SMAHoliday

Theme: Configure
Who Is It For? System Administrator, Automation Engineer

What Is It?

note

The information presented in this topic pertains largely to running the SMAHoliday utility as a Windows job. For instructions on running this utility in the OpCon Docker container, see Running on OpCon in Docker.

SMAHoliday (SMAHoliday.exe) is a utility that updates the OpCon database with Calendar dates that represent holidays. SMAHoliday.exe is installed to the <Target Directory>\OpConxps\ MSLSAM\ directory with the Microsoft agent package. The SMAHoliday utility can be run as a job if desired.

Configuration Options

Backwards Compatibility

This utility is compatible with Holiday.exe. Customers who wish to convert should contact Continuous.

Legacy Parameters

Parameter	Description
/C:	This parameter specifies the CalendarName that will be updated with holidays.
/Y:	This parameter specifies the year where the holiday dates must be processed and added to the database.
/S:	This parameter works with the configuration file and will only read and process rules that match the tag entered in the command-line parameter.

Forward Slash Arguments

The SMAHoliday utility accepts arguments using the forward slash to provide backwards compatibility for users already running the old version called Holiday.exe. This program can be found under the Utilities folder and the new utility can be found under the MSLSAM folder.

The following is an example of the old command-line syntax:

SMAHoliday.exe /C:"MasterHoliday"/Y:2017 /S:FR

note

To get the full capability of this utility, Continuous recommends using the dash (-) argument.

Requirements

The SMAHoliday utility requires the following:

• Microsoft agent
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
• SMAODBCConfig.dat file

Configuration

To configure SMAHoliday, update the SMAHoliday configuration file (SMAHoliday.ini) after installation.

Configuration File Settings

The SMAHoliday configuration file (SMAHoliday.ini) is used to configure the utility.

General Settings

General Settings	Definition
CalendarName	Defines the name of the calendar being configured.
StartDate	Defines the date the utility begins calculating holidays. Use the following format:MM/DD/YYYY (for US)
DebugMode	Indicates whether the program provides messages that can help debug the program. Valid values: ON, OFF

FixedHolidays Settings

FixedHolidays defines rules that describe one or more dates to be calculated and entered in a calendar. Each FixedHoliday contains a rule, tag, and description. There are two types of FixedRules: Customized and Non-customized.

Rule	Defines the FixedHoliday expression.
Tag	Defines the tag for the rule. This tag will only work with the tag entered in the command line.
Description	Defines the description of the rule, e.g., a description of the holiday.

Example

09/mo-1=usa ; Labor Day

• 09/mo-1 defines the Rule
• usa defines the Tag
• Labor Day defines the Description

Easter Sunday	The Easter Sunday date is currently calculated by an astrological algorithm for all years until 4099 A.D (refer to www.assa.org.au/edm for more information). The additional Customized settings are calculated based on the same algorithm.
Easter Monday (Le lundi de Pâques)	Calculated based on the Paschal-algorithm Easter date plus one day.
Good Friday (Vendredi saint)	Calculated based on the Paschal-algorithm Easter date minus two days.
Ascension Day (L'Ascension)	Calculated based on the Paschal-algorithm Easter date plus thirty-nine days.
Whit Sunday (Pentecôte)	Calculated based on the Paschal-algorithm Easter date plus forty-nine days.
Whit Monday (Le lundi de Pentecôte)	Calculated based on the Paschal-algorithm Easter date plus fifty days.

Short Date composed by month and day	The month is written as a number and the day is written as a number. use Month/Day format to specify individual dates as a holiday (e.g., 01/01 is New Years' Day, 02/29 is the leap year date). Note: To specify February 29th as a holiday, add the date to the configuration file. A year does not need to be specified; the utility only processes February 29th as a holiday during leap years.
d = day of week	The day of week abbreviation must be followed by a number between 1 and 7 (e.g., d1).
w = week of month	The week can be followed by a number between 1 and 4 (e.g., w3). You must enter the letter "l" (lowercase L) for the last week of the month (e.g., wl).
m = month	The month must be followed by a number between 1 and 12 (e.g. m12).
DN = day number	The day number abbreviation must be followed by a number no greater than the maximum number of days in a year (e.g., 365 or 366).
Month number/Short day name-Week number	The month is written as a number, the day is written using a two-letter abbreviation, and the week is written as a number (e.g., 11/fr-4 ; Black Friday). Valid values for week number are 1 to 3; you must enter the letter "l" (lowercase L) for the last week of the month (e.g., wl).

