Job Configuration
This section explains how to configure a job in FlowForce Server. Job configuration includes the following procedures, some of which are optional (e.g., caching job results):
•Creating/duplicating a job (subsection below)
•Configuring jobs as Web services
For information about basic concepts and terms associated with job execution, see Basic Concepts.
Windows network paths
When you create jobs, you will need to refer to file paths on the machine where FlowForce Server runs or to file paths on the network. When you refer to a Windows network path (e.g., a mapped network drive), use the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) syntax. This is necessary because drive letters are not global to the system, and each logon session is assigned its own drive letters.
The UNC has the following syntax: \\server\sharedfolder\filepath, where server refers to the server name in the network (defined by the DNS); sharedfolder refers to a label defined by the administrator (e.g., admin\$ is generally the root directory of the operating system installation); filepath refers to the subdirectories below the share.
Create/duplicate a job
This topic provides instructions on how to create jobs in FlowForce Server. The instructions will help you understand the structure of jobs and their settings. Job configuration is a flexible process, which allows you to find more than one way to achieve the same result. To get an idea of various tasks you can perform, see Job Examples.
Prerequisites
Make sure you have the following permissions for the container in which you want to create a new job:
•Container: Read, Write
•Configuration: Read, Write
Create a job
Before creating a job, it might be a good idea to store the credentials of the operating system user account with which the job will be executed. For more information, see Credentials. To create a job, follow the instructions below:
1.Go to the Configuration page and select a container in which you want to create a job.
2.Click Create and select Create Job. Enter a job name and, optionally, a job description.
3.If you need to pass some values to the job at runtime, create the required job input parameters. For details, see Input Parameters.
4.In the Execution Steps section, add steps of the job. Every job must have at least one step.
5.If the last step of the job returns a result, and if you intend to use the result in other jobs, select the return type in the Execution Result section.
6.If you want FlowForce Server to cache the returned result, specify caching preferences.
7.In the Triggers section, add a trigger (or triggers) that will fire the job. If the job runs as a Web service, adding a trigger is not necessary.
8.In the Credentials section, select an existing credential record or specify a local credential. For details, see Credentials.
9.If the job returns a result that you want to use in other jobs or configure as a Web service, define the job's cache settings.
10.Optionally, define the job's queue settings.
11.Click Save. FlowForce Server validates the entered information. If there are any fields that require your attention, FlowForce Server will highlight them in red.
Duplicate a job
You can create copies of existing jobs when necessary. This can save you time, for example, when you need to quickly create a job using an existing one as a template. To create a copy of an existing job, take the steps below:
1.Open an existing job and click Save As at the bottom of the page.
2.Enter the name of the new job and click Save As.
If the credentials of the existing job are defined locally within the job, FlowForce will prompt you to enter the password again, for security reasons. If the credentials are defined as standalone credentials, this step is not necessary. For information about standalone and local credentials, see Credentials.
If certain job components cause conflicts when the job is duplicated, FlowForce displays an error and does not duplicate the job. For example, if you attempt to duplicate a job containing a Web service, the service is already in use by the original job and cannot be duplicated. In this case, change the URL of the Web service or remove it completely.
The duplicated job is saved to the same container as the existing job. If you want to move it to a different container, go to the parent container page, select one or more jobs, and click Move Selected Objects.