Bookshelf v7.5.3: Setting Effective Dates for Rules

Setting Effective Dates for Rules

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

Specifying start and end dates in combination has the following effects. In the following descriptions, active means the eConfigurator engine uses the rule to compute solutions. Inactive means the rule is not used to compute solutions:

Both a start and end date specified. The rule becomes active on the start date and becomes inactive on the end date.

Start date specified. The rule becomes active on the start date and remains active thereafter.

End date specified. The rule 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 rule becomes active on the start date.

If the release date is later than the start date, the rule is active when the product is released.

If the release date is earlier than the end date, the rule becomes inactive on the end date.

If the release date is later than the end date, the rule is inactive when the product is released, and the rule remains inactive.

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

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

Click in the rule's Inactive box to deactivate the rule. Then go to Validate mode and test the product. This simulates what users will see before the start date when the rule is not being used to compute solutions.

Click in the rule's Inactive box again to activate the rule. Then go to Validate mode and test the product. This simulates what users will see after the start date when the rule is being used compute solutions.

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