Example

The following examples describe FixedHoliday scenarios:

• WN20 = Week 20 is a holiday week
• d1 = All Sundays; 6 day workweek
• d7 = All Saturdays; 5 day workweek
• d1/w1 = First day of first week for all months
• wl/m1 = Last week of first month
• d2/w3/m1 or 01/mo-3=usa ; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• d2/w3/m1 or 02/mo-3=usa ; Presidents Day
• d2/wl/m5 or 05/mo-l=usa ; Memorial Day
• d2/w1/m9 or 09/mo-1=usa ; Labor Day
• d2/w2/m10 or 10/mo-2=usa ; Columbus Day
• d5/w4/m11 or 11/th-4=usa ; Thanksgiving Day
• Easter_Sun = Easter Sunday
• Easter_Monday = Easter Monday
• Easter_Friday = Easter Friday
• Whit_Sunday = Pentecoste
• Whit_Monday = Lundi Pentecoste
• Ass_Thu = Jeudi Assencion

VariableHoliday Settings

VariableHoliday defines a type of FixedHoliday composed of a date, condition, and description that can change the output date based on an If-Then condition. A variable rule is a fixed rule with additional parameters that allow conditional expressions to manipulate the output date result of the rule.

Date	Defines the VariableHoliday expression.
Condition	The If-Then condition must be configured using the following format: `if outputdate == d1 then +1
Tag	Defines the tag for the date. This tag will only work with the tag defined in the command line.
Inclusive Date	Valid values: No (Default), Yes - Use yes to yield two dates: the Date input in the configuration file and the Output date from the conditional expression if equal to True.

Example

The following example describes a VariableHoliday scenario where InclusiveDate=No:

• date=01/01
• condition=if outputdate == d1 then +1 || if outputdate == d7 then -1
• tag=New Years Day
• InclusiveDate=No

If 01/01 falls on a d1=Sunday, then the output date will move one day forwards (the holiday will be Monday=01/02) This will yield one date as a result. - or - If 01/01 falls on a d7=Saturday, then the output date will move one day backwards (the holiday will be Friday=12/31) This will yield one date as a result.

Example

The following example describes a VariableHoliday scenario where InclusiveDate=Yes:

• date=01/01
• condition=if outputdate == d1 then +1 || if outputdate == d7 then -1
• tag=New Years Day
• InclusiveDate=Yes

If 01/01 falls on a d1=Sunday, then the output date will move one day forwards (the holiday will be Monday=01/02 and will also include Sunday=01/01). This will yield two dates as a result. - or - If 01/01 falls on a d7=Saturday, then the output date will move one day backwards (the holiday will be Friday=12/31 and it will also include Saturday=01/01). This will yield two dates as a result.

RangeHoliday Settings

RangeHoliday defines a range of dates that need to be marked in a calendar. A RangeHoliday is composed of two fixed rules (Customized or Non-customized) separated by an equal sign (=). Range holidays have the following restrictions: they must be included in the Range section and they cannot be a Tag.

Example

02/15=02/20

This rule will result in the following dates:

02/15 02/16 02/17 02/18 02/19 02/20

Example

The following is an example of different Range rules that can be configured in a calendar:

[Range]
01/mo-3=02/mo-1
02/02=02/20
01/01=-4
Easter_Fri=4

Command-line Syntax

This utility supports the following types of arguments: dash and forward slash.

note

SMAHoliday is standardized to use (US) English localization, exclusively. The utility only processes US date formats.

To override a setting in the SMAHoliday.ini file without having to modify the configuration file, you can run SMAHoliday as a command-line job. Use the following command-line syntax for the SMAHoliday.exe program:

SMAHoliday.exe -c MyCalendarName -t USA -i <INIPathAndFileName\> -d 01/01/2017

Optional Parameters

Parameter	Description
-c	This parameter specifies the CalendarName that will be updated with holidays.
-d	This parameter specifies the StartDate for this job. Use this parameter to override the StartDate in the main ini file.
-t	This parameter specifies the tag SMAHoliday.exe will include when this job runs. Only holidays with the tag specified will be processed.
-i	This parameter specifies the configuration path and ini file name to be read for this job. Use this parameter to read ini files saved in a different location or by a different name than the main ini file.
-o	This parameter is for conversion purposes only. This parameter reads the path to the configuration file from the old Holiday.exe and generates a new configuration file to be processed by SMAHoliday.exe.

