Using Broadcast Messaging

Use broadcast messaging to communicate a text message to all Planning users currently logged on to an application. For example, you can send messages about system availability or periodic maintenance. You should also send broadcast messages to request that users log out before upgrading or migrating applications.

You can send broadcast messages using the Web client or a command line utility. If you send them using the Web, they are sent to users of your current application. If you send them using the command line, you can specify any application, without being logged on to it. You can also schedule messages using standard operating system mechanisms.

For users logged on to the application, the broadcast message displays in their browser the next time they refresh the page or go to a different page, whether you send the broadcast message through the Web or the command line. Only users who are currently logged on to the Planning application see broadcast messages. Users who are logged on to the application through other products or third-party reporting tools do not receive broadcast messages.

  To send broadcast messages using Planning Web:

  1. Select Administration, then Application, then Broadcast Message.

  2. In Create Message, enter the message to broadcast.

  3. Click Send.

  To send broadcast messages using a command line:

  1. Locate the BroadcastMessage.cmd utility by navigating to the planning1 directory with a command prompt.

    For the full path to planning1, see About EPM Oracle Instance.

  2. Launch the utility, using this syntax at the command line:

    broadcastmessage.cmd ([SERVER_NAME], APPLICATION_NAME, USER_NAME, MESSAGE)

    Optional: If an encrypted password file is set up, use [-f:passwordFile] as the first parameter in the command line to read the password from the full file path and name specified in passwordFile. See Suppressing Password Prompts in Planning Utilities.

    SERVER_NAME: the localhost name.

    APPLICATION_NAME: the name of the application to whose users you send messages.

    USER_NAME: the administrator who has rights to send broadcast messages.

    MESSAGE: a text message of up to 127 characters to send to application users.

  3. If prompted, enter your password.

  4. You can view status, errors, or information for broadcasting messaging in the console.

    For example:

    Broadcastmessage.cmd ABCserver, testapp, VHennings001, Please log off the application for routine maintenance.