Named Times in JAMS

With Named Times, you can define flexible windows of time when Jobs are allowed to run. The Named Time can be referenced in the Schedule for one or more Jobs to give you more control over when Jobs can run. You can also configure the Schedule to send an alert if the Job runs outside the specified window. See Prerequisite Elements for additional information.

  • Names Times let you do the following:
  • Prevent Jobs from executing until their scheduled window is enabled and open.
  • Take various actions when a Job’s window closes before the Job completes. These are specified as Missed Actions.
  • Limit when manually submitted Jobs are allowed to run.
  • Prevent manual Job submissions from running during periods when other Jobs use significant system resources.

Named Time Definitions screen

The Named Time Definitions screen displays all Named Times that have been configured. Each Named Time displays the following:

  • Time Name - The name of the Named Time.
  • Enabled – The status of the Named Time. If it is enabled, the time window is open for the Schedule to use it. If the Named Time is referenced in multiple Jobs, the window is open for all of them.
  • Start Time – The starting time for the Named Time.
  • End Time – The end time for the Named Time.
  • Description - Optional. A brief description of the Named Time.

You can add additional columns by using the Column Chooser. Right-click a column heading, and select Column Chooser.

Viewing All Named Times

  1. Click Times from the Shortcuts menu.
  2. Click a column header to sort the list of Named Times.

Adding a Named Time Definition

  1. Click Times from the Shortcuts menu.
  2. Click +.
  3. In the Named Time Name field, enter a name.
  4. In the Start Time field, enter the time the Named Time window will open.
  5. In the Automatically Enable field, select or clear the checkbox to allow the Named Time to be enabled at the specified start time.
  6. In the End time field, select the time the Named Time window will close.
  7. In the Automatically Disable field, select or clear the checkbox to allow the Named Time to be disabled at the specified end time.
  8. Click Ok.
  9. Click Save and Close.

Adding a Time Window to a Job or Folder

After you add a Named Time, you can add a time window to a Job or Folder and reference the Named Time to control when Jobs can run.

  1. Click Definitions from the Shortcuts menu.
  2. Right-click the desired Job or Folder, and select Properties.
  3. Select the Schedule tab.
  4. Click +.
  5. Select This Job depends on a | time window.
  6. In the Missed Window Action field, select an action for the Job when the time window is closed.
  7. In the Schedule Window field, select the Named Time.
    NOTE: When using a Named Time on a time window, leave Schedule From Time and Schedule to Time blank.
  8. Click Finish.
  9. Click Save and Close.

Missed Window Actions

To understand how Jobs will behave when using a time window, review each Missed Window Action below.

  • No Action: If you manually or automatically submit a Job that has No Action selected, the Job will start based on the submitted time. If a Schedule window has been set and you manually submit the Job, a message will be displayed on the Submit dialog to display the current Schedule window time range. A No Action Job will run to completion, even if the Schedule window closes.
  • Continue: The Job does not start until the Schedule window opens and continues running to completion, even if the Schedule window closes. There is no rescheduling option.
  • Abort or Delete: The Job does not start until the Schedule window opens and is deleted or aborted if the window closes before the Job is completed.
  • Reschedule or Continue: The Job does not start until the Schedule window opens. If the Job does not start by the time the window closes, it is rescheduled for the next time the window opens. If the Job does start, this action allows the Job to continue to completion even if the window closes.
  • Restart or Reschedule: The Job does not start until the Schedule window opens. If the Job has not completed by the time the window closes, the Job is forced to abort, and is rescheduled to run the next time the window opens.

Modifying a Named Time

You can modify the properties of a Named Time, including its name, description, and start/end time. You can also set it to be automatically enabled or disabled at the designated start and end times.

  1. Click Times from the Shortcuts menu.
  2. Right-click a Named Time, and select Properties.
  3. Click the Named Time tab to do the following:
    1. Change the name.
    2. Change the description.
  4. Click the Times tab to do the following:
    1. Change the start time for the time window.
    2. Automatically enable the time window.
    3. Change the end time.
    4. Automatically disable the time window.
    5. Manually enable or disable the time window.
  5. Click Save and Close.

Deleting a Named Time

You can delete a Named Time if it is no longer being used. Before deleting a Named Time, ensure all Jobs and Folders that currently use it have been updated to remove references to it. To view where the Named Time is referenced, double-click the Named Time and select the References tab.

  1. Click Times from the Shortcuts menu.
  2. Right-click the Named Time, and select Delete.
  3. When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.

Manually Enabling or Disabling a Named Time

When you add a Named Time, you can specify in the properties if it will be automatically enabled or disabled at the specified time. For more control, you can manually enable or disable a Named Time.

If the Named Time is enabled and is then manually disabled, Jobs will behave according to their Missed Window Action. If the Named Time is disabled and then manually enabled, Jobs waiting for it to be enabled will be allowed to execute.

  1. Click Times from the Shortcuts menu.
  2. Right-click the Named Time, and select Enable or Disable.
  3. When prompted, click OK.
  4. Click the Refresh button to view the updated state in the Enabled column.

Named Time Definition Properties

The Named Time Properties are divided into three tabs.

Named Time Tab Description
Name This property is the unique identifier for the Named Time.
Description This optional property appears in menus, lists, and reports and provides a more detailed explanation for the Named Time.
Last Changed This property displays the user (username) who last modified the Named Time along with the date and time of the modification.
Times Tab Description
Start Time Enter the time of day the Named Time is scheduled to begin.
Automatically Enable If this checkbox is selected, JAMS automatically enables the Named Time at its specified Start Time. When this checkbox is cleared, the Named Time remains disabled until it is manually enabled.
End Time Enter the time of day the Named Time is scheduled to end.
Automatically Disable If this checkbox is selected, JAMS automatically disables the Named Time at its specified End Time. When this checkbox is cleared, the Named Time remains enabled until it is manually disabled.
Last Time Window was Automatically Enabled or Disabled This property displays the last date and time when the Named Time was automatically enabled or disabled.
Currently Enabled? If the Named Time is enabled, use the Disable button to manually disable it. If the Named Time is disabled, use the Enable button to manually enable it.
References TabDescription
ReferencesThe References tab lets you view where the Named Time is referenced in JAMS.

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