Specifying run cycle groups in the Application Descriptions

About this task

There are two ways to specify a run cycle group in an application description (AD). In either way you start by entering the RUN command in the CREATING ( or MODIFYING) AN APPLICATION panel to display the RUN CYCLES panel.
Specifying one or more run cycle groups within a rule definition
Enter a rule name (not the run cycle group name), specify R for the rule type and 3 for the freeday rule, and enter the in and out of effect dates. The other fields are optional. Then:
  1. Enter the S row command to specify the run days.

    The MODIFYING A RULE panel is displayed. Here, you specify run days with run cycle groups as you would with periods in the Cycle specification column.

  2. In the Frequency column, select Only or Every. You can make additional selections (if you do not, First is used as default).
  3. In the Day column, make a selection (you must at least select Day).
  4. In the Period/RG name field of the Cycle specification column, specify up to four run cycle groups that must have been previously defined in the database.

    Note that you can specify a of mix run cycle groups, periods, and other run dates as long as they are compatible.

    If you plan to use only the run cycle group days to generate occurrences in the application, select ONLY and First Day.

  5. Run the GENDAYS command to verify that the specified dates are correctly generated.

    Note that the dates of the run cycle groups are generated based on the calendars defined for the run cycle groups (or eventually for the single run cycles in the group). The calendar defined for the application is used to display the generated dates.

Important: A run cycle group that generates multiple occurrences per day cannot be used in a rule-based run cycle, because:
  • If no input arrival time is specified in the run cycle, the run cycle is invalid.
  • If the input arrival time is specified in the run cycle, the multiple occurrences are flattened in favour of a single occurrence based on the input arrival time.
Consequently, unless you are willing to relinquish the multiple daily occurrences, specify the run cycle group as a period.
Specifying a run cycle group as you specify a period
Enter the name of a run cycle group that must have been previously defined in the database, specify N for the type and 3 for the freeday rule, and enter the in and out of effect dates. The other fields are optional. Then:
  1. Enter the S row command to display the RUN CYCLE GROUPS DAYS panel.
  2. Optionally, specify a positive or negative offset from the origin dates of the run cycle group.

After you have added a run cycle group to an Application Description, you can use its name as a filtering criterion in the SPECIFYING APPLICATION LIST CRITERIA panel to list the applications that use it. The criterion is valid for run cycle groups defined within a rule as well as for those defined as type N.

The following table provides hints about defining certain items in the AD panels when run cycle groups are included.
Table 1. Application Description definitions that require attention when run cycle groups are included (either in rules or as periods).
Item definition that requires attention Reason
Input arrival time, Calendar, deadline, variable table, and all fields present in both AD and run cycle group definitions When these fields are defined both within a run cycle group and in the AD panels where the run cycle group is specified, the values specified in the AD panels override the ones specified for the run cycle group.
Input Arrival time, Input Arrival time and EVERY option
Does not show as a mandatory (red) field in the AD panels, but the IA time is in fact required for rule-based run cycles. You should always define an IA time for rule-based run cycles in the AD panels, unless they include only run cycle groups that already have their own IA time definition (which is then inherited by the application). However, if in the Cycle Specification section the run cycle:
  • includes a mix of periods and run cycle groups, it requires that the IA time be specified for the run cycle. This IA time overrules the one(s) specified for the run cycle group(s).
  • includes more run cycle groups that generate multiple daily occurrences due to juxtaposed IA times of the run cycle groups, only one occurrence is generated per day based on the IA time that comes first.

If a run cycle group that generates multiple occurrences per day (due to the use of the EVERY option) is used within a rule-based run cycle, and the IA time is specified in the AD, the multiple daily occurrences are canceled and only one occurrence is generated daily based on the IA time definition in the AD. Run cycle groups that generate multiple occurrences per day work properly only when used as offset-based run cycles.

The IA time must be always specified, even if it can be inherited, when you are also making use of the EVERY options.

If the IA time is required but omitted, the "INPUT ARR TIME MISSING" message is displayed in the RUN CYCLES panel of the AD.
Calendar Notwithstanding the run cycle group days are generated based on the calendar specified for the group (or its members), the days generated for the run cycles of an application are calculated based on the calendar specified in the AD panel. To guarantee that the freeday rule is applied consistently when using a run cycle group to schedule an application, specify the same calendar throughout the definitions of run cycle groups and applications, or specify a freeday rule of type 3 when defining the run cycles of an application.
Deadline, deadline and EVERY option

Deadlines are calculated based upon the final IA time of the occurrences.

Normally, if you use the EVERY option for a run cycle and you specify a deadline, the LTP occurrences generated with the different IA times by the EVERY specifications have different deadlines as well. But when a run cycle in the AD includes a run cycle group and a deadline is not provided in the run cycle definition but only in the run cycle group, all the occurrences generated with the different IA times by the EVERY definition keep the same deadline defined in the run cycle group. If you want the deadline values to match the changes in the IA times that result from the EVERY definition, you must define the deadline for the run cycle in the AD.