that raises an event on an SAP system. This allows

you create reactivity in your network based on an SAPEvent occurring.

Select SAP NetWeaver Event from the drop-down list. The SAPNetWeaver Event Command window open s.

Note: You must create anSAP system definitionbefore you can add an SAP NetWeaver Event command.

System Definition: Select an SAPSystem Definition.System Environment: Select an environment to use with the System Definition. If you have not defined an envi-

ronment for this definition, it uses the default environment that you set up in the System Definition.Event ID: Add the IDof theSAPevent you want to trigger.


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Commands


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Event Parameters: Add event parameters, if necessary.Note: You can use the Event Parameters option with Skybot variables topass information throughduring a job.

ClickSave to save your SAPNetWeaver Event command.

SAP NetWeaver Job

You can use the command builder to create a Skybot Scheduler job that runs an SAP NetWeaver job.

Select SAP NetWeaver Job from the drop-down list. The SAP NetWeaver Job Command window opens.

Note: You must create anSAP system definitionbefore you can add an SAP NetWeaver Job command.

Filtering Job Definitions: Use System Definition and System Environment to limit the available Job Definitions to

choose from.

Job Definition: Select a Job Definition to run in this Skybot Scheduler job.

ClickSave to save your SAP NetWeaver Job command.

SAP NetWeaver Process Chain


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Commands


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You can use the command builder to create a Skybot Scheduler job that runs a process chain on an SAP system. This

allows you create reactivity in your network based on an SAPprocess chain running.

Select SAP NetWeaver Process Chain from the drop-down list. The SAPNetWeaver Process Chain Command win-

dow opens.

Note: You must create anSAP system definitionbefore you can add an SAP NetWeaver Process Chain command.


ronment for this definition, it uses the default environment that you set up in the System Definition.Process Chain: Type or select the SAPprocess chain you want to run.Note: This must match the technical name

of a process chain in the SAP system selected above.Long Description: Type or select the long description from the process chain you want to run.

Note:

If you begin typing the first few letters of either the process chain or the long description, you can click the down

arrow and select from a list of available items that are pulled from SAP based on what you typed. Also, if you enter the

name of a process chain, the long description associated with it is automatically pulled from SAP. The reverse is also

true; if you enter a valid long description, the corresponding process chain name is pulled from SAP.

ClickSave to save your SAPNetWeaver Process Chain command.

SAP NetWeaver Variant

You can use the command builder to create a Skybot Scheduler job that modifies an SAPABAP Variant.

Select SAP NetWeaver Variant from the drop-down list. The SAP NetWeaver Variant Command window open s.

Note: You must create anSAP system definitionbefore you can add an SAP NetWeaver Variant command.

System Definition: Select the SAP NetWeaver System Definition to use for this command.System Environment: Select an environment to use with the System Definition. If you have not defined an envi-

ronment for this definition, it uses the default environment that you defined in the System Definition.Program: Enter the name of the SAPABAP program.Variant: Select or enter the variant. If the ABAP program entered doesn't contain any variants, the list will be empty.Parameters: ClickAdd Parameters to add additional variant parameters to be changed by this command. ClickOK

to save the parameter. You can add multiple parameters, but only existing parameters may be entered. This com-

mand doesn't add new parameters to a variant.Note: You can use the Event Parameters option with Skybot variables topass information throughduring a job.


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Commands


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ClickSave to save your SAP NetWeaver Variant command.

SQLServer Job

You can use the command builder to create a Skybot Scheduler job that runs a SQL Server Job.

Select SQL Server Job from the drop-down l ist to add a SQL Server Job command. The SQL Server Job Command

window displays.

Note: You must create aSQL Server de finitionbefore you can add a SQL Server Job command.

SQL Server Definition: Select a SQL Server Definition to work with.Job Name: Enter a SQL Server job name that is valid with the Server Instance defined in the SQL Server Def-

inition.Use Verbose Logging: Select this option to use verbose logging to help with troubleshooting.


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Commands


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ClickSave to save your SQL Sever Job command.

Web Service Request

Select Web Service Request from the drop-down list to add a web service request command. The Web Service Request

Command window displays. The information you enter in this window will vary greatly depending on which web service

you're trying to access. See the documentation for that web service for additional help.

Note: You must create a web server definitionbefore you can add a web service request command.

