Using Autopilot to Process Journals

This chapter provides an overview of the FMS Autopilot Application Engine process (FMSAUTOPILOT) and discusses how to:

Configure journal edit and post requests for autopilot.
Configure a recurrence definition for the autopilot process.
Request and run the autopilot process.

Understanding Autopilot

The following provides an overview and discusses:

Auto pilot batch processing setup.
Automating journal edit and post.

The Auto pilot feature provides added flexibility to the PeopleSoft Process Scheduler, which is used for performing batch processing. While PeopleSoft Process Scheduler provides a means of scheduling processing using a batch window, for example, scheduling a specific batch process to run daily at a given time, with Auto pilot you can set up recurring processing. based on the user-defined range of transaction count for transactions that are ready to be processed.

Recurring processing enables you to run processes at scheduled intervals throughout the day if certain criteria are met. The criteria includes minimum and maximum wait times, and minimum and maximum ready transaction counts.

In addition, the Auto pilot can run multiple instances of a process in parallel. For example, you can set up a process to run multiple times to process transactions for different business units simultaneously.

By replacing batch-window processing with recurring parallel processing, you have the benefits of a more robust, near real-time data processing environment.

In addition, processes and their run control records can still be used in the same way for regular batch processing. If you currently use multiple run controls for parallel processing of partitioned data, you are still able to maintain these techniques and also use the Autopilot.

Autopilot Batch processing Setup

The four main steps to set up autopilot batch processing are:

Specify the process request parameters on the run control page for each process to run on Autopilot.
In PeopleSoft Process Scheduler, create a recurrence definition for scheduling the Autopilot process.
Add and define processes for Autopilot to run on the FMS Process Autopilot Request page using the run control you created in step 1, and click Run.
On the Process Scheduler Request page, initiate a request to run the Autopilot process that you created in step 3 using the recurrence defined in step 2.

Automating Journal Edit and Post

General Ledger leverages the FMS Autopilot feature to automate the batch scheduling of journal edit and post processing according to your specific business parameters. You specify the minimum and maximum wait time and the minimum and maximum transaction counts based on your assessment the capacity of your system and the number of transactions that your system is likely to experience. For example, you can set the maximum transactions count to prevent a job from being processed during the times when it might overload your system and then run that job over night and during hours when there is less demands on the system.

Transaction count logic is process specific and is provided to the FMS Process Autopilot through Application Class PeopleCode specific to the process.

For Journal Edit, the transaction count is the number of journal lines with journals that meet your run control selection criteria and for which the journal header status is, “No Status – Needs to be Edited.”

Journals with status E (error) must be dealt with to resolve the cause and then be edited either by the Autopilot run journal edit process or by a manually submitted job.

For journal post, the transaction count is the number of journal lines with journals that meet your run control selection criteria and for which the journal header status is, V and are marked to be posted.

The transaction count logic for journals to be edited or posted in the Autopilot process might not result in the same numbers as the actual numbers of journal lines being processed in journal edit or journal post. This is because the actual processes have more complex logic than the Autopilot count. The transaction count for journals to be posted does not take into consideration the closed periods, so the journals that are actually posted might be less than those counted by the Autopilot process. These differences should not be material, but be aware that the counts can vary to some extent.

The Autopilot process submits batch processes when the conditions for wait time and transaction count are met. The following explains how the four parameters that you specify are used by the system.

Minimum wait time: the minimum amount of time between each scheduling of the process.
Maximum wait time: the maximum amount of time between each scheduling of the process.

It is ignored if maximum transaction count is exceeded.
Minimum transaction count: the minimum number of transactions lines that must be ready to process.

It is ignored if the maximum wait time is exceeded.
Maximum transaction count: the maximum number of transaction lines that you want to be processed using this scheduling technique .

The process ignores this parameter if it is set to 0 and looks only at the minimum transaction count.

The shaded area labeled Submit the Job in the following chart graphically shows the conditions under which the application processes are automatically submitted by the system for processing.

Conditions for submitting a job

The process first looks at the minimum (Min.) specified Wait Time and if it is met or exceeded, the process then looks at the Transaction Count (Trans. Count).

If the journal line transaction count meets or exceeds the minimum, the application batch process is initiated unless the maximum (Max.) transaction count is exceeded.

Attaining the maximum Wait Time initiates the process unless the transaction count maximum is exceeded.

Maximum Transaction Count provides a ceiling to prevent jobs that are too big to be processed at certain times from being processed using the Autopilot.

When the transaction count exceeds the maximum, user intervention is necessary to make the application process recur again. You can manually process the journals or alter the journal to reduce the count so that it is under the maximum transaction count, or increase the maximum transaction count if practical.

When the maximum count is exceeded, the FMS Autopilot issues a message that is available in the Process Monitor. Check the monitor regularly when using the Autopilot.

The process also checks to see if a previously scheduled job is still running. If it is, the system does not submit the same job again even if the criteria are met.

You can also set predefined recurrence to avoid time frames when you know the system is going to be busy.

