If you have to comply with Service Level Agreements, check this out!

When you are doing the day-to-day management of your batch processes—especially if you need to comply with Service Level Agreements (SLAs)—the new job monitors in Robot/SCHEDULE 10.0 can be very helpful. They can help answer questions such as:

• Did Job A complete on time?
• Did Job B complete too quickly?
• Did Job C start later than the forecasted start time?

You don’t need to use job monitors on every job. That would be overkill. But, you should use them for your critical jobs.

Setting up job monitors
When you set up the job monitors for a job, you specify the monitoring criteria (job overrun, job underrun, or late start). These options are independent of one another: you can use one, two, or all three. You also specify what Robot/SCHEDULE should do if it identifies a job monitor event. Robot/SCHEDULE can end a job or notify you by sending a message to the job’s message queue; sending a text, e-mail, or pager message via Robot/ALERT; or by sending a status message to the Robot/NETWORK Status Center.

When a monitored job reaches one or more of the criteria defined on the Job Monitors tab, Robot/SCHEDULE takes the specified action and enters a record in the job monitor event log. You can display this log from the Robot/SCHEDULE Explorer toolbar.

The Job Monitor Events Report lists all monitored events that have occurred on the system. You can specify whether to purge the job monitor log automatically, and how many job monitor events to retain in the log, on the General System Defaults window.

The Job Overrun monitor
The Job Overrun monitor detects jobs that run longer than their specified maximum duration, or complete later than a specified time of day. If the job does not meet the duration or completion time, the notification process begins. This type of check is ideal for long-running processes, such as backups or end-of-month processing. It is also good for processes that must complete by a specified time to avoid SLA penalties. For instance, your SLA may require data to be uploaded to the customer’s Web site by a specified time or you will incur a fine.

The Job Underrun monitor
The Job Underrun monitor detects jobs that complete in less than a specified minimum run time. This monitor is designed to be used with applications that rely on data that is sent to the System i from another server. If the data does not arrive on time, the files are empty. When the Robot/SCHEDULE job starts the application, it runs with great performance, but terrible results. Applications that perform data polling are notorious for this type of problem.

The Late Start monitor
The Late Start monitor detects jobs that start later than their scheduled run time by the amount of time you specify, or that start later than a specified time of day. This monitor is designed to notify you if a job has not started within the time parameters you specified. The “must start by” option is not valid for EVERY-type jobs.

Note: The Late Start monitor uses the *INTERNAL forecast to identify jobs that start later than their scheduled run time. If you add a job for which you want to specify a Late Start job monitor, the job must be included in a build of the *INTERNAL forecast to be monitored.

Effect on “dummy” jobs
To achieve similar results in earlier versions of Robot/SCHEDULE, you might have created “dummy” jobs that ran only if an important job did not finish on time. You can continue to use this approach in Robot/SCHEDULE 10.0, but we think you’ll find job monitors better and easier to implement.

Note: If you have been using the Help/FACTS, “Using the Robot Automated Operation Solution to Meet Service Level Agreements,” you’ll find that job monitors offer more options after you convert to Robot/SCHEDULE 10.0.

Contributed by Tom Huntington, Vice President of Technical Services

Teach Robot/CONSOLE and Robot/ALERT how to handle messages

If you are a new user of Robot/CONSOLE and Robot/ALERT, you may be wondering how to get started. After you’ve installed the products, what’s next?

Typically, new users want to start by creating a Robot/CONSOLE message center to monitor the QSYSOPR message queue. To do this, we recommend you use Robot/GUIDE, the automated setup option. (Refer to the Robot/CONSOLE Getting Started manual for complete information on using Robot/GUIDE.)

Robot/GUIDE creates two operator message centers for the QSYSOPR message queue, creates message sets for messages to be suppressed or messages that can be answered with the same reply every time, and allows you to set up log and resource monitoring. You can have Robot/CONSOLE handling your messages and monitoring your system logs and resources in minutes.