Web Server Definition: Select the web server definition to which you're going to send the request.Description: Enter a description of what this request does. Keep in mind that what you enter will be included in the

command text.Runtime Environment Variables: Type the name of a runtime environment variable that you want to use as a

parameter in this command and press Enter. You can use system variables, Skybot variables, and agent envi-

ronment variables. Repeat for each variable you want to use as a parameter. This allows you to take advantage of

variables that have already been created. To remove a variable from the list, click theX next to it.Base URL: This is automatically displayed when you select a web server definition. If what's showing is incorrect,

you must edit the web server definitionin order to change it.Application URL: If necessary, enter a U RL segment to be appe nded to the base URL for this web service request.


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Commands


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Select WindowsDesktop Application from the drop-down list to add a command to launch a GUI application on a Win-

dows agent system. The Windows Desktop Application Command window displays.

Enter a valid command to open a GUI application from your Skybot Scheduler browser session. For example, note-

pad.exe.

Notes:

You must have the Agent Transponder running on the agent system for this command to work. See more infor-

mationhere.The command must be an executable file (.exe, .bat, etc.) and include any required parameters. Only executable

files that require interaction with a GUI window should be defined with this type of command. Commands that do

not require interaction with the desktop environment should be added as standard commands.

Managing the CommandsTable

When you are finished adding a command, you should adjust the Return Code and Fail Action settings, if necessary.

To make other changes to the commands you have created:

Select a command to edit it.To delete a command from the job, click the red X at the end of the row.

Select a command and click the up or down arrows to change the order in which the job runs the command. Thefirst command listed runs first; the second command runs next, and so on.


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File Transfer Command


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Use the Command section of theJob settings pageto add a file transfer to a Skybot Scheduler job.

Select File Transfer from the drop-down l ist. The File Transfer Command wind ow opens.

Note: You must create aFile Transfer Systembefore you can add an FTP command.

File Transfer System: Select a File Transfer System to work w ith.Direction: Select file transfer direction. Push means you send a job to the remote system. Pull means you will

retrieve a file from the remote system.Remote File Name: Enter the name of the file on the remote system you want to work with.

Agent File Name: Enter the name of the file o n the agent system you want to wo rk with.Replace existing target file: Select if you want to replace an existing file. If you do not select this option, and there

is a duplicate file, it causes an error.Delete the source file after transfer: Select if you want the source file in the FTP directory deleted after the transfer

is complete.Transfer Type: Select the FTP mode. Select Binary when transferring applications or other information you dont

want encoded. Select Text when transferring text.SITE command: Enter FTP specific commands to the remote FTP server.

ClickSave to save your file transfer command. Skybot Scheduler writes the FTP syntax for you automatically.

Notes:

IBM Power Systems (System i, iSeries, AS/400) servers with IFS require the following SITE commands in order to

successfully complete the file transfer: listfmt 1; namefmt 1.


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File Transfer commands use the following return codes:

0 - return code for successful completion

1 - return code for any failure of file transfer

2 - return code only for failure to delete source file (not for file transfer failure)


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Informatica Cloud TaskCommand


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Informatica Cloud Task Command

Use the Command section of theJob settings pageto add an Informatica Cloud task to a Skybot Scheduler job.

Select Informatica Cloud Task from the drop-down list. The Informatica Cloud Task Command wind ow displays.

Note: You must create anInformatica Cl oud server definitionbefore you can add an Informatica Cloud task command.

Server Definition: Select the Informatica Cloud server definition to connect to.Task Type: Select task type code from the list, or type it in the box if it's not listed.Task Name: Type the name of the task or task flow that this command should run.Continue Immediately: Select this if you want this task started, but don't need Skybot Scheduler to monitor or wait

for the task to complete.

ClickSave to save your Informatica C loud Task command.


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Informatica Workflow Command


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ClickSave to save your Informatica Workflow command.


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Oracle Concurrent Request Command


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ClickSave to save your Oracle concurrent request command.


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SAP NetWeaver Event Command


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SAP NetWeaver Event Command

Use the Command section of theJob settings pageto add an SAP NetWeaver event to a Skybot Scheduler job.

Select SAP NetWeaver Event from the drop-down list. The SAPNetWeaver Event Command window open s.

Note: You must create anSAP system definitionbefore you can add an SAP NetWeaver Event command.


ronment for this definition, it uses the default environment that you set up in the System Definition.Event ID: Add the ID of the SAPevent you want to trigger.Event Parameters: Add event parameters, if necessary.Note: You can use the Event Parameters option with Skybot variables topass information throughduring a job.

