Executing Periodic Processes (EPRO)
Purpose: Use the Executing Periodic Processes function to select and set up the parameters of a process for its execution.
The parameters of the process contain:
• the company where the execution takes place
• the schedule parameters of when the system executes the periodic process
Note: Periodic functions and processes are not restricted by company; when you create a periodic function or process, it is accessible to run across all companies.
In this chapter:
• Select Periodic Process to Execute Screen
• First Execute Periodic Process Screen (Setting Parameters)
- Periodic Process Scheduling Examples
• Second Execute Periodic Process Screen (Selecting Functions)
Other ways to submit periodic processes: You can also execute a periodic process through:
• Working with Periodic Processes (WPPR)
• Using the CWProcessIn Message to Start a Periodic Process
Select Periodic Process to Execute Screen
How to display this screen: Enter EPRO in the Fast path field at the top of any menu, or select Execute Periodic Process from a menu.
Field |
Description |
Process |
The name of the periodic process you wish to run. Alphanumeric, 10 positions; required. |
Completing this screen:
1. Enter the name of a periodic process in the Process field and select OK.
2. You advance to the First Execute Periodic Process Screen (Setting Parameters). At this screen, you can define the schedule of when the system executes the periodic process.
First Execute Periodic Process Screen (Setting Parameters)
Purpose: Use this screen to set up the parameters of the process for execution.
How to display this screen:
• Enter the process name in the Process field on the Select Periodic Process to Execute Screen.
• Select Execute for a periodic process on the Work with Periodic Processes Screen.
Field |
Description |
Process |
The name of the periodic process. Alphanumeric, 10 positions; display-only. |
Description (unlabeled field to the right of the Process field) |
The description of the periodic process. Alphanumeric, 30 positions; display-only. |
Application area |
The area of Order Management System, for example Order Entry, where this process belongs. Alphanumeric, 3 positions; display-only. |
Type description (unlabeled field below the process description) |
Unlabeled field underneath the Description field. Indicates the time period of the periodic process. Processes run on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. Informational-only. Valid values are: • Annually • Daily • Monthly • Weekly Display-only. |
The company where the process runs. You need to enter a company code even for periodic processes that run for all companies, for example, starting or stopping asyncs. The system ignores the company parameter for periodic functions in the process that do not require company. Alphanumeric, 3 positions; required. |
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The job queue where the system submits the periodic process. The job queue defaults to *JOBD, indicating the system submits the periodic process to QBATCH. Note: If you wish to run the job in a designated queue, define that queue. Use the PICKGEN job queue when scheduling pick slip generation or deposits. Alphanumeric, 10 positions; required. |
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See Scheduling Jobs for more information on how to schedule a job. |
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Indicates how often the system executes the periodic process. Valid values are: • Now (default) = Execute the periodic process immediately. Note: If you select Now, the system does not add the periodic process to the Job Scheduler. • Once = Schedule the periodic process to run once, and only once, at a specified date and time in the future. You must specify the Date and Time to execute the process. The system validates that the Date is greater than or equal to today. If you enter today’s date, the system validates that the Time is greater than or equal to the current time. • Daily = Schedule the periodic process to run once a day at a specified time. You must specify the Time to execute the process. • Weekly = Schedule the periodic process to run once a week, at a specified time, on a specified day of the week. You must specify the Time and Day of week to execute the process. • Monthly = Schedule the periodic process to run once a month on a specified day and time. You must specify the Time and Day of month to execute the process. • Month Start = Schedule the periodic process to run once a month on the first day of the month at a specified time. You must specify the Time to execute the process. • Month End = Schedule the periodic process to run once a month on the last day of the month at a specified time. You must specify the Time to execute the process. Alphanumeric, required. |