Note: If you didn’t run the RBCCRTMFD command during installation, you must run it before starting Robot/GUIDE. This command creates the message file definitions Robot/CONSOLE needs to create message sets. Robot/GUIDE requires the same security authorities as those used to install Robot/CONSOLE.

For Robot/ALERT, the first thing you must decide is how you will be sending notifications from the System i—by modem or by using TCP/IP. If you plan to use a modem, you need specific information about setting up the modem from your cell phone or pager service provider. If you plan to use TCP/IP, you need to know the domain name and IP address of the e-mail server you will use to send messages to the e-mail address associated with your pager or cell phone. (Refer to the Robot/ALERT 5.0 User Guide’s TCP/IP Paging Services questionnaire for more information.)

After you set up Robot/ALERT and send and receive a test message, go back to the QSYSOPR message center and tell Robot/CONSOLE to notify you of response-required messages. Robot/CONSOLE can notify you via a pop-up window on a System i session (if you are logged on). Or, you can associate a Robot/ALERT device (pager, cell phone, or other e-mail address) with your message center and receive unanswered messages via Robot/ALERT. You can specify how long Robot/CONSOLE should wait to notify you. This allows you to track QSYSOPR messages without being tied to a monitor.

If you are using Robot/ALERT, it is a good idea to have it page you for all response-required messages initially. This allows you to note the message IDs you want to handle differently. Then, create message sets for those message IDs. In addition, if an unexpected critical message comes through, you won’t miss it!

Using the Most Common Messages report
Robot/CONSOLE also provides another useful tool, The Most Common Messages Report. Use this report to identify which messages occur most frequently on any message queue that you monitor. To analyze the report:

• Look for messages that can be answered the same way each time and create a message set to accomplish this.
• Look for messages that don’t require immediate attention. Create a message set to redirect these messages to a message center that doesn’t notify you, or send messages using Robot/ALERT.
• Look for messages that require a response, but aren’t urgent. Create a message table for these. Then, create a new message center. You could set up this message center to use Robot/ALERT to send messages to an e-mail address that is monitored periodically. Finally, create a message set, selecting Message Table for the message set type. Press function key 10 until the OPerator Assistance Language panel displays. Specify the operation REDIRECT and enter the new message center in the Operation Values field to complete the setup.

Populating message tables automatically
Robot/CONSOLE can help you populate your message tables.

1. Display the Message Table Elements panel and press function key 6 (Add Query).
2. Enter a search term.
3. Robot/CONSOLE will populate the table with all the message IDs that contain your search term.

Review this list and add or delete message IDs to tailor it for your environment. For example, use this approach to create a table of all printer messages.

If you don’t want to see certain messages, use Robot/CONSOLE to suppress them. If you ran Robot/GUIDE, you already have a message set and message table called MSTSUPPRES. This table contains message IDs for informational messages that users typically do not need to see. Once you are satisfied that this table contains the message IDs you want to suppress, activate the MSTSUPPRES message set.

Setting up two-way messaging
If your want to answer messages from your pager, cell phone, PDA, or another e-mail address that can send a reply to the e-mail from Robot/ALERT, set up Robot/ALERT for two-way messaging. You need a POP3 mail account on your e-mail server (or on another e-mail server, such as one at your ISP). You also need to know the POP3 server’s domain name and IP address, and information about the POP3 account: login ID, password, and e-mail address.

Go to the Robot/ALERT Directory menu and select Option 1 (Vendor Maintenance Menu). On the Vendor Maintenance Menu, select Option 1. Create your vendor using Robot/GUIDE. On the Robot/GUIDE Automated Vendor Setup panels, make sure you:

1. Give your vendor a unique name. (Don’t delete existing vendors or your devices will be deleted.)
2. Select TCP/IP (1) for Connection Type.
3. Select two-way (2) for Service Type.
4. Select SMTPPOP3.
5. Enter the information for the outbound e-mail server
6. Enter the information for the inbound server.
7. After the vendor is created, enter a 1 to create a device.

