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Version: OpCon

Thresholds

A threshold is a user-defined placeholder consisting of a name and a numeric value. Thresholds are used to help resolve dependencies that cannot be resolved by a job dependency. This means a specification can be made for a job to not start until a specified threshold condition is met. Thresholds are also used to allow external applications and systems to affect schedules.

The following information applies to defining thresholds:

  • Name: Defines the name for the threshold.
  • Documentation: Provides an area for descriptions, explanations, and notes that can be updated for the threshold. For information on inserting hyperlinks into the Documentation area, refer to Entering and Opening Hyperlinks in the Documentation Frame in the Enterprise Manager online help.
  • Threshold Value: Defines a numeric value for a threshold.
Example

Jamie needs to create an External Application Dependency because she has an OpCon job named 'Testing' that is dependent on job processing on a machine where an LSAM is not installed.

  • Jamie creates a threshold called EXTERNALAPP for 'Testing' in OpCon Administration and leaves the default value 0.
  • In Job Master, Jamie creates a threshold dependency for 'Testing' and makes the 'Testing' job dependent on the threshold EXTERNALAPP. Jamie will set the dependent value equal (EQ) to 1.
  • In the Job Master, Jamie creates a threshold update for the 'Testing' job and sets the Job Status to Finished OK for the Threshold EXTERNALAPP with a value of 0. This takes place after JobA executes and will reset the threshold for the next time the job executes.
  • Jamie builds the schedule and the 'Testing' job should be in a Wait Threshold/Resource Dependency state in Schedule Operations.
  • On the machine with the job that the 'Testing' job is dependent on, Jamie will edit the external job so when the process finishes, it copies or FTPs an ASCII file to the SAM server. The file should contain the following OpCon event: $THRESHOLD:SET,EXTERNALAPP,1,username,event_password. This file should be placed in the MSGIN directory for the SAM.

Result: When the external OpCon event is received through the MSGIN, the threshold EXTERNALAPP is updated to a value of one, and the 'Testing' job starts processing if there are no other dependencies to resolve. When the 'Testing' job finishes, the threshold EXTERNALAPP is set back to zero.

Example

Jamie has a multi-instance job named UpdateCreditDatabase that should run once for every ten (10) credit transactions. Each credit transaction causes a unique file to be written to the credit server.

  • Jamie creates a threshold called CreditTransactions in OpCon Administration and leaves the default value 0.

  • In Job Master Maintenance, Jamie creates a threshold dependency for UpdateCreditDatabase and makes the job dependent on the threshold CreditTransactions. Jamie will set the dependent value equal (EQ) to 10.

  • Jamie configures the SMA Resource Monitor to detect the unique files that arrive for each credit transaction. When each file arrives, the SMA Resource Monitor sends the following event to increment the value of the threshold CreditTransactions by 1:

    $THRESHOLD:SET,CreditTransactions,+1

  • In the Notification Manager, Jamie creates a job event trigger on the UpdateCreditDatabase job, so when the job is Submitted, Notification Manager sends two events to SAM. The first event is to set CreditTransactions to a value of 0. The purpose of this step is to reset the threshold for the next set of credit transactions that will arrive.

    $THRESHOLD:SET,CreditTransactions,0

  • The second event is to add another copy of the UpdateCreditDatabase job to the Daily schedule.

    $JOB:ADD,[[$SCHEDULE DATE]],[[$SCHEDULE NAME]],[[$JOB NAME]],[[$FREQUENCY NAME]]

Result: When the schedule is built, the UpdateCreditDatabase job will be in a status of "Wait Threshold Dependency" in Schedule Operations. The SMA Resource Monitor increments the value of CreditTransactions each time a file arrives. When the value of CreditTransactions reaches ten (10), the UpdateCreditDatabase job runs. As soon as the job is Submitted, the Notification Manager executes the two events to reset the threshold to zero and add another copy of the UpdateCreditDatabase job so it can process the next ten records.