Does Impromptu Scheduler for Server exist? 2

[michelleleebrown]

Hello,

I'm using Impromptu version 7.1 MR2...I have tried out the "Scheduler" tool, but it only allows me to schedule queries on my own PC.

Is there any way to schedule a query to run on a server? I've read other posts, and they mention installing both Impromptu and Scheduler on the server to do this...is this the case? I've heard from different sources that Server Scheduler is something that Cognos used to support, but hasn't for a while.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide...
Michelle

 

[GJParker]

Michelle

As far as i am aware Cognos don't have a server scheduler and you would need to install the software on teh server as mentioned.

HTH

Gary Parker
Systems Support Analyst
Manchester, England

 

[michelleleebrown]

Thanks for the information.

Now...if we install the software on the server, how will our users access it?

I'm assuming they'd have to have access to the server, and would launch Impromptu from there, as they would on their own PCs?

I hope this isn't too stupid a question; I'm just not sure how this would work, logistically.

Any advice from anyone who has used Impromptu to schedule queries on a remote server would be appreciated.

Our organization has approximately 200 Impromptu users, and I'm estimating that up to 20 people would want to schedule queries on the server on a given evening....I'm wondering how this would be possible.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide!
Michelle

 

[drlex]

Michelle,
How proficient are your users?
One way to achieve what you want would be to put the schedule on a network disk and give users (training and) access to the scheduler only.
You'd need to schedule also a close and reopen of scheduler so that changes made during the day would have effect prior to the next day; if you have your servers on a nightly restart, this would have the same effect.
Of course, installing 200 copies of scheduler may have licence implications.
(Although the schedule is an form of access database, I wouldn't suggest that users try and alter it within access)

Otherwise, you could write and run a macro to check user requirements and runs the relevant reports. (The users would, say, open a .csv file of the available reports and mark the required ones; the macro would set and run an array of users and available reports). I think there was a recent thread on such.

lex

"Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana."

 

[GJParker]

Lex : Scheduler comes as part of Impromptu user so their really shouldn't be a licensing issue.

Michelle

You need to make a couple of decisions,

You can install scheduler on a network disc as lex mentions, but do you really want 20 or more individuals having access to Add/Amend/Delete their own (and other peoples) schedules.

install scheduler on the user PC's and let them schedule their own reports to run on the local PC.

Their are considerations for both of these options :

Server

Central administration of all scheduled reports
limited connections to database
all schedules accessable to all users

Local PC

No central control of report scheduling
possibility of multiple database requests for reports at same time.
Users responsible for their own reports and scheduling.

You know your situation best and will have to make these decisions considering network, databse , users etc.

HTH


Gary Parker
Systems Support Analyst
Manchester, England

 

[michelleleebrown]

Thanks for the information...it's much appreciated.

All of our users have access to Scheduler on their own PCs...we're pursuing the server option so that users can run queries overnight -- their own personal PCs have to be shut down each night, which prevents them from running long queries (some often run for 24+ hours).

We'll try installing Impromptu on our server, and will have to make sure people completely understand how to use it so that they don't end up deleting other user's queries...

Thanks again,
Michelle

 

[nagrajm]

Michelle

Shop around for third party schedulars which have lot more features and can be installed on a server.

We have, for example used apps like TechScheduler and Tivoli Maestro to schedule daily loads and report runs.

HTH