Verify that you can send a message and receive a response. Then, you can begin using this new device on your Robot/CONSOLE message centers. When you respond to a message, Robot/ALERT recognizes the reply in the POP3 account and gives it to Robot/CONSOLE. You’ve answered the message without having to dial in!

Contributed by Theresa Aleckson, Technical Consultant

Although SEQUEL executive dashboards are most commonly used to track business indicators, they also can display operations data to help you streamline and improve your System i operations. In fact, a SEQUEL executive dashboard could be a crucial tool if you must comply with Service Level Agreements (SLAs). This article describes how key performance indicators stored in the database files the Robot products maintain can be incorporated into SEQUEL executive dashboards.

Manage job schedules and batch jobs
The sample Robot/SCHEDULE dashboard (below) displays metrics to help you evaluate job scheduling and batch management. It can help you answer many interesting operations questions.

* How automated are the batch jobs on my system? The pie chart (1) and a corresponding list (2) show how many batch jobs are submitted by users compared to how many batch jobs are submitted by Robot/SCHEDULE. You can use this information to judge your progress on automating batch job management. You can drill-down from either of these objects to see which users are submitting their own jobs.

* Are my Robot/SCHEDULE jobs completing successfully? Table 3 and pie chart 4 give you information about the completion status of Robot/SCHEDULE jobs, including normal completion (Complete), abnormal end (Terminated), setup errors (Error Setup), warnings (Warning), and jobs that were skipped because of OPAL programs attached to the job (Skip OPAL).

* What’s happening with my long-running jobs? Jobs with an average run duration of more than 30 minutes are summarized in table 5. This table averages job runs over the past 30 days.

* Have there been any warning events in the last week? Table 6 summarizes warning events over the last seven days, with information on job name, number of events, and message text. A date object or a calendar that is expiring would display.

* How are my jobs set up? Table 7 and graph 8 break out jobs by types including jobs that are on hold, group jobs, reactive jobs, and other (primarily jobs scheduled by date and time). This information gives you an idea of the overall makeup of your schedule. In general, a schedule with a higher percentage of group and reactive jobs is more automated.

Track important message statistics
The Robot/CONSOLE dashboard (below) summarizes a variety of message statistics.

* What volume of messages does the QSYSOPR message queue handle? Table 1 and graph 2 show the number of messages QSYSOPR receives each day.

* How many messages do other monitored queues receive? Table 3 displays a count of messages for each monitored queue. If a queue has an extremely high number of messages, it may indicate a problem. You can drill down into the data to determine the root of the problem.

* What is the message count by message severity? Graph 4 displays summary totals for each message severity level on the QSYSOPR message queue.

* What are the most common message IDs on my system? Are these automated? The Message ID Count summary table (5) shows how many times each message ID was received, along with message text. Messages with a blank message set field indicate common message IDs that have not been set up in Robot/CONSOLE and present automation opportunities.

* How quickly are messages being answered? The Average Response Time summary (6) shows the average response time for the first shift. If it is above the acceptable limit, you should take corrective action.

Design your own Robot dashboards
These are just a few examples of how you can use SEQUEL to create operations dashboards. There are many other possibilities. For example, you could create a different Robot/CONSOLE operations dashboard to identify security errors and resource issues. Or, you might create a Robot/SAVE dashboard to monitor your backup operations.

Dashboards can include almost any imaginable statistic and formatting. They’re easy to customize according to your needs. If you have

SEQUEL and at least one Robot product, you can start tracking your operations metrics right away. Contact SEQUEL Technical Support at 952-933-0609 to request a save file that contains the SEQUEL objects shown in this article.

Makes it easier to learn, use, and manage the product

Robot/SCHEDULE 10 introduces a new graphical user interface (GUI). Although most users are comfortable with Robot/SCHEDULE’s traditional green screens, there are a lot of great reasons to try the new GUI. These fall into two main categories: overall ease of use and new features available exclusively through the GUI.

Ease of use
* Data organization. The Robot/SCHEDULE Explorer tree lets you see jobs organized by application or group job.

