Defining Process Definitions

After you specify a process type, you must create a process definition, specify the available options, and set up associated page transfers that might apply.

Access the Process Definition page (PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes.).

Image: Process Definition page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Process Definition page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Process Definition page

Field or Control

Definition

Process Type

Indicates the Process Type selected.

Name

This name must match the file name of the process that you are defining. For example, if you are defining a SQR report named MYSQR.SQR, you must define the process name as MYSQR.

Long Description

This field is optional.

Priority

Select High, Medium, or Low to define the relative priority that is used by the PeopleSoft Process Scheduler Agent to determine which process to initiate first if multiple processes are queued to run on a server.

Process Category

Select a process category for this process.

Note: The categories Default and LOADCACHE are delivered with your system.

API Aware

Select this check box if this process is an API-aware process. If this check box is selected for any process that is not API-aware, PeopleSoft Process Scheduler includes this process in the concurrent task count. This can result in improper server load balancing.

Selecting this option does not mean that the process becomes API-aware. You must still add API code to the process.

The PeopleSoft Application Engine, COBOL, SQR, Cube Builder, nVision, Data Mover, and XML Publisher process types should be API-aware. If API Aware is deselected for any of these process types, it is recorded on the SYSAUDIT report.

Restart Enabled?

Select if the system should attempt to automatically restart this process if it is marked with a run status of Error.

Read Only

Used only on Oracle databases with Oracle Active Data Guard enabled and configured for use within your PeopleSoft implementation. The Read Only option enables a [component | process] to run against the read-only, standby database, rather than your production database.

See Implementing Oracle Active Data Guard.

Retry Count

Enter the number of times the system should attempt to automatically restart this process.

Note: This field becomes active only if the Restart Enabled? check box is selected.

Retention Days

Set the retention days that are used to determine the expiration date. The expiration date is determined by adding the retention days from the date on which the report was generated.

Note: The retention days value entered for a process definition will be the default retention days when the process is run.

System Constraints

Important! For system constraints to be evaluated, you must configure the system with a master scheduler. In the absence of a master scheduler, the system ignores settings for the following options.

Field or Control

Definition

Max. Concurrent (maximum concurrent)

Enter the maximum number of occurrences of this process that can be active at one time across all process schedulers. If this field is left blank (default), the value becomes Unlimited.

Processes exceeding the maximum appear in the Process Monitor with a run status of Blocked. As active occurrences finish, blocked processes are released and queued.

Max. Processing Time (maximum processing time)

Enter the maximum processing time for this process. If this field is left blank (default), the value becomes Unlimited.

The system cancels the process if processing exceeds the time that is entered here.

Important! This field is not supported for SQR and COBOL process types that are scheduled on an OS390 operating system and run from UNIX System Services (USS).

Mutually Exclusive Process(es)

Enter the type and name all the processes that must not run at the same time as this process.

Processes failing this constraint appear on the Process Monitor with a run status of Blocked. When mutually exclusive processes finish, blocked processes are released and queued.

Access the Process Definition Options page (PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes). Select the Process Definition Options tab.

Image: Process Definition Options page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Process Definition Options page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Process Definition Options page

Use the Process Definition Options page to specify a location, server, component, or process group from which to run a process.

Field or Control

Definition

(Optional) Server Name

Specify a server on which the process should run. Specify the server name only to restrict this particular process to this server definition (or if you have only one server platform to submit your requests).

Leave blank to have the process requested for the first server or default operating system that can process requests for the specified process class. This enables you to balance the load between multiple process servers because your request is initiated by the first available server on the default operating system.

Important! For the system to evaluate values that are entered for the On File Creation feature, you must provide a server name. This is validated when you save your process definition.

(Optional) Recurrence Name

Specify a predefined recurrence definition for this process.

On File Creation

Field or Control

Definition

File Dependency

Select to activate the On File Creation feature.

If this option is activated, Process Scheduler checks for the existence of the file. If the file is found and no other process is using it, the process will run.

If the file is not found or is in use, the process does not run but enters a Blocked state. Time counting starts at this point. Process Scheduler continues to check for the file. If the file is found and is not in use, then the process will run.

If the file is not found or it is in use even after the time interval specified in Time Out Max Minutes, the process will go to Error state.

If the Max Time Out Minutes field is left blank, the process scheduler does not schedule the process as long as the file is not found in the specified location.

Wait for File

Enter the location and name of the file that this process depends on. The process will not run until this file has been found if the file dependency option is activated.

Processes on hold due to dependent files not being found appear on the Process Monitor with a run status of Blocked. When the dependent files have been located, blocked processes are released and queued.

Note: This information can also be entered or changed at runtime if the File Dependency check box is selected.

Time Out Max. Minutes

Enter a time limit for the system to locate the dependent files.

The system compares the current date time to the timestamp of the time that the process was queued. If the time limit is exceeded, the process is marked as Error and the restart procedure is attempted.