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The date when the system executes the periodic process. This field is required if you select Once for the Frequency. You can enter a date that is greater than or equal to today’s date. If you enter today’s date, the Time must be greater than the current time. Numeric, 6 positions (in user date format); required if Frequency is Once. |
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The time, in military format, when the system executes the periodic process. If you enter today’s Date, the time must be greater than the current time. This field is required if you select Once, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Month Start, or Month End for the Frequency. Numeric, 6 position (HHMMSS, military format); required unless Frequency is Now. |
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The day of the week when the system executes the periodic process. This field is required if you select Weekly for the Frequency. Valid values are: • Blank = No day specified. • Sunday • Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday • Thursday • Friday • Saturday Alphanumeric, 10 positions; required if Frequency is Weekly. |
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The day of the month when the system executes the periodic process. This field is required if you select Monthly for the Frequency. Valid values are 0 - 31. Note: If you enter 31 as the day of the month, the system will only execute the periodic process on those months that contain 31 as a valid date. If you wish to execute the periodic process at the end of each month, select the MONTH END option for the Frequency. Numeric, required if Frequency is Monthly. |
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Completing this screen:
1. |
Enter a valid company code in the Company field. |
2. |
Enter a valid job queue in the Job queue field. If you leave this field set to *JOBQ, the system submits the periodic process to QBATCH. |
3. |
Select when to execute the periodic process using the Frequency field. See Periodic Process Scheduling Examples for examples of how to schedule a periodic process. • Now = Execute the periodic process immediately. • Once = Schedule the periodic process to run once, and only once, at a specified date and time in the future. • Daily = Schedule the periodic process to run once a day at a specified time. • Weekly = Schedule the periodic process to run once a week at a specified time. • Monthly = Schedule the periodic process to run once a month on a specified day and time. • Month Start = Schedule the periodic process to run once a month on the first day of the month at a specified time. • Month End = Schedule the periodic process to run once a month on the last day of the month at a specified time. |
4. |
The Frequency field indicates which Scheduling fields are required, based on the frequency option you select: • Now = You do not need to define additional parameters. • Once = You must specify the Date and Time to execute the process. The system validates that the Date is greater than or equal to today. If you enter today’s date, the system validates that the Time is greater than or equal to the current time. • Daily = You must specify the Time to execute the process. • Weekly = You must specify the Time and Day of week to execute the process. • Monthly = You must specify the Time and Day of month to execute the process. • Month Start = You must specify the Time to execute the process. • Month End = You must specify the Time to execute the process. |
5. |
If you enter a value in any of the Scheduling fields that is not required for the frequency you selected, the system ignores those entries when executing the periodic process. For example, if you select Now for the Frequency and also enter a value in the Weekly field, the system executes the periodic process immediately and ignores the value in the Weekly field. |
6. |
Select OK to advance to the Second Execute Periodic Process Screen (Selecting Functions). At this screen, you can select the functions within the process to execute. • If the periodic process is scheduled to execute immediately (you selected Now in the Frequency field), select Execute or Execute & Save Overrides to execute the periodic process and optionally, save the job parameters. • If the periodic process is scheduled to execute at a specified time in the future (you selected a value other than Now in the Frequency field), select Schedule. The system adds the periodic process to the job scheduler and does not execute the periodic process until the specified time is reached. See Scheduling Jobs. |
Periodic Process Scheduling Examples
The table below provides examples of how to define a schedule for a periodic process.
