Tracking and queuing external jobs
What is it?
Some SAP jobs are submitted directly in SAP by users — not by OpCon. The SAP Agent can intercept those jobs at submission time and either track them (record them in OpCon while letting them run normally) or queue them (hold them until OpCon dependencies are satisfied, then release them).
This lets operators see a complete picture of SAP work in OpCon Operations even for jobs that originate in SAP, and it lets administrators apply OpCon dependencies to those jobs.
How it works
SAP user submits job ──► Agent intercepts (XBP profile) ──► Decision
│
┌───────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
Tracked Queued
Agent releases the job immediately + Agent holds the job in Intercepted status +
sends $JOB:TRACK to SAM sends $JOB:QUEUE to SAM
│ │
▼ ▼
SAM records the run SAM qualifies against OpCon dependencies
then submits back to agent
│
▼
Agent releases the job to run on SAP
After SAM accepts the Track or Queue request, the job appears in Operations in the Enterprise Manager.
Tracking versus queuing
| Tracked | Queued | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens at submission | Agent intercepts, then releases immediately to run | Agent intercepts and holds in Intercepted status |
| OpCon role | Records the run for visibility | Qualifies the job against OpCon dependencies before release |
| Event sent to SAM | $JOB:TRACK | $JOB:QUEUE |
| Use when | You want SAP-submitted jobs visible in OpCon Operations | You want SAP-submitted jobs to wait on OpCon time or dependency rules |
Before you begin
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A job intercept profile is configured and activated in SAP | Without an active profile, SAP does not call the agent's interception logic when jobs are submitted. |
| INITXBP2 has been run on the SAP system | XBP interception requires the program to have been initialized. |
| Interception 3.0 is activated in SAP | The agent uses Interception 3.0 messages. |
| You know the SAP-side client id, job name, and job creator for each job to track or queue | These three values are how the agent matches an incoming SAP job submission to a Job Track/Queue rule. |
| You know the matching OpCon schedule, frequency, and job name for each job | These are how the agent tells SAM where to record the job. |
High-level steps
| Phase | What you do | Goes to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Define matching jobs in OpCon Job Master | Define external jobs in Job Master |
| 2 | Add Track or Queue rules to SAPLSAM.ini | Configure the Job Track/Queue section in the SAPLSAM.ini file |
| 3 | Verify a SAP-submitted job appears in OpCon Operations | Verify tracking or queuing |
SAP-side configuration screenshots
The screenshots below show one example of preparing the SAP side.
Initialization Program for Background Processing Interface XBP 2.0
Criteria Manager
SAPLsam.ini Settings
Procedures
Define external jobs in Job Master
Each SAP job to be tracked or queued must have a matching job record in OpCon Job Master, with a frequency that prevents it from being auto-built into a daily schedule.
To define an external job in Job Master, complete the following steps:
-
Under the Administration topic, open Job Master below the Navigation tab on the Enterprise Manager screen. The Job Master screen displays.
-
In the Schedule list, select the desired Schedule (for example, AdHoc). See The AdHoc schedule for why this is recommended.
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On the toolbar, select + to add a new job to the schedule.
-
Set the basic job fields:
Field Required What to enter Name Yes The OpCon name for the job. Must match TrackOpConJobName1 / QueueOpConJobName1 in SAPLSAM.ini. Job Type Yes SAP R/3 and CRM Primary Machine Yes The OpCon machine record for the SAP system this job runs on. -
On the toolbar, select Save to save the job definition.
-
Select the Frequency tab and create a frequency that does not auto-build the job. SMA Technologies recommends:
Frequency setting Value When to Schedule On Request Request Date Any date in the past Every Year No A/O/B/N flag Set as desired
Repeat for every SAP job you want to track or queue.
Configure the Job Track/Queue section in the SAPLSAM.ini file
Each SAP job to track or queue is described by a numbered group of settings (for example, all of the *1 settings describe one job). The agent matches an incoming SAP submission against these groups.
Open SAPLSAM.ini
To open SAPLSAM.ini, complete the following steps:
- Right-click the Start button and select Explore.
- Browse to
<Configuration Directory>\SAP LSAM\. - Right-click SAPLSAM.ini and select Open With.
- Select an ASCII text editor (for example, Notepad) from the Choose the program you want to use list box.
- Find the section titled
[Job Track/Queue Settings].
Set the shared poll interval
The whole section shares a single polling interval. Set it once.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| JobTrackCheckInterval | Seconds between checks for tracked or queued jobs on the SAP system. Defined once for the whole section. |
Define a Track or Queue rule
A rule is a numbered group of six fields. The Track and Queue field sets are parallel — the description, matching behavior, and denial conditions are identical.
For each SAP job to track or queue, set every field in the table below for that rule's number.
| Track field | Queue field | Required | Describes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrackFrequencyName1 | QueueFrequencyName1 | No | The frequency name configured in OpCon for this job. |
| TrackOpConSkdName1 | QueueOpConSkdName1 | No | The schedule name configured in OpCon for this job. |
| TrackOpConJobName1 | QueueOpConJobName1 | Yes | The job name configured in OpCon. Must match the Name in Job Master. |
| TrackClientID1 | QueueClientID1 | Yes | The client id under which the job starts on the R/3 or CRM system. |
| TrackJobName1 | QueueJobName1 | Yes | The job name in the R/3 or CRM system. Wildcards * and ? are supported. |
| TrackJobCreator1 | QueueJobCreator1 | Yes | The job creator in the R/3 or CRM system. Wildcards * and ? are supported. |
When the agent denies a Track or Queue request
The agent denies the request and writes a message to its log under any of the conditions below. Use this list when troubleshooting a job that did not appear in Operations.