See Specifying Process Variables.

System Recovery Process

Field or Control

Definition

Process Type and Process Name

Enter the type and name of an optional process that can be run if this process runs to an error. The original process will not restart until the system recovery optional process that is entered here has run.

Process Security

Field or Control

Definition

Component

Attach the process to components. Adding a component to a process definition causes that process definition to appear on the Process Scheduler Request page when you select File, Run in that component, if you have security to run the process.

Process Group

Make the process definition a member of the group. A process definition can be a member of multiple process groups.

Select an existing group, or add a new group by entering a unique process group name. To add new rows, click the Add button.

Process groups are then assigned to security profiles in PeopleSoft Security Administrator, which enables you to specify the process requests that classes of users can run.

Access the Override Options page (PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes > Process Definition). Select the Override Options page.

Use the Override Options page to modify values that are passed to the process.

Field or Control

Definition

Override Options

Select a value if you have custom values to send through the parameter list, command line, or working directory:

Append: Adds custom parameters to the end of the PeopleSoft string.

Override: Sends custom parameters in place of the PeopleSoft defaults.

Prepend: Adds custom parameters to the front of the PeopleSoft string.

Parameters

Enter the custom parameter values.

Access the Destination page (PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes). Select the Destination tab.

Image: Destination page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Destination page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Destination page

Note: The output source destinations are enforced for users who are not allowed to override the output destination by their user process profiles. If a user is allowed to override it, the user-run control destination is used in the process request.

Field or Control

Definition

Type

Select the default destination type for this process:

None: Uses the user run control values.

Any: User can specify any valid option.

Default: Applicable to PS/nVision only.

Depending on the type of process, other selections include Email, File, Printer, Window, and Web.

The value that is specified here overrides the value that is specified in the System Settings - Process Output Type page. If the value that is specified here is deactivated, the value that is designated as the default will be used.

Format

Select the format for this process.

The value that is specified here overrides the value that is specified in the System Settings - Process Output Format page. If the value that is specified here is deactivated, the value that is designated as the default will be used.

Destination Source

Specify the output destination source for this process:

None: Use for processes that do not create output or for processes for which you do not want to produce an output file or report.

Process Definition: This request uses the output destination that is specified by the process definition.

Process Type Definition: This request uses the output destination that is specified by the process type definition.

User Specified: This is the default value.

The SQR process will always use values as specified in a run control by the user. So, we need to specify the Destination Output as User Specified.

Folder Name

Select the folder in which the report will be displayed in the Explorer and List tables of the Report Manager.

Output Destination

Use to hard-code the output destination into the process definition. This option is enabled only when the source value is Process Definition.

To access the Page Transfer page, select PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes > and click the Page Transfer tab.

The Page Transfer or Log Transfer feature enables a user to go directly from the Process Monitor to a designated page in the PeopleSoft application to view the results from a successfully completed process.

To enable users to go directly from the Process Monitor to a page, specify the navigational route that an end user must follow through the PeopleSoft menu interface.

Note: If the search keys are not in the level 0 buffer of the current component, the Search page will appear.

Field or Control

Definition

Page Transfer Code

Select the type of transfer for this process:

None: Disables this feature for this process. The remaining fields become unavailable when this value is selected.

Msg Log (message log): Enables the Log Transfer feature for this process.

Next Page: Enables the Page Transfer feature for this process.

Menu Name, Menu Bar Name, Menu Item, and Page Name

Select the navigation path that the user follows through the PeopleSoft menu interface.

Menu Action

Select one of the following menu actions that the user can perform when the page is selected: Add, Correction, Update, or Update All.

Access the Notification page (PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes) . Select the Notification tab.

Image: Notification page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Notification page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Notification Window and Pop-up Notification channels added to Process Definition settings

Use the Notification page to send messages to a group (using a role ID) or individuals (using a user ID) when a specific activity occurs in the process, such as an error, warning, or successful completion of the process.

You can choose and add a notification channel to a process type and also opt to enable a notification state. When the process reaches the state, the system will generate a notification and inform you using the type of notification channel you have configured in the page. You can enable notifications for the following states of a process:

  • On Error.

  • On Warning.

  • On Success.

  • On Cancel.

  • On Delete.

  • On Hold.

  • On Queued.

  • On Initiated.

  • On Processing.

  • On Cancelled.

  • On Not Success.

  • On Pending.

  • On Blocked.

  • On Restart.

This table lists the names and definitions of the elements on the Notification page.

Field or Control

Definition

Type

Select the notification channel from the drop down with the options — EMail, Notification Window, Pop-up Notification.

ID Type

Select User or Role..

Distribution ID

Select the user ID of the user or group.

Disabled

Select if you do not want to send notifications to the user or group.

Access the Message page(PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes). Select the Messages tab.

