Submitting Reports and Jobs to the Batch Manager
While the majority of xTuple ERP reports and other jobs run quickly and easily, some require more time to generate. In some cases, it may make sense to submit these longer, more complex reports or jobs to the xTuple ERP Batch Manager for processing. Submitting a job or report to the Batch Manager enables you to specify when the report or job should be run. For example, you can schedule the process to run during off-peak hours, when demand for server resources is lowest.
Some reports and jobs may place a heavy load on Server resources. Not only will these reports and jobs take extra time to generate, they may also slow down performance for other users attached to the same Server.
Submitting Reports
To understand how reports are sent to the Batch Manager, consider the Inventory Module report "Time-Phased Item Usage Statistics by Item," as shown below:
Time-Phased Item Usage Statistics by Item
For details on installing and setting up the Batch Manager at your site, please see the BatchManagerGuide page.
This is a report with the potential to place a heavy load on Server resources. As you can see in the screen shot, the report is asking the Database to provide all records of Item Usage for Item Number COPY21 over the past three years. If this is a routinely used Item, the records indicating Item usage could be extensive.
So, rather than run the report immediately by selecting the PRINT button, it might be wiser to schedule the report for printing during off-peak hours. To schedule an alternate time for generating the report, select the SUBMIT button. The following screen will appear:
Submit Report to Batch Manager
When submitting a report to the Batch Manager for printing, you are presented with the following options:
Scheduled
- Specify when you would like the report to be run.
Document Name
- Displays the name of the report being submitted to the Batch Manager.
Email From
- Enter the email address of the person who is sending the email. The Batch Manager will print the report to .PDF format and then email it to the person whose email address appears in the "Response Email To" field.
Response Email To
- Enter the email address where you want the report to be sent once it has been generated and printed. The recipient will receive an email with the submitted report attached in.PDF format.
Response Body
- Enter text to be included in the body of the email sent to the recipient.
When a report or other job is submitted to the Batch Manager with a scheduled time of ASAP, the Batch Manager sets the scheduled time to the current time. However, a job will not necessarily be run immediately if it is scheduled for the current time. Any pre-existing jobs with scheduled times prior to the current time must be completed first. In other words, ASAP jobs will not necessarily be run immediately. Previously scheduled jobs will be run first.
To the far right of the screen, the following buttons are available:
CANCEL
- Closes the screen without generating a report, returning you to the application desktop.
SUBMIT
- Submits the report to the Batch Manager, using the specified parameters.
Submitting Jobs
To understand how jobs are sent to the Batch Manager, consider the P/D Module job "Update Actual Costs by Class Code," as shown below:
If you schedule an MRP or MPS job submitted to the Batch Manager to run on a periodic basis—daily, weekly, monthly—the cutoff date used for the run will automatically be updated by the number of days in the specified reschedule interval (Day = +1, Week = +7, and Month = +30).
Update Actual Costs by Class Code
For details on installing and setting up the Batch Manager at your site, please see the Batch Manager documentation available in the Downloads area of the xTuple community website.
This is a job with the potential to place a heavy load on Server resources. As you can see in the screen shot, the job is asking the Database to update all Actual Costs for all Class Codes. If there are hundreds or thousands of Items on file, the amount of work required to complete this request could be extensive.
So, rather than run the job immediately by selecting the UPDATE button, it might be wiser to schedule the job for processing during off-peak hours. To schedule an alternate time for processing the job, select the SUBMIT button. The following screen will appear:
Submit Job to Batch Manager
When submitting a job to the Batch Manager for processing, you are presented with the following options:
Action
- Displays the name of the job being submitted to the Batch Manager.
Response Email
- Enter the email address where you want notification that the job is complete to be sent once it has been completed. The recipient will receive an email letting them know the submitted job has been completed.
Scheduled
- Specify when you would like the job to be run.
When a report or other job is submitted to the Batch Manager with a scheduled time of ASAP, the Batch Manager sets the scheduled time to the current time. However, a job will not necessarily be run immediately if it is scheduled for the current time. Any pre-existing jobs with scheduled times prior to the current time must be completed first. In other words, ASAP jobs will not necessarily be run immediately. Previously scheduled jobs will be run first.
To the far right of the screen, the following buttons are available:
CANCEL
- Closes the screen without submitting the job, returning you to the application desktop.
SUBMIT
- Submits the job to the Batch Manager, using the specified parameters.