Dependency Update

The following picture shows the Dependency Properties windows and its tab options. You can click on "hot spot" areas in the pictures below to get detailed information about buttons, controls and fields.

Type

Dependency Type

You can select one of the following dependency types in the Type drop down list:

Object to Object

Use this dependency when you have a object (i.e., Operation, Step or Job) that must not start processing until another object (i.e., Operation, Step or Job) has completed. You can have multiple Object to Object dependencies by creating multiple dependencies.

File Exists

An Operation, Step or Job can have a dependency on a file with a File Exists dependency. An Operation, Step or Job can be dependent on multiple files by creating multiple dependencies.

File Watch

A File Watch dependency can be created for an Operation, Step or Job. You cannot set a File Watch dependency on an Operation, Step or Job that has been assigned a Schedule. A File Watch is a file system event that occurs when ever some type of change occurs on the file or directory you configure. An object can only exist in one File Watch dependency. If you need, for example, an Operation to exist in multiple File Watch dependencies, you must create another Operation and then create the File Watch dependency.

Object to Object

Object Type

Select the type of object the dependency is dependent on. This can be an Operation, Step or Job. The Object Type and Name listed at the top of the Dependency Properties window will not be processed by the Executive Server until the Object Type and Name selected in the Object to Object tab has completed.

Depends on object name

Identifies the name of the Operation, Step or Job that must complete before the object name listed in the dependency will be processed by the Executive Server.

Complete within

For the dependency to be satisfied, the Object listed in the Depends on Object Name field must completed within the number of minutes specified. The default value is 60 minutes meaning that the Depends on Object Name must have completed within the last hour for the dependency to be satisfied.

Timeout after

The amount of time in minutes to wait for the Object to Object dependency to be satisfied. If the dependency is not satisfied within this time period, an error condition occurs and a notification event is generated.

Continue after timeout

Indicates if the Executive Server should continue waiting for the dependency to become satisfied after the time period in the Timeout after field has been exceeded. An error condition and notification event will occur if the Timeout value is exceeded regardless of the setting for this field.

It may be necessary to setup dependencies from Object to Object. That is you can setup a dependency from any Operation, Step or Job to any other Operation, Step or Job. An Object to Object dependencies is a run-time dependency enforced by the Executive Server. If you need a dependency between Operations, you simply add the Operations to a Step. If you need a dependency between Steps, you simply add the Steps to a Job. However, there are situations, for example, where you might want to have an Operation that is run in a Step that is dependent on the successful completion of Job. Any combination of the Object to Object dependency is supported. The following table shows the supported combinations:

Object Type	Can depend on the successful completion of Object Type
Operation	Operation
Operation	Step
Operation	Job
Step	Operation
Step	Step
Step	Job
Job	Operation
Job	Step
Job	Job

File Existence Dependency

File Name

The name of a file to use for the dependency.

Parameter Selection Button

Displays the Select Parameter window. You can select a Parameter to use from this window. This window supports the drag and drop capability allowing you to drag the Parameter from the window and drop it into a field that provides support for Parameters. Only existing Parameters are displayed. To create Parameters use the Parameter Properties window.

Browse Button

Use this button to display the file dialog box where you can select a file or path. Only fixed drives that are local to the Executive Server are displayed.

Regular Expression Evaluation Button

Use this button to test a regular expression to determine if it meets your needs. This provides a convenient testing mechanism to help ensure that you are using the correct expression. This button is displayed adjacent to fields that support regular expression values.

Use Regular Expression

If selected, the value in the File Name field is treated as a regular expression when determining if the file matches any files in the location specified. If not selected, the exact path and file name must exist for the dependency to be satisfied.

Search String

Enter the value of a string that the Executive Server will search for in the File Name. If this string is found based on the regular expression, the dependency condition is satisfied.

Match Case

If selected, the match criteria will include a case sensitive match.

Condition

Identifies the condition used to test if the File Attribute meets the dependency based on the Parameter value. To set a dependency based on the existence of a file, use the >= condition.

To set a dependency base on the nonexistence of a file, use the < condition.

Value

Enter a value or select a Parameter using the adjacent button. The Executive Server will use the Value in conjunction with the File Attribute and Condition to determine if the dependency is satisfied.

Example

If you want the Date/Time to be greater than 1996-06-01 12:00AM, set File Attribute to Date/Time, Condition to > and Value to 1996-06-01.