Image: Message page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Message page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Message page

Use the Message page to specify the messages that are sent when the Notification feature is used. You can specify messages for successful completion and errors.

Field or Control

Definition

Message Type

Select the message type:

Default Message: Use the basic default message.

Customized Message: Create your own message.

Message Catalog: Select a message from the Message Catalog.

Message Set/Number

Select the Message Catalog set and number of the message. Complete these fields when the message type is Message Catalog.

Text

Enter the message text when the message type is Customized Message.

To access the Runtime Parameters page, select PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes > and click the Runtime Parameters tab.

Image: Runtime Parameters page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Runtime Parameters page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Runtime Parameters page

Use this page to enable the Run option from the Reporting Console and register runtime parameters associated with the process.

Field or Control

Definition

Enable Generic Prompting

Select this check box to allow users to schedule this process from the Reporting Console.

Note: The prompt button is disabled for the run time record field that do not have a matching prompt record.

Allow Access By User With

Select the type of permission required to schedule the process from the Reporting Console. It specifies whether full process security or process group security should be applied when the process is run from the Reporting Console or a web service.

  • Full Process Security indicates that the process security defined on the Process Definition Options page will be used to determine which users can schedule this process from the Reporting Console. The user must have permission to at least one of the Components, as well as be a member of at least one of the Process Groups listed on the Process Definition Options page.

  • Process Security Group indicates that the user must be a member of at least one of the Process Groups listed on the Process Definition Options page to schedule this process from the Reporting Console.

Note: Users with the role PeopleSoft Administrator will always get the Run option on the Reporting Console if Generic Prompting is enabled.

RunTime Parameters

Application run control records are used to retrieve the parameter values at execution time. In order to run the process from the Reporting Console, the user must be able to enter the runtime parameters necessary for the process with the correct application run control record. This also allows the user to retrieve saved parameter values from an application run control record.

Field or Control

Definition

Record (Table) Name

Enter the application-specific run control record used in this process.

Field Name

Enter a row for each field used in the run control record.

Select Label

Use this link to select the field label that will display on the generic prompting page.

Select the Label Type:

  • Message Catalog

    You will be prompted for the Message Set Number and Message Number.

  • RFT Long

    You will be prompted for the Field Label ID.

  • RFT Short

    You will be prompted for the Field Label ID.

Validation?

Select this check box to perform validation on parameter values entered using the Reporting Console.

A Validation link will appear when the check box is selected. Use this link to specify the validation function from the Application Class.

Runtime Parameter Restrictions

Not all application run control records can be used for generic prompting. Restrictions include:

  • Run control records having multiple rows at Level 1 for the same combination of Run Control Id and Operator Id are not supported in the generic prompting page. If a record has keys other than Run Control Id and Operator Id then it implies that it can have multiple rows at level 1 with the same values of Run Control Id and Operator Id. The generic prompting page cannot display multiple rows and can store only one Level 1 row at a time.

  • Prompt values will be displayed for fields only if the field on the prompt table is the highest order key.

Setting Validation Function

When the user selects Validation for a field, the Validation Function link appears. Select the Validation Function link to enter the location of the validation program.

Image: Validation Function page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Validation Function page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Validation Function page

Field or Control

Definition

Root Package ID

Enter the package name that contains the class that you want to specify, or use the Lookup button to search for and select one.

Field or Control

Definition

Path

Enter the name or names of any subpackages that contain the application class that you want to specify, or use the Lookup button to search for and select one.

Application Class ID

Enter the name of the application class that contains the method that you want to specify, or use the Lookup button to search for and select one.

Method Name

From the Method drop down list box, select the method from the selected application class that you want to specify.

To access the OS390 Option page, select PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes > and click the OS390 Option tab.

The JCL shell and meta-string parameters that are used for constructing JCL that relates the process type to the JCL shell containing the replaceable parameters for the process have already been determined. Use this page to enter additional meta-string parameters for this process definition.

Note: This page is necessary only if you are using an OS390 operating system for the database.

Field or Control

Definition

Meta Parameter

Enter the meta-string parameter that is contained in the Job Shell.

Meta Parm Value (meta parameter value)

Enter the value that replaces the meta-string parameter.

To access the URL Links page, select PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Processes > and click the URL Links tab.

Image: URL Links page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the URL Links page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

URL Links page

Use this page to associate multiple URLs with a process definition. The links appear on the Report Detail page, which is accessible from the Process Monitor and the Report Manager.

Field or Control

Definition

Show URL for current component

Select to create a link to the current component.

Description

Enter a description for the link.

Menu Name, Market, Component, and Page Name

Select to create the URL path and destination.

URL Keys

Click to access the Edit URL Detail page.

Editing URL Key Fields

Access the Edit URL Details page.

Image: Edit URL Details page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Edit URL Details page.

Edit URL Details page

Use this page to view or edit the key fields of the selected URL.