Tags

Tag is an optional command-line parameter that works in conjunction with the configuration (ini) file. You must set the tag in the configuration file. Right after the rule, you need to add an equal sign then type the desired tag.

For example, d1 = usa ; 6 day workweek. When running the program, enter -t usa and the program will only read and process rules that match the tag entered in the command-line parameter, which is usa in this case.

The following is a sample configuration file for SMAHoliday.exe:

[General]
CalendarName=MyHolidays
StartDate=01/01/2015
DebugMode=ON

[FixedHolidays]
d1 =usa; 6 day workweek
d7 =usa; 5 day workweek
01/mo-3 =usa; 3rd Monday of January MLK Day
02/mo-3 =usa; 3rd Monday February Presidents Day
05/mo-l =usa; 4th Monday of May - Memorial Day (uses L versus 1 (one), can be either)
09/mo-1 =usa; 1st Monday of September - Labor Day
10/mo-2 =usa; 2nd Monday of October - Colombus day
11/th-4 =usa; 4th Thursday of November - Thanksgiving Day
Easter_Sun =usa; Easter Sunday
Easter_Monday =usa; Easter Monday
Easter_Friday =usa; Easter Friday
Whit_Sunday =fr; Pentecôte
Whit_Monday =fr; Lundi Pentecôte
Ass_Thu =fr ; Jeudi Assencion

[VariableHoliday#1]
date=05/24
condition=if outputdate == d7 then -5 || if outputdate == d1 then -6
condition=if outputdate == d3 then -1 || if outputdate == d4 then -2
condition=if outputdate == d5 then -3 || if outputdate == d6 then -4
tag=usa
InclusiveDate=No

[VariableHoliday#2]
date=07/04
condition=if outputdate == d1 then +1 || if outputdate == d7 then -1
tag=usa
InclusiveDate=No

[VariableHoliday#3]
date=12/25
condition=if outputdate == d1 then +1 || if outputdate == d7 then -1
tag=usa
InclusiveDate=No

Example ini File Template

The following is an example of a SMAHoliday.ini file:

[General]
CalendarName=MasterHoliday
StartDate=01/01/2015
DebugMode=OFF

[FixedHolidays]
d1; All Sundays
d7; All Saturdays
01/mo-3; 3rd Monday of January MLK Day
02/mo-3; 3rd Monday February Presidents Day
05/mo-l; 4th Monday of May - Memorial Day
09/mo-1; 1st Monday of September - Labor Day
10/mo-2; 2nd Monday of October - Colombus day
11/th-4; 4th Thursday of November - Thanksgiving Day

[VariableHoliday#1]
date=01/01
condition=if outputdate == d1 then +1 || if outputdate == d7 then -1
tag=
InclusiveDate=No

[VariableHoliday#2]
date=07/04
condition=if outputdate == d1 then +1 || if outputdate == d7 then -1
tag=
InclusiveDate=No

[VariableHoliday#3]
date=12/25
condition=if outputdate == d1 then +1 || if outputdate == d7 then -1
tag=
InclusiveDate=No

Exit Codes

The SMAHoliday.exe program can exit with the following codes:

Status Number	Status Description
02	Warning during holiday process.
04	The file SMAHoliday.ini is invalid or cannot be found.
06	Error setting culture settings.
07	Invalid calendar name or calendar does not exist.
08	Incorrect date format.
10	Could not connect to the database. Invalid or missing SMAODBCConfiguration.dat file.
12	Calendar not found in the database.

Exit Code Override File (E.C.O.F.)

SMAHoliday supports the Exit Code Override File (E.C.O.F.) feature for further processing and debugging by writing the exit code and a message into this file. For more information, refer to Exit Code Override File (E.C.O.F.) in the Microsoft agent online help.

