Reducing "Slack" Time In Operations:
The ActiveBatch® Job Scheduler incorporates
an event driven architecture that supports the triggering of jobs and job plans
using a wide array of event types that include:
- File Events (creation, modification, deletion or appearance)
- Email's (Inclusive or Exclusive words, Subject Line, Sender, etc)
- Web Services
- Microsoft Message Queue's(MSMQ)
- Oracle Database Triggers*
- System Startup
- Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to include over 15,000 event types including
events like writing to the Event and Application Logs
- SNMP Trapping
- Completion Status of Predecessor Jobs and Plans (Success, Failure or Conditional)
Enterprises utilize the ActiveBatch event-driven architecture to respond swiftly
by triggering jobs and job plans as the need arises rather than simply relying on
date and time scheduling. As a result workflows can be designed to ensure that business
processes can be initiated when specific IT events occur saving time and reducing
costs.
The Job Scheduler monitors the various events that the automation designer incorporates
into their jobs or job plans so they begin execution when the event is declared.
Events can be calls to a Web service, the receipt of a message (email, file drop,
message queue, and so on). They can be triggered by network events, WMI events,
and a variety of other triggers. Once received, the plan begins execution unless
a counterbalancing constraint is encountered. This permits the automation designer
the ability to create a very responsive, interactive Plan, or Workflow.
ActiveBatch supports File Triggering on both Microsoft Windows as well as Non Windows
systems upon the creation, modification or deletion of a specific file. Email triggers
allow for actioning on inclusive or exclusive words or strings or attachments in
addition to other values which are evaluated to allow the specified email to trigger
a workflow. The email attachment can then be saved as a file for downstream processing.
Using email triggers workflows can be initiated immediately thereby reducing wait
time and making results of the workflow available for consideration for improve
decision making.
ActiveBatch supports the triggering of Plans and/or Jobs through a non-invasive
Oracle Database Event facility, which is separately licensed. This facility will
allow a customer to specify an event when an Oracle table is changed through an
Insert, Update or Delete. The operation can be further refined based on the specification
of table fields that can be specified as part of the event specification.
The Job Scheduler provides the capability for jobs that are to be triggered by an
event, to have an expected run window set so that they can be monitored by users
and operations in the Daily Activity view. Additionally alerts, via the Global Alert
Object facility, can be created to notify individuals or groups, for example, that
a workflow is waiting for the release of a file to initiate an action. The bottom
line is that ActiveBatch helps IT to leverage the business unit through improved
service levels.
Additionally, ActiveBatch interrogates data by using Active Variables that can be
used as an alternative approach to an event based job trigger. Within ActiveBatch,
Active Variables can be used between jobs so that data is passed throughout the
business process. Some examples of Active Variables include:
- Date Expression
- File Contents
- SQL Record Set
- Web Service Request Result
- WMI Query
- XML Query
- File System Information
In addition to ActiveBatch's event based capabilities, ActiveBatch incorporates
the most granular date and time based scheduling along with including calendar or
fiscal year dates as well as the use of time zone's, custom tags for triggering
jobs, for example, three days before or after the End of Quarter <EOQ + 3>.
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