Basic Concepts

This topic describes the key parts of RunMyJobs at a high level. All of these concepts are covered in depth at the links provided.

Note: This documentation sometimes refers to "Redwood Server." Redwood Server is the server-based part of RunMyJobs, as opposed to portions of the RunMyJobs software that run inside a customer network (such as Platform Agents). In an SaaS installation, Redwood Server is the portion of the solution that runs in the cloud.

Operators

An operator is a person who works directly with RunMyJobs. When an error that requires human intervention occurs, an operator is the person who handles it.

Process Definitions

A Process Definition is like a template for a specific process you want to automate. A Process Definition includes everything RunMyJobs needs to do a particular unit of work, including input files, output directories, scheduling information, and any required credentials. For more information about Process Definitions, see About Process Definitions.

Parameters

A parameter a value that is used by a process. A parameter can be an explicit value such as a string of characters or a number, an output from a different process, or an expression. You define parameters as part of a Process Definition.

For more information about parameters, see Process Definitions: Parameters Tab.

Processes

A process is a unit of work based on a Process Definition. Redwood Server creates processes based on Process Definitions, and then executes those processes.

For more information about processes, see Processes, Chains, Process History.

Chain Definitions and Steps

A Chain Definition consists of a linked series of Steps. Steps are executed in order, from Step 1 to the last Step.

Each Step consists of one or more Process Definitions. A Step can also contain other chains. All of the Process Definitions in a single Step are executed concurrently.

By default, a Chain does not move from one Step to the next until all of the processes in that Step have finished executing. However, there are ways to customize this behavior.

For more information about chains, see About Chain Definitions.

Status Handlers

A Status Handler lets you add conditional logic to a Chain. For example, you can configure a Chain so that if a given Step has an error, execution can jump to the end and raise an error message that requires a user to respond.

Process Servers

A Process Server is the part of the RunMyJobs server component that executes a process. A Process Server typically connects with a separate system (such as a computer inside your network or an SAP instance) and performs its work there.

For more information about Process Servers, see About Process Servers.

Services

A service is a capability that can be assigned to a Process Server. For example, if you want a process to execute a job on an AS/400 system, you can add an AS400Service to that Process Server. Services can also execute SOAP and REST calls, connect with databases, send mail, and connect to systems such as Oracle and SAP.

For more information about services, see Process Server Services.

Resources

A resource is a specific thing that a computer must have in order to execute a process, such as a printer, a particular operating system, or a particular version of a software package. You can set resources on Process Definitions to make sure those Process Definitions are executed on a computer that has what they need to run.

Submitting Processes and Chains

Submitting a Process Definition or Chain Definition tells Redwood Server that you want that process or Chain to be executed. When you submit a Process Definition or Chain Definition, you can specify a wide variety of custom settings, including scheduling settings.

Queues

Queues move processes onto Process Servers. When a process is submitted, it is assigned to a Queue, and that Queue eventually executes the process on a Process Server. You can use a Queue to balance load between different Process Servers. You can also use a Queue to switch a process to a different Process Server if the target Process Server is unavailable (commonly referred to as "failing-over").

For more information about Queues, see Managing Workload with Queues, Process Servers and Queues, and About Queues.

Scheduling

Redwood Server includes a rule-based scheduling engine that allows sophisticated schedules to be easily built and maintained. There are two primary mechanisms for scheduling:

  • Time windows and submit frames: These allow unlimited, rule-based scheduling.
  • Recurrences: These are for irregular schedules.

For more information about scheduling, see Scheduling.

Events

RunMyJobs is an event-driven process automation tool. This means you can start processes (or chains) using events, rather than just having them happen at a particular time. You can trigger a variety of actions when an event is raised.

Some examples of events:

  • A process or chain completes.
  • A step or process completes.
  • A monitor exceeds a threshold, or drops below a threshold.
  • A process takes too long to complete.
  • A file raises an event.
  • You raise an event manually.

For more information about events, see Events.

Objects

In RunMyJobs, an object is basically anything you can configure. Process Definitions, chains, Process Servers, and Queues are all examples of objects. Objects can be organized into applications, imported and exported, and even edited in XML.

For more information about objects, see About Objects.

Applications

Applications are a way of grouping the different objects in the system into logical groups, according to the purpose that they serve.

You can use Applications to organize objects into logical groups. For example, you might organize the process servers, queues, process definitions and chain definitions for a decision support system into a Decision Support Application.

Applications can be exported to a CAR archive file, either manually or using the process definition named System_ExportApplication. These archives can then be imported with the System_Import_Archive process definition into other repositories. This allows for easy migration from a "Dev" or "Test" environment into a "Prod" environment.

For more information about applications, see About Applications.

Catalog

The Catalog is a part of the RunMyJobs user interface where you can download and install new software packages that let you connect to other systems, set up inbound REST services, and more. These new features are referred to as Extensions. Extensions that let you connect to other systems are called Connectors.

For more information about the Catalog, see Working with the Catalog.

SAP Systems

Redwood Server communicates with SAP Systems over a number of internal and external interfaces provided by SAP. These can be configured from a single point: "Environment > SAP".

For more information about integrating with SAP, see SAP Systems.

Frequently-Used Features

The following table lists some of the frequently used features and modules available.

Capability Description
Manage Unix/Windows/OpenVMS Workload You can schedule processes on various platforms using Platform Agents. Numerous scripting languages are supported, including CMD, VBS, and PowerShell on Windows; DCL on HP OpenVMS; and bash, ksh, and csh on UNIX. Various interpreters are supported on multiple platforms, including Perl, Python, and the UNIX shell script flavors, as long as an interpreter is installed on the target system.
Manage ERP WorkloadSAP You can submit and monitor processes on a number of ERP platforms, including SAP, Oracle Applications, Oracle Health Insurance, and PeopleSoft. Some ERP systems even allow workload interception. Each vendor is supported through a dedicated module.
Database Workload You can use the JDBC interface to schedule workload across databases. Anumber of database vendors are supported.
Mainframe Workload Two solutions are supported for mainframe JCL workload: FTP control and mainframe Platform Agents. This functionality is supported through a dedicated module.
Manage AS/400 Using a public Java library developed by IBM, you can schedule workload on AS/400 systems. This functionality is supported through a dedicated module.
Web Services You can schedule processes on third-party platforms using SOAP and REST web service interfaces and interact with Redwood Server from third-party applications using web service calls. This functionality is supported through a dedicated module and is complemented by an inbound REST component.
SAP Financial Closing Cockpit Integration You can automate closing processes to be managed by Closing Cockpit users. Requires SAP Financial Closing Cockpit from SAP. This functionality is supported through a dedicated module.
SAP Adaptive Computing You can start, stop, and relocate services in an SAP Adaptive computing environment. This functionality is supported through a dedicated module.
Component Catalog You can access a catalog of additional components to connect seamlessly with third-party systems such as SAP BTP or Azure.
File Archive You can store output in a dedicated system. This functionality requires a dedicated server.
SAP System Copy (Deprecated) You can automate SAP System-copy processes with ease and reliability. This functionality requires a dedicated server.
Working with the Catalog The Catalog contains a number of connectors that can be used to connect to additional third-party systems such as Azure, Box, and SAP S/4 HANA.