Configuring Blockout Periods

You configure blockout periods from the application or dimension inspector.

1. Inspect the application or dimension that you want to configure the blockout period for. See Inspecting Applications.
2. On the General tab, click Edit.
3. Perform an action:
   • For an application: Click Enable Blockout.
   • For a dimension: Select an option:
     • Same as Application: The dimension uses the same settings as the application blockout.
     • Enabled: The dimension overrides the application blockout settings with the settings that you specify.
     • Disabled: The dimension overrides the application blockout settings and disables the blockout for this dimension.
4. Select the blockout type:
   • Specified: Apply blockout settings for the specified time period only.
   • Recurring: Apply blockout settings on a recurring basis, based on the period that you specify.

5. Select the time period for the blockout, based on the blockout type:

   • Specified: Select the time zone for the specified blockout period, and then select the begin and end dates and times for the blockout period. You can use the date and time picker or edit the entries manually.
   • Recurring: Select the following:
     • Period: Select the recurring period from the drop down menu. You can select a Gregorian period (for example, End of Quarter) or a fiscal period (for example, Fiscal Year End).

       Tip:

       You can configure your fiscal year in the system settings. See Calendar Settings.
     • Time of Day: Enter the time of day that the recurring blockout will begin.
     • Time Zone: Select the time zone for the Time of Day setting.

       Note:

       The same Time of Day and Time Zone settings are used for both the begin and end dates. You cannot select different times of the day for the beginning and end of a recurring blockout.
     • Begin: Enter the number of days from the period date that the blockout will begin. You can enter a negative number to begin the blockout before the period date or a positive number to begin the blockout after the period date. For example, if you enter -5 and your Period is Fiscal Quarter End, then the recurring blockout will occur 5 days before each fiscal quarter ends.
     • End: Enter the number of days from the period date that the blockout will end. You can enter a negative number to end the blockout before the period date or a positive number to end the blockout after the period date. For example, if you enter 1 and your Period is End of Month, then the recurring blockout will end the day after the end of each month.
6. Optional: In Allow Exceptions, click the drop down to specify that Owners or Data Managers can submit requests that are not affected by the blockout period.

   Note:

   Changing this setting does not affect requests that are already in Blocked status.

   Setting this to Data Managers will include application owners as well. See Inclusive and Additive Permissions.

7. Optional: Select Block Unbound Objects to include request items for data objects in fully unbound viewpoints in the blockout period.

   Note:

   Data objects from bound or partially bound viewpoints are always included in the blockout period.
8. Click Save.

Application and Dimension Blockout Settings

When blockout periods are configured at both the application and dimension level, the dimension blockout settings generally override the application settings, as follows:

• Enabled and Disabled:
  • If a blockout is enabled at the application level but disabled at the dimension level, request items from that dimension are processed.
  • If a blockout is disabled at the application level but enabled at the dimension level, request items from that dimension are blocked, while request items from other dimensions are processed.

  Note:

  For requests that contain request items from different applications or dimensions, if any application or dimension in the request is currently in a blockout period the entire request is blocked.
• Block Unbound Objects: If both the dimension and application for an unbound object are in blockout, the Block Unbound Objects setting from the dimension is used.
• Allow Exceptions: If both the application and dimension are in blockout, the Allow Exceptions setting from the dimension is used. When multiple applications or dimensions are in blockout, the strictest settings for Allow Exceptions are used.
• End Date: If both a dimension and its application are in blockout, the End Date of the dimension blockout is used. For a single request with multiple viewpoints that have different blockout end dates, the end date is the furthest effective End Date in the future.