* Navigation. The menu system is always available as is the Tree View in the Explorer window. And, when you are working with a Robot/SCHEDULE job, you are just one click away from all its properties. If all the properties do not all fit on one screen, they are available on tabs. This makes it easier to look at control options, output options, reactivity, exception scheduling, and so on.

* Filters. Robot/SCHEDULE 10 lets you use filters to narrow long lists down to the exact data that you are seeking. Filters can be saved and reused. If you want to pay special attention to jobs in the accounting application that start with a J, you can easily set up a filter that incorporates both of these criteria.

* Pop-up menus. The right-click pop-up menus spell out—in plain English—actions and functions. You don’t have remember if the Print Job function on the Job Schedule List is option 13 or 14.

* QuickView. The QuickView section of the Explorer window shows you a summary of information contained in the currently selected object without making you open a properties dialog.

* Saved customizations. Many windows in the Robot/SCHEDULE 10 GUI save not only their size and position, but also the size and position of table columns.

* Multiple windows. You can have multiple instances of the same window (for example, Job Completion History) open at the same time, with each window having a different filter.

* Sorting. Many tables allow you to choose which column Robot/SCHEDULE should use to sort the table. Robot/SCHEDULE also uses a type-ahead algorithm to make positioning to an item in a list as quick and easy as possible.

Features available only through the GUI
Robot/SCHEDULE 10 provides a number of features that are available only through the GUI.

* Command sets. Command sets allow you to share a set of commands among jobs without entering them for each job.

* Schedule Activity Monitor (SAM). SAM is a configurable window that lets you see the state of Robot/SCHEDULE directly. This window combines aspects of Job Forecasting and Job Completion History to show you jobs that are going to run, jobs that are currently running, and jobs that have completed. If you are responsible for the daily operation of Robot/SCHEDULE and have to track this information, you will love this!

* Blueprint. The new job blueprint feature lets you visually inspect your jobs and the interactions between them. If you used the “Export to Visio” feature in Version 9, this is a much improved area. The blueprint is built into the GUI (so you no longer need Visio), and the job representations are cross-linked to useful functions like Schedule Override Codes and Job Properties. If you are managing the schedule and are concerned about dependencies and relationships, this will be an important feature for you.

* Export/Import. You can export Jobs and Scheduling Objects to XML files on your PC. You can then switch to a different system (or partition) and import these files. It’s a new way to move jobs between systems/partitions. It is especially useful if you haven’t implemented Robot/NETWORK on your systems. Plus, if an object refers to other objects (such as a Job that refers to a Calendar or a Job Environment), you can choose to export all of these objects at once.

* Wizard. The Job Creation Wizard presents the necessary job settings in a logical order and explains each step of the process. If you are a new user (or have a new person starting on your team), this is a great way to start learning the important features of Robot/SCHEDULE.

* Audit Log Viewer. The Audit Log Viewer lets you more easily respond to your SOX auditor’s requests. The Viewer lets you sort and filter auditing data dynamically.

* Host Mode. Host Mode lets you manage all the Robot/SCHEDULE environments on each node from the Robot/SCHEDULE GUI connected to your Robot/NETWORK host (this requires Robot/NETWORK 10). In host mode, you can maintain the Robot/SCHEDULE product master, drill down to maintain your Robot/SCHEDULE data on the node system, print consolidated reports, or use the Send To Wizard to copy a job from one system to another (or to send a packet).

Contributed by Matt Bresnan, Software Development Manager

Track your top business metrics in a graphical display

Are your executives and managers asking you to present System i data in a compelling, graphical format? SEQUEL addresses this challenge, not only with its graphical query and reporting capabilities, but also with its executive dashboards. This article explains how you can set up SEQUEL executive dashboards that present key business metrics simply by clicking on an icon or at PC startup.

Dashboards are easy to set up, even for non-technical end users. To start the design process, select File > New > SEQUEL Dashboard to display a blank dashboard palette. Click the Insert option and select an object from the drop-down menu to add it to your dashboard. An additional prompt window allows you to browse and select objects. Once the object is inserted, you can drag it to the desired location. Here’s a look at some of the objects you can insert.

