Hi,

My client has a custom process for running ETLs, various DW jobs, checking refresh statuses, and restarting services if required. They do use Report Caster, but only as one part of the overall process of updating their data warehouse.

We have a built a staging process to load weekly chunks of measure data into PMF-ready format. This piece will slot in very well to the custom refresh process.

The measure by measure scheduling in PMF using RC might be a bit of an issue. It has no awareness of the flags they have set to indicate the latest data is ready to be used. There is also an issue about if the data refresh goes quickly, PMF won't run the job sooner than it's scheduled, even if the data is ready.

So... long story, short question: Is is possible to trigger a PMF load from outside PMF?

Cheers,

Joey

Here is an opinion of how it could be done:

From what I have seen the measure loader scheduler invokes the Report Caster interface , the traditional one with all the tabs. The customer may have a process with its DW process that updates a flag in a MSSQL table. Webfocus can read that flag via a pre-procedure in Report Caster. We can then set the &&KILL_RPC flag in order to run the schedule or not.

This could be an option with multiple time intervals or schedules.

Regards,Merci

Hi,
(the client) Actually the flags are files that are created and deleted for each process during the datawarehouse refresh and laod. Not actual flags in a database.
Amanda

It is certainly possible to schedule loads without ReportCaster but this process of course requires work. With Caster it requires no work of course.

• MEAS_LOADER_SCHED - measure loader schedule interface. Call the FOCEXEC passing measure number for the measure series you want to load. You can get the measure series number by doing a lookup on measure name.
  
• DIM_LOADER_SCHED - dimension loader schedule interface. Call the FOCEXEC passing dimension code (single letter code).
  

Note that specifics of calling into the WebFOCUS server to run a procedure from an OS shell depend on the platform, and can be found in the standard WebFOCUS documentation.

Hope this gets you on the right track.

Hi,

Thanx for the feedback. Ideally we want to use Caster completely and not need to do extra work.
Current status is for every existing measure we load it into PMF three times.

So if their are 30 measures, and we schedule each loadable measure, that would be 90 schedules. We obviously do not want to do that.

We are looking at having one schedule called over and over again with different parameters.
An alternativve would be to incorporate code to the existing ETL process as a parameterized step.

I will keep everyone posted of our final solutions.

Thanx.

I created a prototype to load measure via a fex outside of Caster.
At a High Level this is what it does.

I capture the measure series via the PMF_MEAS_SRC table.

Once I have the id I pass it as a parameter to the MEAS_LOADER_SCHED focezec. It will load the fex with the load characteristics in place.

I have done this succesfully for a test measure. I will try and load several or all measure of my deployment calling the same fex within a Loop and passing different parameters.

Will keep all posted.

Merci

A plus tard. John

Dimension Section...

I ran into an issue with the load of the dimension when I try to load a dimension from a focexec I get the following error.

Compilation failed for called Procedure: DIM_LOADER.

When I try to schedule a PMF schedule I get the following error in the Report Caster Log.

Starting worker thread
Starting task: Task for Schedule
Task type: EDA RPC
Procedure name: DIM_LOADER_SCHED
Connecting to server EDASERVE with execution id admin
Executing focexec.
About to run Dimension Loader for Dimension Type: H
Compilation failed for called Procedure: DIM_LOADER.

Measure Section.

I am able to schedule a measure load with RCaster within PMF with Success.

We will need some assistance for the Dimension Section.
Should we open a case on this ?

Merci , John

If you're running outside caster, you're sort of working in a way we don't code for or test. You should be able to get it to work but the scheduler must call into IBI software in a compliant way.

PMF load jobs called from Caster also take into account the APP PATH as set on the server (e.g., you should call into the WebFOCUS server the way the WebFOCUS Client does), and you have to make sure to pass the proper parameters to the job. The dimension code, an uppercase letter, must be passed as a parameter to the loader FOCEXEC. Also, the execution ID "admin" might not be enabled for PMF... remember, PMF is a secure environment and the user ID must be enabled as a PMF admin within PMF authorization (Owners); IBI/MR special IDs like "admin" don't grant you any special rights in PMF.

