Defining Properties

Theme: Configure
Who Is It For? Automation Engineer, Application Owner

What Is It?

Use this procedure to define Properties in OpCon.

• Name: The property name
  • For Global Properties (OI properties): must not exceed 64 characters and must be unique
  • For Machine, Schedule, and Job Instance properties: no length restriction; should be unique per instance
    note

    If duplicate property names exist for Machine, Schedule, or Job Instance properties, OpCon resolves tokens to the value of the first matching property found.

  • Avoid these characters in names (they cause problems with event processing and token resolution): ' (single quote), " (double quote), ( ) (parentheses), \ (backslash), , (comma), = (equals), ; (semi-colon), | (pipe)
    • Do not use a leading $ — reserved for System Properties
    • The @ symbol cannot be the first or last character, and cannot appear consecutively more than once
  • If the database uses binary sort order, property names are case-sensitive
• Documentation: For Global Properties (OI properties), an area for descriptions and notes
• Encrypted: Encrypts the value. Once saved, the value cannot be decrypted
• Value: The property value. OpCon resolves tokens referencing this property to this value when submitting jobs or processing events
  • The value must be usable by the job or event at processing time
  • Property Expressions are supported
  • Avoid: , (comma), = (equals), ; (semi-colon), | (pipe) — these cause problems with event processing and token resolution
  • Do not enclose in quotes; quotes will be treated as part of the value
  • Must not exceed 4000 characters
  • Leading and trailing spaces are removed

Example

To pass a value containing a comma (,) as a job parameter via an OpCon event, split the value across multiple properties and place the comma in the job definition.

Scenario: Parameter 1 = DAILY, Parameter 2 = TEST,JOB

Incorrect approach — using a comma inside an event parameter:

Job Details tokens: [[JI.PARAM1]],[[JI.PARAM2]]
Event: $JOB:ADD,$DATE,SCHEDULE,JOB,FREQCODE,PARAM1=DAILY;PARAM2=TEST,JOB

Result: Fails — OpCon treats the comma as an event delimiter, resolving to DAILY,TEST instead of DAILY,TEST,JOB.

Correct approach — splitting the value into three properties:

Job Details tokens: [[JI.PARAM1]],[[JI.PARAM2]],[[JI.PARAM3]]
Event: $JOB:ADD,$DATE,SCHEDULE,JOB,FREQCODE,PARAM1=DAILY;PARAM2=TEST;PARAM3=JOB

Result: Tokens resolve to DAILY,TEST,JOB

Methods for Defining Properties

note

Properties and values may not begin or end with a space.

From some locations, multiple properties can be defined at once using this syntax:

PropertyName1=value;PropertyName2=value...

Enterprise Manager

• OI properties are maintained in Properties. Refer to Managing Global Properties
• Define Schedule Instance Properties from the Schedule Instance Definition frame
• Define Job Instance Properties from the Job Instance Definition frame
• From Schedule Build, define Schedule Instance properties when building a schedule; they are automatically associated with the schedule. Refer to Managing Schedules
• From Daily Maintenance, define Job Instance properties when adding a job; they are automatically associated with the job. Refer to Adding Jobs from Job Master to Daily Schedule

OpCon Events

• Property-Related Events ($PROPERTY:ADD, SET, and DELETE) maintain user-defined properties for any object type (OpCon Instance, Machine Instance, Schedule Instance, Job Instance)
• $SCHEDULE:BUILD includes an optional parameter for Schedule Instance properties; they are automatically associated with the schedule, which builds in a released state
• $JOB:ADD includes an optional parameter for Job Instance properties; they are automatically associated with the job added to the daily schedule

SMADDI

• The new_token message type adds a new OpCon Instance user property value to the Master tables. Refer to new_token and update_token Element Structures
• The update_token message type updates an existing OpCon Instance user property value in the Master tables. Refer to new_token and update_token Element Structures

Configuration Options

Setting	What It Does	Default	Notes
Name	The property name	—	must be unique. - For Machine, Schedule, and Job Instance properties: no length restri
Documentation	For Global Properties (OI properties), an area for descriptions and notes	—	must be usable by the job or event at processing time. - [Property Expressions](../ref
Encrypted	Encrypts the value.	—	must be usable by the job or event at processing time. - [Property Expressions](../ref
Value	The property value.	—	must be usable by the job or event at processing time. - [Property Expressions](../ref
Scenario	Parameter 1 = DAILY, Parameter 2 = TEST,JOB	—	—
Incorrect approach	using a comma inside an event parameter:	—	—
Result	Fails — OpCon treats the comma as an event delimiter, resolving to DAILY,TEST instead of DAILY,TEST,JOB	—	—
Correct approach	splitting the value into three properties:	—	—

FAQs

Q: What characters should be avoided in property names?

Avoid single quotes, double quotes, parentheses, backslash, comma, equals, semicolon, and pipe characters. Do not use a leading $ (reserved for system properties). The @ symbol cannot be the first or last character and cannot appear consecutively more than once.

Q: Can an encrypted property value be decrypted later?

No. Once a property is saved with the Encrypted option, the value cannot be decrypted within OpCon. Encrypted tokens can only be decrypted by an agent receiving the value in a job command line.

Q: How can multiple properties be defined at once using events or SMADDI?

Use the syntax PropertyName1=value;PropertyName2=value... to define multiple properties in a single operation. This is supported from events and SMADDI message types that accept property definitions.

Glossary

SMADDI (SMA Dynamic Data Input): An optional OpCon component that dynamically updates the OpCon database using XML text files placed in monitored input directories. SMADDI uses a Windows service and stored procedures to validate and commit the data.

Enterprise Manager (EM): OpCon's rich client graphical user interface for Windows and Linux, used to define schedules and jobs, manage automation data, and perform operational tasks.

Master Tables: The OpCon database tables that hold the permanent definitions of schedules and jobs. Changes to master tables affect all future schedule builds.

OpCon Event: A command sent to OpCon that triggers an automated action, such as adding a job to a schedule, updating a property value, sending a notification, or changing a job or schedule status.

Token (Global Property): A named value stored in the OpCon database, referenced in job definitions and events using [[PropertyName]] syntax. Tokens pass dynamic values — such as dates, file paths, or counts — into automation workflows.

Machine: A platform defined in the OpCon database that has an agent installed. OpCon routes job execution requests to machines via SMANetCom, and machines report job completion status back to SAM.

Schedule: A named container for jobs in OpCon, built for a specific date to create that day's automation. Schedules define build settings, frequencies, and the jobs that run within them.

Job: The fundamental unit of work in OpCon. A job defines what to run, on which machine, when to start, and what conditions must be met. Job results are tracked and can trigger events and notifications.