Customized company graphics
You can customize your dashboard by including your company logo or other graphics. In our Help/Express example shown at left, a company banner (A) runs across the top of the display and a photo of a carbon-fiber panel (K) is used as the background image for the dashboard.

Tip: If your dashboard will be used by multiple users, save the graphic files to a network location that’s accessible to all.

SEQUEL objects
You can add SEQUEL objects to your dashboard. Our example includes a SEQUEL view result window (E) and three additional SEQUEL graphs (F through H). Drill-down analysis actions are available for any

SEQUEL object you include. When you add a SEQUEL object, a SEQUEL prompt allows you to browse libraries on your System i and select objects. If you want to include a SEQUEL graph, select the view first and then design the graph.

Tip: You can display a graph without the view results window. To do this, first save the dashboard. When its icon appears on your desktop, right-click it and choose the Edit option from the menu to display the VPT source code in Notepad. Locate the view you are graphing. In our example, it is the DDREGON view. To hide the results, change the Hidden parameter to “Y”.

Action buttons
You can add action buttons that run other applications (in separate windows) to your dashboard. The action buttons in column B run the company’s core software applications. The action buttons in column C run common desktop applications. When you select the Insert > Action Button option, a window displays that allows you to specify the text, font, and color for the action button, as well as the directory and file name of the executable program.

Tip: To determine an application directory/file location, right-click its existing icon on your desktop and select Properties to view its attributes. Highlight and copy the Target location, then paste this value into the Action field within the Action button formatting window.

Text fields
You can add text fields to your dashboard. Like action buttons, text fields allow you to specify font, color, and background color for the text you want to include. (Our example doesn’t include a text field.)

Windows applications
You also can run other Windows applications within the dashboard. In our example, we used the Insert > Windows Object option to include a graphical clock application (D).

Browser windows
You also can run browser windows within the dashboard. The Help/Express example contains a Web page that shows local weather conditions (I) and a custom Web page (J) that runs a SEQUEL Web Interface request showing real-time truck locations in a Google map.

SEQUEL executive dashboards are a great way to show important, actionable business metrics in a compelling graphical format. And, they’re easy to set up, too!

I am using Robot/NETWORK to centralize the management of the partitions of a single partitioned system. Can I implement this configuration using a virtual LAN?
Yes, this configuration is ideally suited to using the virtual LAN. With a virtual LAN, you don’t need additional hardware and it’s faster.

If you plan to connect this system to other systems (multiple physical systems) using Robot/NETWORK, you must use Ethernet connections throughout. You can’t use a combination of virtual LAN and Ethernet.

When we did a restricted state backup over the weekend, we put Robot/ALERT on hold. When the system was restarted, Robot/ALERT moved from HELD to INACTIVE and stayed there. As a result, we missed a pager message. How can we prevent this from happening again?
When you execute a restricted state backup, we recommend that you end all the Robot products by executing the RSLSHUTDWN command. This command puts Robot/ALERT on hold, ends all active Robot products, and ends the RBTSLEEPER subsystem. After the restricted state ends, restart the RBTSLEEPER subsystem. Robot/ALERT releases itself and becomes ACTIVE automatically.

To be sure that Robot/ALERT has returned to ACTIVE status, incorporate the RBASNDMSG command in your start up program. This pager message will inform you that the restricted state backup has completed and Robot/ALERT is active.

I use the SEQUEL Web Interface (SWI). I want to format the HTML results so they look like my company’s Web site. How would I go about this?
Depending on your knowledge of HTML, you can format the output of the results pages almost any way you want. The SWI library contains two default source members, HEADER and FOOTER, that control the results page layout. The default HEADER member contains a company logo and other formatting, plus a number of cascading style sheet (CSS) entries that control the appearance of the results table section. You can modify the font size, style, colors, and other attributes used in the results to suit your preferences.