Product Administration Guide > Configuration Constraints >

About Start and End Dates for Configuration Constraints

For each constraint you create, you can set effective dates that control when the constraint is active. You can set both a start date and an end date. On the start date the constraint is used to compute all solutions presented to the user when they configure a product. On the end date, the constraint is no longer used to when computing solutions.

Specifying start and end dates in combination has the following effects:

• Both a start and end date specified. The constraint becomes active on the start date and becomes inactive on the end date.
• Start date specified. The constraint becomes active on the start date and remains active thereafter.
• End date specified. The constraint is active when the version is released for use, and becomes inactive on the end date.

The start date is determined using the Siebel server's system clock. The start and end dates work as follows in relation to the date the product is released (release date):

• If the release date is earlier than the start date, the constraint becomes active on the start date.
• If the release date is later than the start date, the constraint is active when the product is released.
• If the release date is earlier than the end date, the constraint becomes inactive on the end date.
• If the release date is later than the end date, the constraint is inactive when the product is released, and the constraint remains inactive.

When you are validating a product, you can temporarily activate or deactivate constraints in the current work space by clicking the constraint's Active box in the Constraints List. This lets you simulate how the constraint will behave on the start and end date.

For example, you can test a constraint with a start date in Validate mode using the following process:

1. Deselect the constraint's Active checkbox to deactivate the constraint. Then go to Validate mode and test the product. This simulates what users will see before the start date when the constraint is not being used to compute solutions.
2. Select the constraint's Active box to activate the constraint. Then go to Validate mode and test the product. This simulates what users will see after the start date when the constraint is being used compute solutions.

You can specify start and end dates for constraints when you create them or by editing constraints after they have been created.