Configuring Journal Edit and Post Requests for Autopilot

To configure the journal edit and post requests for Autopilot, use the Edit Journal Request (JOURNAL_EDIT_REQ), and Post Journals Request (JOURNAL_POST_REQ) components.

The following discusses how to:

Configure the journal edit request for autopilot.
Configure the journal post request for autopilot.

Pages Used to Configure Journal Edit and Post for Autopilot

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Edit Journal Request	JOURNAL_EDIT_REQ	General Ledger, Process Journals, Edit Journals, Edit Journal Request	Specify the process request parameters on the run control page for the journal edit request that is to run in Autopilot.
Post Journals Request	JOURNAL_POST_REQ	General Ledger, Process Journals, Post Journals, Post Journals Request	Specify the process request parameters on the run control page for the journal post request that is to run in Autopilot.

Configuring the Journal Edit Request for Autopilot

Access the Edit Journals Request page.

Process Frequency	Select Always.
Autopilot Run Control	Select the check box to make the process available to the Autopilot. When this check box is selected the system issues a warning if the process frequency selected is other than Always. The Re-Edit option cannot be selected for an Autopilot Run Control.

Configuring the Journal Post Request for Autopilot

Access the Post Journals Request page.

Process Frequency	Select Always.
Autopilot Run Control	Select the check box to make the process available to the Autopilot. When this check box is selected the system issues a warning if the process frequency selected is other than Always.

Configuring a Recurrence Definition for the Autopilot Process

To configure a recurrence definition for the Autopilot process, use the Recurrence Definition component (PRCSRECURDEFN).

The following discusses how to schedule the Autopilot process.

Page Used to Configure a Recurrence Definition for the Autopilot Process

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Recurrence Definition	PRCSRECURDEFN	PeopleTools, Process Scheduler, Recurrences, Recurrence Definition	Create a recurrence definition for scheduling the Autopilot process.

Scheduling the Autopilot Process

Access the Recurrence Definition page.

The Autopilot process must be scheduled as a recurring process in the Process Scheduler and the wait time for recurrence must be equal to or less than the minimum wait time specified for the batch process. If there is more than one row in the run control, the recurrence time for the Autopilot process must be equal to or less than the smallest minimum wait time in the run control.

See Enterprise PeopleTools PeopleBook: PeopleSoft Process Scheduler, “Defining PeopleSoft Process Scheduler Support Information,” Defining Recurrence Definitions

Requesting and Running the Autopilot Process

To request and run the Autopilot process, use the FMS Process Autopilot Request (FMSAUTOPILOT_REQ), Process Scheduler Request (PRCSRQSTDLG) components.

The following discusses how to:

Configure the Autopilot request
Run the Autopilot process

Pages Used to Request and Run the Autopilot Process

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
FMS Process Autopilot Request	FMSAUTOPILOT_REQ	Background Process, Process Autopilot	Set up Autopilot to perform recurring batch processing using PeopleSoft Process Scheduler.
Process Scheduler Request	PRCSRQSTDLG	Select the Run button on the FMS Process Autopilot Request page.	Initiate the Autopilot process to run automatically to edit and post journals that meet your specified criteria.

Configuring the Autopilot request

Access the FMS Process Autopilot Request

Process Type

Select Application Engine for journal edit and COBOL SQL for journal post.

Process Name

Enter the process to run. Journal edit and journal post are available for general ledger.

Active Flag

Select Active to enable the process.

Select Disable to disable an individual process even after Autopilot has started.

Minimum Wait Time

Enter the minimum number of minutes that must elapse between processing runs.

Maximum Wait Time

Enter the maximum amount of minutes that can elapse between process runs, regardless of whether the Minimum Transaction Count parameter is satisfied.

Minimum Transaction Count

Enter the fewest number of transactions that must be present for processing to occur, unless the Maximum Wait Time parameter is surpassed.

Maximum Transaction Count

Enter the maximum number of transactions that can be processed. If the amount of transactions waiting to be processed exceeds this amount, the process will not run in Autopilot regardless of the other settings.

Running the Autopilot process

Access the Process Scheduler Page

Recurrence

Select your predefined recurrence.

Note. You can also specify the Recurrence by making it part of the process definition for the FMS Autopilot process (FMSAUTOPILOT). The Autopilot process then submits the application batch processes when the conditions for wait time and transaction count are met.

Process Type	Select Application Engine for journal edit and COBOL SQL for journal post.
Process Name	Enter the process to run. Journal edit and journal post are available for general ledger.
Active Flag	Select Active to enable the process. Select Disable to disable an individual process even after Autopilot has started.
Minimum Wait Time	Enter the minimum number of minutes that must elapse between processing runs.
Maximum Wait Time	Enter the maximum amount of minutes that can elapse between process runs, regardless of whether the Minimum Transaction Count parameter is satisfied.
Minimum Transaction Count	Enter the fewest number of transactions that must be present for processing to occur, unless the Maximum Wait Time parameter is surpassed.
Maximum Transaction Count	Enter the maximum number of transactions that can be processed. If the amount of transactions waiting to be processed exceeds this amount, the process will not run in Autopilot regardless of the other settings.