ClickSave to save your SAPNetWeaver Event command.


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SAP NetWeaver Process Chain Command


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SAP NetWeaver Process Chain Command

Use the Command section of theJob settings pageto add an SAP NetWeaver process chain to a Skybot Scheduler job.

Select SAP NetWeaver Process Chain from the drop-down list. The SAPNetWeaver Process Chain Command win-

dow opens.

Note: You must create anSAP system definitionbefore you can add an SAP NetWeaver Process Chain command.


ronment for this definition, it uses the default environment that you set up in the System Definition.Process Chain: Type or select the SAPprocess chain you want to run.Note: This must match the technical name

of a process chain in the SAP system selected above.Long Description: Type or select the long description from the process chain you want to run.

Note: If you begin typing the first few letters of either the process chain or the long description, you can click the down

arrow and select from a list of available items that are pulled from SAP based on what you typed. Also, if you enter the

name of a process chain, the longdescription associated with it is automatically pulled from SAP. The reverse is also

true; if you enter a valid long description, the corresponding process chain name is pulled from SAP.

ClickSave to save your SAPNetWeaver Process Chain command.

Note: If an attempt is made to cancel a process chain while it's waiting on an interrupt condition to be filled, the cancel

will likely fail. If the condition is never filled, the process chain may remain in an active state. If the interrupts condition is

subsequently filled, this may result in the process chain continuing to completion.


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SAP NetWeaver Variant Command


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SAP NetWeaver Variant Command

Use the Command section of theJob settings pageto add an SAP NetWeaver variant to a Skybot Scheduler job.

Select SAP NetWeaver Variant from the drop-down list. The SAP NetWeaver Variant Command window open s.

Note: You must create anSAP system definitionbefore you can add an SAP NetWeaver Variant command.

System Definition: Select the SAP NetWeaver System Definition to use for this command.System Environment: Select an environment to use with the System Definition. If you have not defined an envi-

ronment for this definition, it uses the default environment that you defined in the System Definition.Program: Enter the name of the SAPABAP program.Variant: Select or enter the variant. If the ABAP program entered doesn't contain any variants, the list will be empty.Parameters: ClickAdd Parameters to add additional variant parameters to be changed by this command. ClickOK

to save the parameter. You can add multiple parameters, but only existing parameters may be entered. This com-

mand doesn't add new parameters to a variant.Note: You can use the Event Parameters option with Skybot variables topass information throughduring a job.

ClickSave to save your SAP NetWeaver Variant command.


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SQLServer Job Command


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SQL Server Job Command

Use the Command section of theJob settings pageto add a SQL Server job to a Skybot Scheduler job.

Select SQL Server Job from the drop-down l ist to add a SQL Server Job command. The SQL Server Job Command

window displays.

Note: You must create aSQL Server de finitionbefore you can add a SQL Server Job command.

SQL Server Definition: Select a SQL Server Definition to work with.Job Name: Enter a SQL Server job name that is valid with the Server Instance defined in the SQL Server Def-

inition.Use Verbose Logging: Select this option to use verbose logging to help with troubleshooting.

ClickSave to save your SQL Sever Job command.


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Web Service Request Command


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message body. Select one of the following.None: Select this if you don't want to override the message body.String: Select this to replace the message body with a particular XML string. Then, type the string you want

used. Select the box toURL Encode the string. Note: If you select URL Encode, you must define a 'Con-

tent-Type' header property. If you fail to do so, one is automatically added at runtime on the agent so that

the web service request can run.

File Content: Select this to replace the message body with the contents of a file. Then, type the file path(including the file name).

Response Handling:Log Body to Console/Joblog: Select an option. Allowing the response body to be logged to the con-

sole/joblog may provide extended information about any errors that were generated.Note: The response headers are always logged.Send Body to File: Select this box if you want the response body sent to a file. Then, type the file path

(including the file name).Send Headers to File: Select this box if you want the response headers sent to a file. Then, type the file

path (including the file name).Note:

The response headers may contain cookies that need to be parsed

out in order to submit subsequent requests (for example, log on to a server, get an authorization cookie,

then send a request using that cookie).

ClickSave to save your web service request command.