Schedule |
Procedure |
Execute the periodic process immediately. |
Select Now for the Frequency. The system submits the job to the specified job queue for the user that executed the periodic process. Note: Because the process is executed immediately, the system does not add the periodic process to the job scheduler. |
Execute the periodic process tonight at 7 PM. Do not run the process any other night. Example: End asyncs tonight at 7 PM. |
• Select Once for the Frequency. • Enter the current date in the Date field. • Enter 190000 (7 PM in military time) in the Time field. |
Execute the periodic process today at 3 PM and tomorrow at 8 AM. Do not run the process at any other time. Example: Run a status report today at 3 PM and again tomorrow at 8 AM. |
Note: You need to create more than one schedule for the periodic process. First Schedule: • Select Once for the Frequency. • Enter the current date in the Date field. • Enter 150000 in the Time field. Second Schedule: • Select Once for the Frequency. • Enter tomorrow’s date in the Date field. • Enter 080000 in the Time field. |
Execute the periodic process every morning at 6 AM. Example: Start asyncs every morning at 6 AM. |
• Select Daily for the Frequency. • Enter 060000 in the Time field. |
Execute the periodic process every morning, except Saturdays and Sundays, at 6 AM. Example: Start the asyncs every morning during the work week at 6 AM. |
Note: You need to create more than one schedule for the periodic process. First Schedule: • Select Weekly for the Frequency. • Select Monday for the Day of week. • Enter 060000 in the Time field. Second Schedule: • Select Weekly for the Frequency. • Select Tuesday for the Day of week. • Enter 060000 in the Time field. Third Schedule: • Select Weekly for the Frequency. • Select Wednesday for the Day of week. • Enter 060000 in the Time field. Fourth Schedule: • Select Weekly for the Frequency. • Select Thursday for the Day of week. • Enter 060000 in the Time field. Fifth Schedule: • Select Weekly for the Frequency. • Select Friday for the Day of week. • Enter 060000 in the Time field. |
Run the periodic process every week on Mondays at 10 AM. Example: Run the weekly status reports every Monday at 10 AM. |
• Select Weekly for the Frequency. • Select Monday for the Day of week. • Enter 100000 in the Time field. |
Run the periodic process every month on the 25th day of every month at 7 PM. Example: Run the monthly status reports on the 25th day of every month at 7 PM. |
• Select Monthly for the Frequency. • Enter 25 in the Day of month field. • Enter 190000 in the Time field. |
Run the periodic process on the first day of every month at 8 AM. Example: Run the monthly status report on the first day of every month at 8 AM. |
• Select Month Start for the Frequency. • Enter 080000 in the Time field. |
Run the periodic process on the last day of every month at 9 PM. Example: Run the monthly status report on the last day of every month at 9 PM. |
• Select Month End for the Frequency. • Enter 210000 in the Time field. |
Second Execute Periodic Process Screen (Selecting Functions)
Purpose: Use this screen to select the functions within the process you wish to run.
How to display this screen: Complete all the necessary fields on the first First Execute Periodic Process Screen (Setting Parameters).
Field |
Description |
Process |
The name of the periodic process. Alphanumeric, 10 positions; display-only. |
Description (Unlabeled field to the right of the Process field) |
The description of the periodic process. Alphanumeric, 30 positions; display-only. |
Application area |
The area of Order Management System, (for example, Order Entry) where this process belongs. Alphanumeric, 3 positions; display-only. |
Type description (unlabeled field below the process description) |
Indicates the time period of a periodic process. Processes run on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. Informational-only. Valid values are: • Annually • Daily • Monthly • Weekly Display-only. |
Seq# |
The position of the function within the periodic process. This number indicates the order in which the system executes the functions within the process. Alphanumeric, 1 position; display-only. |
Function |
The name of the periodic function. Alphanumeric, 7 positions; display only. |
Description |
The description of the periodic function. Alphanumeric, 70 positions; display only. |
Select |
Indicates whether to include the periodic function in the execution. Valid values are: • Yes = Include this function. • No = Do not include this function. Required. |
Screen Option |
Procedure |
Schedule the periodic process and save the job options |
Select Schedule. This option only displays if the periodic process is scheduled to run in the future (you selected any value other than Now in the Frequency field). The system adds the periodic process to the job scheduler and does not execute the periodic process until the specified time is reached. See Scheduling Jobs. |
Execute the periodic process and do not save the job options |
Select Execute. This option only displays if the periodic process is scheduled to run immediately (you selected Now in the Frequency field). Because the process runs immediately, the system does not add the process to the job scheduler. |
Execute the periodic process and save the job options |
Select Execute & Save Overrides. This option only displays if the periodic process is scheduled to run immediately (you selected Now in the Frequency field). Because the process runs immediately, the system does not add the process to the job scheduler. |