See Parameter Properties for information about using Parameters and setting the current date and time. The current date and time can be used by using the @@DTname format (see Date and Time Parameter Formats).

Timeout after

The amount of time, in minutes, to wait for the file exists dependency to be satisfied. If the dependency is not satisfied within this time period, an error condition occurs and a notification event is generated.

Continue after timeout

You may need to setup a dependency based on the existence or non existence of a file. To do this enter the name of the File Name, File Attribute of Size/EOF, Condition of either < or > = and a Parameter. The Condition will be < (less than) to base your dependency on a file not existing and >= (greater than or equal to) to base your dependency on the existence of the file. The value of the Parameter should be set to 0. You can have an Operation, Step or Job dependent on more than one file by creating multiple dependencies.

Note: When the Operation, Step or Job is processed by the Executive Server, the dependencies are examined. If a dependency exists for a string in a file, Date/Time or a file Size/EOF >=0, the file must exist before the dependency will be satisfied.

File Watch Dependency

Folder

The location of a folder for the File Watch dependency. The path specified must be fully qualified and must contain a drive letter local to the Executive Server.

Parameter Selection Button

Browse Button

Use this button to display the file dialog box where you can select a file or path. Only fixed drives that are local to the Executive Server are displayed.

File Name

The name of a file to use for the dependency.

Recognize changes in folder's subtree

If checked, this indicates that the Executive Server should also watch for changes in any subtree of the specified folder.

Change type

The type of change to detect. An event will occur in the Executive Server based on this filtering criteria.

File name

Filter on any file name change in the folder. Changes include renaming, creating, or deleting a file name.

Folder Name

Filter on any folder name change. Changes include creating or deleting a folder.

File attribute

Filter on any attribute change in the folder.

File size

Filter on any file size change in the folder. The operating system will detect changes in file size only when the file is physically written to disk. For operating systems that use caching, detection will occur only when the cache is flushed.

File last modified time

Filter on any change to the last write time of files. The operating system will detect changes in time only when the file is physically written to disk. For operating systems that use caching, detection will occur only when the cache is flushed.

File security

Filter on any security descriptor change.

Wait (Before and After)

Before

The amount of time the Executive Server will delay before processing (Wait Before minutes) once the change has been recognized.

After

The amount of minutes the Executive Server will wait after the processing of the event has completed. The Executive Server will not begin watching again until this time period has expired.

You select one or more change types for the Executive Server to look for along with the specific type of change in the Filter on change selections.

You can specify the amount of time the Executive Server should delay before processing (Wait Before minutes) once the change has been recognized. This may be important for situations where you have a large data file and you want to wait some period of time to allow the file to become available. You can also specify the amount of minutes to wait after the processing of the event has completed. The Executive Server will not begin watching again until this time period has expired.

You may have the need to start an Operation, Step or Job whenever a change occurs in a folder (or directory). This is accomplished by checking the Recognize changes in folder's subtree capability. The object will be run by the Executive Server when it determines a change has occurred based on the attributes selected.

If the Operation, Step or Job is currently processing and another change in the directory occurs, the Executive Server will not start the object again. The object must complete before another change in the directory will cause it to run again.

The file that caused the change in the directory is available through a SmartBatch Parameter if the Parameter exits. The Parameter must be created using the Parameter Properties window. The name of the Parameter must correspond to the name of the Operation, Step or Job associated with the dependency. So, for example, an Operation named MyOperation would need a Parameter called @@MyOperationFWFileName.

You can filter on specific files or file extensions by using wildcard characters. Wildcard characters similar to the DOS (cmd prompt) DIR command can be used. Here are some example filters used in the file name:

File filter	Description
*.txt	filter on all text files
*.dat	filter on all files with the .dat extension
May*.dat	filter on all files starting with May that have the .dat extension
a???.*	filter on all files starting with an "a" followed by any three characters with any file extension

	Name
	Identifies the name of an object in the SmartBatch database. This can be up to 32 characters in any combination used to uniquely identify the object.

	Description
	The description associated with the object name. This can be up to 64 characters in any combination used to describe the object.

	Object Type
	The type of object (Operation, Step or Job) for the dependency. You can have dependencies for Operations, Steps or Jobs.

	Object Name
	The name of the object (Operation, Step or Job) that is associated with the dependency. The object will not be processed by the Executive Server until the dependency has been satisfied.