SAP Data Services – Running & Scheduling Data Services Jobs from Linux Command Line using Third party Scheduler

SAP Data Services

Running & Scheduling Data Services Jobs from Linux Command Line using Third party Scheduler

Table of Contents

1.             Introduction.
2.             Using a third-party scheduler
3.             To export a job for scheduling.
4.             Setting up a cron job in UNIX-type operating systems.
5.             To execute a job with a third-party scheduler
6.             About the job launcher
7.             Job launcher error codes.

1. Introduction

SAP BODS Jobs can be started & Scheduled from other Operating Systems like Linux, HP-Unix etc in addition to windows using third party utilities.

This Document provides information on running & scheduling the SAP BODS jobs from UNIX command prompt utility (Crontab).

2. Using a third-party scheduler

When you schedule jobs using third-party software:

• The job initiates outside of SAP BusinessObjects Data Services

• The job runs from an executable batch file (or shell script for UNIX) exported from SAP BusinessObjects Data Services.

Note:

When a third-party scheduler invokes a job, the corresponding Job Server must be running.

3. To export a job for scheduling

1. Select Batch > repository.
2. Click the Batch Job Configuration tab.
3. For the batch job to configure, click the Export Execution Command link.
4. On the Export Execution Command page, enter the desired options for the batch job command file that you want the Administrator to create:

1. Click Export.

The Administrator creates command files filename.txt (the default for filename is the job name) and a batch file for the job and writes them to the local LINK_DIRlog directory.

(E.g. C:Program FilesBusiness ObjectsBusinessObjects Data Serviceslog )

Note:

You can relocate the password file from the LINK_DIRconf directory, but you must edit the filename.txt file so that it refers to the new location of the password file. Open the file in a text editor and add the relative or absolute file path to the new location of the password file in the argument –R “repositoryname.txt”.

If you are Exporting the Job for Unix Environment append “.sh” extension to the File Name

4. Setting up a cron job in UNIX-type operating systems

Cron jobs can be used for setting up scheduled Job runs in UNIX-type operating systems, e.g. UNIX, Linux, FreeBSD and Darwin (Mac OS X).

Steps:

Note: The syntax may differ, depending on which version of cron is present on your computer.

Open a root shell and type the following:
crontab -u root -e
to open a VI style editor.  Press ‘i’ to insert text.

The crontab comprises five entries indicating the schedule time, and also the name and path of the program to be run. Use a space or a tab between each entry:

minute(0-59) hour(0-23) day_of_month(1-31) month(1-12) day_of_week(0-7) /path/Job_BODSJobNM.sh

NOTE: “Job_BODSJobNM.sh is the name of the .sh file Exported form BODS Administrator”

You can replace a field value with “*”. So:
“0 10 * * * /path/script.sh” is the same as “0 10 1-31 1-12 0-7 /path/script.sh”
The Job would run at 10 each morning.

For example, to run a BODS Job at 8 o’clock each night in Linux, use:
0 20 * * * /usr/local/bin/directory/BODS

Names can be used (e.g. March) for month and day of week. In day of week, Sunday can be 0 or 7.

When you have created the crontab, press ‘Escape’ to leave insert mode.

Type ‘ZZ’ (upper case ‘z’ twice). A message similar to the following should be displayed:
/crontab.zUcAAFwPVp: 1 lines, 24 characters
crontab: installing new crontab

The crontab has now been set up. Cron will automatically send an email to root to confirm that the scan has run. For more information on cron and crontab, read the relevant manual pages. For example, type:

man crontab

to see the crontab manpage.

5.To execute a job with a third-party scheduler

1. Export the job’s execution command to an executable batch file (.bat file for Windows or .sh file for UNIX environments).
2. Ensure that the Data Services Service is running (for that job’s Job Server) when the job begins to execute.

The Data Services Service automatically starts the Job Server when you restart the computer on which you installed the Job Server.

• You can also verify whether a Job Server is running at any given time using the Designer. Log in to the repository that contains your job and view the Designer’s status bar to verify that the Job Server connected to this repository is running.

• You can verify whether all Job Servers in a server group are running using the Administrator. In the navigation tree select Server Groups

> All Server Groups to view the status of server groups and the Job Servers they contain.

1. Schedule the batch file from the third-party software.

Note:

To stop an SAP BusinessObjects Data Services job launched by a third-party scheduling application, press CTRL+C on the application’s keyboard.

6.About the job launcher

SAP BusinessObjects Data Services exports job execution command files as batch files on Windows or CRON files on UNIX. These files pass parameters and call AL_RWJobLauncher. Then, AL_RWJobLauncher executes the job, sends it to the appropriate Job Server, and waits for the job to complete.

Caution:

Do not modify the exported file without assistance from SAP Technical Customer Assurance.

The following shows a sample Windows NT batch file created when the software exports a job. ROBOT is the host name of the Job Server computer.

All lines after inet:ROBOT:3513 are AL_Engine arguments, not AL_RWJobLauncher arguments.

D:Data ServicesinAL_RWJobLauncher.exe

“inet:ROBOT:3513”

“-SrepositoryServer

-Uusername

-Ppassword

-G”b5751907_96c4_42be_a3b5_0aff44b8afc5″

-r100 -T14

-CTBatch -CmROBOT -CaROBOT

-CjROBOT -Cp3513″

There are two arguments that do not use flags:

• inet address: The host name and port number of the Job Server. The string must be in quotes.>