Sequencing jobs in Connect
In Connect, you can create a group of jobs, define the order in which they are to be run, and then run the group either on demand or according to a schedule. This allows you to import multiple sets of data in the correct order, for example. Or make sure a list table is uploaded before updating a profile extension table. You can include any upload jobs that are active and set to run on demand.
Jobs in a group can only run one at a time, but using a group you can run multiple jobs in sequence, with the results of each job affecting the subsequent job. For example, if job #1 fails, job #2 can’t run. Without a group, the only way to do that is to set up the first job, run it, examine the results, and then queue up the next job.
The Group jobs panel of the Manage Connect page shows you all groups that have been created, information about their status and the schedule type. From this page you can stop a group that's running or select a group and run it immediately. You can also delete a group. Deleting a group does not delete the individual jobs within that group.
To create a new group:
- Click
, and select Connect from the Data menu. - Click Create Group in the All jobs, Completed jobs, or Group jobs tabs.
- Follow the steps in the wizard to:
- Choose the jobs to be included and arrange them in the order you want to run them. See Step 1 – Select jobs.
- Choose notification options. See Step 2 – Notification.
- Schedule when you want the group of jobs to run. See Step 3 – Schedule.
- Activate or deactivate the group, and save it. See Activating and saving.The new group appears in the Group jobs tab, where you can start or stop it, edit it as needed, or delete it.
Step 1 – Select jobs
The first step is to choose the jobs to be included in the group and the order in which you want them to be run. A qualified job can only belong to one group and there must be at least two jobs in a group.
To choose and set the order of jobs:
- Select jobs in the Jobs list and drag them to the Group list. In order to be qualified for a group, a job must be active and set to on-demand. You can add jobs for importing data, but not for exporting it. Nor can you add scheduled jobs, partner integration jobs, or deactivated jobs to a group.
- Drag and drop jobs in the Group list to reorder them.
Step 2 – Notification
The options for a group are the same as for a Connect job: you can set email notification. In this step, choose whether and when you want to receive email notifications about the status of a group. You can receive an email after the group runs successfully or fails, when a group fails, or none.
Step 3 – Schedule
You can run the group at a specific date and time, or on a recurring schedule. Based on the start time you enter, the actual start time value will be selected at random from one of the following intervals: 0-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60. This distributes the start times of jobs more evenly. The system picks a random minute within the slot to distribute group runs more evenly. If you try to set up a new Group job in a slot that overlaps with the current time, the system may generate an error because part of that time slot has already passed. As with Connect jobs, you can start a group run from the main Group jobs tab by clicking 
beside the Group job then Run Now.
Important: To ensure that leap years and months with 31 days do not cause issues, you can schedule the run for the Last day of the month instead of the 29th, 30th, or 31st day of a month when scheduling monthly jobs. Additionally, you cannot schedule a recurring monthly run on the 29th, 30th or 31st day of a month.
Activating and saving
After you configure all the steps, click Save. To save and activate the group, click Activate. The new group has a default expiration date 30 days from the day your created it. When the group expires, it is deleted. After you save your job, you can use the Manage Connect page to manage the group. Learn more about managing jobs.
Selecting, Importing, or Generating Public Keys