Running on OpCon in Docker

To run the utility successfully in a Docker container, using the Linux agent embedded in it, keep the following things in mind:

1. When running in Docker, the Linux job needs to be set up similar to a Windows job with the same parameters.
2. The start image for the Linux job should be: dotnet /app/SMAHoliday.dll <arguments>.
3. The SMAHoliday.ini file will be located in the /app/config directory in the container, mapped to any folder on the host machine just like all other INI files.
4. Use the default OpConOnLinux agent machine (available in the container) to run the utility jobs.
5. Logs are found in /app/log/Utilities in the container

Operations

Common Tasks

• Schedule SMAHoliday.exe as an OpCon Windows job; any jobs that depend on the updated calendar dates should have a job dependency on the SMAHoliday job.
• Use the -t (tag) parameter to limit processing to rules matching a specific tag, enabling separate runs for different regions or rule sets from the same ini file.
• Use the -i parameter to specify an alternate ini file path, allowing multiple configurations to coexist on the same machine.
• When running in Docker, set the start image to dotnet /app/SMAHoliday.dll <arguments> and use the OpConOnLinux agent; the ini file is in /app/config/ inside the container.

Alerts and Log Files

• When running in Docker, logs are written to /app/log/Utilities inside the container.
• Exit code 10 indicates the SMAODBCConfiguration.dat file is missing or invalid; verify the file exists in <Target Directory>\OpConxps\MSLSAM\ and contains valid connection settings.
• Exit code 04 (ini file not found), 07 (invalid calendar name), 08 (incorrect date format), and 12 (calendar not found in database) all indicate configuration issues requiring correction before the next run.
• SMAHoliday supports the Exit Code Override File (E.C.O.F.) for further processing and debugging of exit codes.

Exception Handling

Exit code 04: SMAHoliday.ini is invalid or cannot be found — The utility cannot locate or parse the configuration file — Verify the path to SMAHoliday.ini is correct and that the file is a valid INI format; use the -i parameter to specify an alternate path if the file is in a non-default location.

Exit code 07: Invalid calendar name or calendar does not exist — The calendar name specified on the command line or in the configuration file does not match any existing calendar in the OpCon database — Confirm the calendar name is correct and that it exists in OpCon before running the utility.

Exit code 08: Incorrect date format — The date provided does not match the required US date format (MM/DD/YYYY) — SMAHoliday is standardized to US English localization and only processes US date formats; correct the StartDate or command-line date parameter to use MM/DD/YYYY format.

Exit code 10: Could not connect to the database — The SMAODBCConfiguration.dat file is missing or contains invalid connection information — Verify the SMAODBCConfiguration.dat file exists in the <Target Directory>\OpConxps\MSLSAM\ directory and contains valid server, database, and credential settings generated by the SMA Connection Configuration utility.

Exit code 12: Calendar not found in the database — The specified calendar exists by name but cannot be located during processing — Verify the calendar is properly defined and accessible in OpCon; the calendar name is case-sensitive.

FAQs

Q: What does SMAHoliday.exe do?

SMAHoliday.exe updates the OpCon database with calendar dates that represent holidays. It is installed to the <Target Directory>\OpConxps\MSLSAM\ directory and can be scheduled as an OpCon Windows job.

Q: Is SMAHoliday.exe backwards compatible with the older Holiday.exe utility?

Yes. SMAHoliday.exe accepts forward slash arguments for backwards compatibility with Holiday.exe. Continuous recommends using the dash (-) argument syntax for full utility capability.

Q: What legacy parameters does SMAHoliday support for backwards compatibility?

The legacy forward-slash parameters are /C: (calendar name), /Y: (year to process), and /S: (tag filter to match specific rules in the configuration file).

Glossary

LSAM (Local Schedule Activity Monitor): An agent installed on a target platform that runs jobs in the native language of that platform and communicates results back to SAM via SMANetCom over TCP/IP.

OpConxps: The standard installation directory name for OpCon program files, configuration files, and output data on Windows machines.

Calendar: A named collection of dates in OpCon used by schedules and frequencies to determine when automation runs or is excluded. Calendars can represent holidays, working days, or any custom date set.

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.

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.

OpCon: Continuous' workflow automation platform. The OpCon server includes the database, SAM and Supporting Services (SAM-SS), and graphical user interfaces. agents installed on target platforms run jobs and report results.