Processes and Chains
Processes and chains lie at the core of RunMyJobs. They are the way in which you automate work.
Processes and Process Definitions
Processes can be submitted by users, as the result of a particular event (for instance, the arrival of a file in a directory, or a trigger in a remote system), or based on a business schedule. Every process is based on a Process Definitions, which is like a template for a process execution.
To create a process, you submit a Process Definition. Submitting a Process Definition allows you to specify values for the parameters, creating a process. Each process can then be monitored throughout its life-cycle: from being submitted, to running, to finishing (either in a COMPLETED or ERROR state), to finally being deleted. The Process Definition approach means that you can have as many processes running as you need, rather than having to create new processes as business needs change.
Custom Process Definitions with complex parameters can be written that are re-used for different tasks. Consider file transfer as an example; when there are only one or two files to be transferred, then writing a Chain for each file transfer that contains all the commands to transfer the file (including the file name) might be sufficient. When there are dozens (or even hundreds) of files, a better approach is needed.
In RunMyJobs, this could be handled by creating a Process Definition called Transfer File that has four parameters:
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System to transfer from
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Directory to transfer from
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System to transfer to
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Directory to transfer to
This would allow operators to easily add new file transfers to the schedule, and clearly see the files being transferred (and the systems involved) in the process monitor. If some improvement was made to the transfer process (for example, using secure FTP instead of FTP), this change could easily be made by changing the Process Definition. If a mistake is made, this can be fixed by changing the parameters of the process (through the Process Monitor), rather than editing the Process Definition itself.
Note: FTP support requires the Platform Module, which allows you to schedule programs on remote UNIX, HP OpenVMS, and Windows servers.
Chains and Chain Definitions
A Chain Definition is a sequence of Process Definitions that is configured to execute in a particular order. A Chain can be as short and simple as a line of ABAP code that runs on a single system, or as complex as a multi-day mass activity that runs across dozens of machines. Chains let you address complex Process Definition dependencies. For example, Steps and processes can be restarted when a process fails.