Presently I am trying to isolate this with PMF.
I am scheduling Loads with the Schedule button in PMF.
If I schedule a measure with the PMF button it works
If I scheduled a dimension with the PMF button it fails.


They both use the same execution id.
The App Path is the same.

I am trying to see anything that is different between these two processes in terms of environment settings.

You mention that "If I scheduled a dimension with the PMF button it fails." Which part is failing, the load, or the creation of the schedule? What is the error you are getting?

The Creation of the schedule is fine.



The load is failing.
This is the Caster log

Starting worker thread
Starting task: Task for Schedule
Task type: EDA RPC
Procedure name: DIM_LOADER_SCHED
Connecting to server EDASERVE with execution id admin
Executing focexec.
About to run Dimension Loader for Dimension Type: H
Compilation failed for called Procedure: DIM_LOADER.



Note * I can manually load a dimension in PMF.

Regards,John

Compilation failed implies a maintain error.

You can manually load a dimension but can you manually load the *H* Dimension?

Is there anything special about the *H* dimension... any prefix code being used, etc.? Any temp tables being built for it?

Is Caster running the same exact maintain environment as you are running while you're in PMF?

If we don't get indications from the answers to these questions you'll need to go to CSS and open a case and let them get into serious debugging. It sounds like a discrepancy between the environment Caster runs in, and the one live WebFOCUS runs in... but that's a guess without further info.

Hi,

I don't understand the *H* dimension question?

We have three dimension here and they load fine when clicking on the load button within PMF.

I opened a case with CSS and uploaded trace files as well as a screen shot of the compilation error.

Our regional SE will be onsite on Thursday to investigate . I will keep you up to date as the process continues.

Thanx

The "H question" referred to the information from the Schedule trace: "About to run Dimension Loader for Dimension Type: H". The DImension type (single letter code for the dimension) is coming over as "H".

We'll also have a look at the case...

Hi,

I am continuing on malapejohn footsteps BUT i would like to make it work through RC. Right now, when we schedule a Dimension load in PMF with the Schedule button, then go into RC, the job is created and calls DIM_LOADER_SCHED. When the job runs, the process hangs at MODIFY and we have to kill the job. In PMF, if we use the LOAD button, it works out fine.

Back in RC, if we open the job and open up the task, we cannot click on ADVANCED... given us an error that it cannot find the fex. I think it's normal because for the MEAS_LOADER_SCHED, it does the same thing but yet it works.

So, my understanding after some research, the DIM_LOADER_SCHED calls PMF_DIM_LDR_LOAD which the LOAD button in PMF also seems to call. The DIM_LOADER_SCHED seems to set some parameters that PMF doesn't need to prior to calling PMF_DIM_LDR_LOAD. In DIM_LOADER_SCHED, if I comment out the INCLUDE PMF_DIM_LDR_LOAD, i can open the ADVANCED button in RC for DIM_LOADER_SCHED, which tells me, something in PMF_DIM_LDR_LOAD is not permitting RC to open the parameters (ADVANCED) list.

So, next, we tried calling the DIM_LOADER_SCHED from a command dos with edastart.bat -x "DIM_LOADER_SCHED" R which seems to run but does a loop back at the end, and no changes were seen for the dimension in PMF.

Going through the mainstreet app folder, I found a few fexes like DIM_LOADER, DIM_LOADER_LOAD and our DIM_LOADER_SCHED (also PMF_DIM_LDR_LOAD). What are the differences between these except for PMF_DIM_LDR_LOAD?

Also, you have any tips for making the DIM_LOADER_SCHED work in RC? Where should I go to see logs or detail but the problem is that it hangs, so I doubt it will be useful.

Thank you for reading,