| Condition | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Frequency named in TrackFrequencyName1 / QueueFrequencyName1 does not exist for the OpCon job | Request denied. |
| Frequency is not provided | SAM-SS uses the first defined frequency for the OpCon job. |
| Schedule named in TrackOpConSkdName1 / QueueOpConSkdName1 is not in the Daily tables for the current date | Request denied. (Exception: the AdHoc schedule is added automatically.) |
| OpCon job name does not exist in Job Master | Request denied. |
| Duplicate OpCon job already exists in Daily tables and the job name is longer than 8 characters | Request denied. |
| Duplicate OpCon job already exists in Daily tables and the job name is 8 characters or fewer | Job runs with $nnn suffix appended (for example, TestJob$001, TestJob$002). |
Define additional rules
To define another job to track or queue, copy an existing six-field group and change the trailing 1 to a new number. For example, copy the *1 Track group and rename the fields to *2:
TrackFrequencyName2=...
TrackOpConSkdName2=...
TrackOpConJobName2=...
TrackClientID2=...
TrackJobName2=...
TrackJobCreator2=...
Track and Queue numbers are independent — Track1 and Queue1 describe different jobs.
Save and apply
To save and apply, complete the following steps:
- Go to File > Save.
- Close the text editor.
The Job Track/Queue settings are dynamic — the agent picks up changes automatically without a service restart. See Configuration file.
The AdHoc schedule
SMA Technologies recommends adding jobs to be tracked to the AdHoc schedule for two reasons:
| Reason | Detail |
|---|---|
| Auto-add to Daily tables | The AdHoc schedule is dynamically added to the Daily tables when SAM-SS is informed of a job on the schedule that is to be tracked. Other schedules must already be built. |
| Open until midnight | Once active, the AdHoc schedule remains open until midnight and only closes when all of its jobs have finished. |
If tracked jobs are on user-defined schedules, those schedules must be built and active in the Daily tables for the SAM-SS to track the jobs, and the schedule name must be specified in SAPLSAM.ini. With AdHoc, you can leave TrackOpConSkdName / QueueOpConSkdName blank.
Verify tracking or queuing
To confirm tracking or queuing is working end to end:
- Submit the matching SAP job directly in SAP.
- In the Enterprise Manager Operations view, confirm the job appears under the OpCon schedule and job name configured for the rule.
- (Tracked) The job should briefly show Intercepted and then transition to a running state.
- (Queued) The job should remain in Intercepted until OpCon dependencies qualify it, then run.
- In the agent log (
SAPLSAM.logunder the Output Directory), confirm a$JOB:TRACKor$JOB:QUEUEevent was sent and accepted by SAM.
If the job did not appear, see the When the agent denies a Track or Queue request checklist or the FAQs below.
FAQs
What is the difference between Tracking and Queuing? A Tracked job is intercepted briefly, then immediately released to run while OpCon records the run. A Queued job is held in Intercepted status until OpCon's dependencies are satisfied, and only then is it released to SAP.
What must be configured in SAP for tracking to work? A job intercept profile must be configured and activated in SAP that matches the Job Track/Queue configuration in SAPLSAM.ini. INITXBP2 must have been run on the SAP system, and Interception 3.0 must be activated.
Why was my tracking or queuing request denied? Use the When the agent denies a Track or Queue request checklist. The most common causes are a missing OpCon job in Job Master, a schedule that is not in the Daily tables, or a duplicate job name longer than 8 characters.
Why does SMA Technologies recommend the AdHoc schedule for tracked jobs? The AdHoc schedule is added to the Daily tables automatically when SAM is informed of a job to track and stays open until midnight. Tracked jobs can land on it without requiring a pre-built schedule, and you can leave TrackOpConSkdName blank.
How do I track multiple jobs? Create additional Track or Queue groups by copying an existing six-field group and changing the trailing number. See Define additional rules.
Do I need a separate group for tracking and queuing the same SAP job? A single SAP job is either tracked or queued by a given rule, not both. If you want different SAP submissions of the same job handled differently, define them as separate Track and Queue groups with non-overlapping match criteria.
Are wildcards supported in the SAP-side match fields?
Yes. TrackJobName / QueueJobName and TrackJobCreator / QueueJobCreator support * and ? as wildcards.
Do I need to restart the SAP Agent after adding rules? No. The Job Track/Queue settings are dynamic — the agent picks up changes automatically. See Dynamic settings.
Glossary
Tracked job — A SAP job started outside OpCon that the agent records in OpCon for visibility. The job runs immediately on SAP after a brief interception.
Queued job — A SAP job started outside OpCon that the agent holds in Intercepted status until OpCon dependencies qualify it for release.
Intercepted status — A SAP job state used by the XBP interface. The agent uses it to hold a job until OpCon decides to release it.
AdHoc schedule — An OpCon schedule that is dynamically added to the Daily tables when needed and stays open until midnight. Recommended for tracked or queued jobs.
Job intercept profile — A SAP-side configuration that tells SAP which submitted jobs to hand to the agent for interception.
SAM-SS — The OpCon Schedule Activity Monitor service-side component that processes track and queue requests.
Track / Queue rule — A numbered group of six fields in SAPLSAM.ini that matches one SAP job pattern to one OpCon job. The trailing number (1, 2, etc.) is the rule's identifier.