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Windows Desktop Application Command


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Windows Desktop Application Command

Use the Command section of theJob settings pageto add the launch of a Windows application to a Skybot Scheduler

job.

Select WindowsDesktop Application from the drop-down list to add a command to launch a GUI application on a Win-dows agent system. The Windows Desktop Application Command window displays.

Enter a valid command to open a GUI application from your Skybot Scheduler browser session. For example, note-

pad.exe.

Notes:

You must have the Agent Transponder running on the agent system for this command to work. See more infor-

mationhere.The command must be an executable file (.exe, .bat, etc.) and include any required parameters. Only executable

files that require interaction with a GUI window should be defined with this type of command. Commands that do

not require interaction with the desktop environment should be added as standard commands.


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Running Jobs Based on Conditions


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Use the Conditions page to add conditions that must be met before a job will run.

General Settings

The General Settings section lets you enable a condition and set attributes to determine what the job should do if con-

ditions are not met.

Enable: Select this option if you want to set attributes for the conditional job.Retry if not met: Select this option if you want to retry running the job if conditions are not met.Retry count: Set how many times you want to retry running the job.Retry interval: Set how often you want to retry running the job. Use the up/down arrows to set the number, then

select hours, minutes, or seconds.Condition Fail Action: Set which status you want the job to go to if conditions are not met: Fail, Cancel or Run any-

way.Select the Run anyway option to run the job, even when conditions are not met after your set number of

retries.

Conditions

Use the Conditions section to specify the type of condition you want to use for the job.

Click dd Condition to add a condition for the job. The default option is Process.

Directory

The Directory option lets you run your job if a specified directory is present or not present.

Enter the full path to the directory that you want Skybot Scheduler to check before running the job. Wildcard(*) char-

acters are allowed in the final directory name, but not in the leading path.Select if you want the directory to be present or not present for the condition to be met.

ClickOK to add the condition.

ClickSave to save the conditions for the job, or use the Add Condition drop-down menu to add more conditions.

File

The File option lets you run your job if a specified file is present or not present.

Enter the full path to the file that you want Skybot Scheduler to check before running the job. Wildcard(*) char-

acters are allowed in the final file name, but not in the leading path.Select if you want the file to be present or not present for the condition to be met.



File Transfer System

The File Transfer System option lets you run your job if a specified File Transfer Systemis in a required state. You must

have theFile Transfer Systemconfigured in Skybot Scheduler before adding it to a job condition.

Named: Enter the name of the File Transfer System..Is: Select if you want the File Transfer System to be active or not active for the condition to be met.


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Timeout: Set the number of seconds for the signal to wait for the availability of the specified File Transfer System.

The default time is set by the agent's operating system.



Minimum Drive Space

The Minimum Drive Space option lets you run your job if a specified minimum amount of hard drive space is available or

not available in a specified directory.

of: Enter the minimum amount of hard drive space you want Skybot Scheduler to check for.Units: Specify the units of hard drive space.is: Select if you want the amount of hard drive space to be available or not available for the condition to be met.in: Enter the full path to the directory that you want Skybot Scheduler to check before running the job.



Process

The Process option lets you run your jo b if a specified process is in a required state.

Search for a process that begins with, contains, or ends with the text you enter.Search for a username that contains, begins with, is, or is not the text you enter.Select if you want the process to be active or not active for the condition to be met.



TCP Server or Service

The TCP Server or Service option lets you use the availability of a specified TCP server or service name and port

number as a condition to run a job.

Named: Enter the name of the server or service.At Port: Enter a port number or use the d rop-do wn menu to select from a list of standard port numbers.Is: Select which status you want the job to be in to fulfill the condition (available or not available)Timeout: Set the number of seconds for the signal to wait for the availability of the specified TCP server or service.

The default time is set by the agent's operating system.



You can add multiple conditions to a job. When you have two conditions set up, select AND to connect two or more pre-

requisites in a set; select OR to separate prerequisite sets. You also can group conditions together to create more com-

plex job conditions.


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Reactivity Overview


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Reactivity Overview

Many jobs performed by computer systems must happen in a d istinct order when jobs require inpu t from other sources.

Skybot Scheduler can help you manage and enforce these requirements when you define them as prerequisites for sub-

mitting a job or job suite.

Jobs can be defined to be immediately submitted as soon as the prerequisites have occurred. To do this, create an

u

skybot user guide.pdf

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