Introduction

JS7 offers JS7 - Calendars for use with JS7 - Schedules:

• Calendars specify the days for which orders can be created by Schedules to execute workflows.
• Schedules can further limit the days suggested by a Calendar and specify the time for which orders are scheduled.

Calendars and Schedules are highly flexible allowing a larger number of rules when to execute workflows.

• The same Calendar can be used by any number of Schedules.
• As each Schedule can limit the days for workflow execution within the scope of the Calendar used there is no need for a larger number of Calendars.
• Typically one to five Calendars are sufficient for an organization, for example using specific Calendars for all days, for company business days, for department business days etc.

Manage Calendar

Add Calendar

Calendars are available from the Configuration->Inventory View in in the respective sub-folders.

• The tree in the left panel offers an action menu to create a Calendar.
• The action menu is available from any Calendars object folder.
  
  

When adding a Calendar a popup window asks for the object name:

As a result an empty Calendar object becomes available:

• Calendars are configured for either working days or non-working days:
  • Working day Calendars specify the business days for which orders for workflow execution are scheduled.
  • Non-working day Calendars specify days that are excluded from workflow execution.
  • Both calendar types can be combined with precedence being given to non-working days for any overlapping days.
• Calendars can be limited by a validity period that specifies the begin and end of validity respectively. A Calendar does not calculate days that lie
  • before begin of its validity period or
  • after end of its validity period.
    
    

Add Frequencies

The selection of days in a Calendar is managed by use of Frequencies:

• Any number of Frequencies of the same or different type can be added.
• Similar to Calendars each Frequency can further limit its validity period. However, a Frequency cannot anticipate or exceed its Calendar's validity period.

 Typical Frequencies include for example:

• Weekdays: Monday to Friday, every week,
• Specific Weekdays: every first Friday, every last Monday in month
• Specific Days: days selected from a yearly calendar
• Month Days: 3rd of month, last of month, last-3 of month
• Recurring Days: every 2nd day in every month,
• National Holidays: for a country for the particular year.

When using the Add Frequency button for a Calendar the following popup window offers to select a Frequency:

• Any number of the same or different Frequencies can be added to a Calendar.
• Frequencies are merged to calculate the resulting days for the given Calendar.
  
  

Frequency Type: Weekdays

This option offers to select the days of week.

Frequency Type: Specific Weekdays

This option offers to specify a day of week and its occurrence in a month.

Frequency Type: Specific Days

This option lets users select dates from a yearly calendar.

Frequency Type: Month Days

This option specifies relative days in a month:

• in ascending order from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.
• in descending order from the last, last-1, last-2 etc.
   

Manage Frequencies

With Frequencies being added users find the list of available Frequencies for the Calendar object. Actions are offered for each Frequency:

• The   icon shows the preview of days for the given Frequency.
• The  icon allows to edit the given Frequency.
• The  icon removes the given Frequency.
  
  

From the Calendar object by default the filter button for Included Frequencies is active that specifies days for workflow execution.

• Users can choose to click the button for Excluded Frequencies that specifies days for which no workflows should be executed.
• A Calendar can have both Included Frequencies and Excluded Frequencies at the same time.
• When calculating resulting days of a Calendar then any days from Excluded Frequencies are excluded from the resulting days.
  
  

Show Preview

The Calendar object view offers the Show Preview button:

• A preview of merged days of all included Frequencies is displayed.
• The preview can further be limited by selecting from the list of available Frequencies.
  
  

Release Calendar

Calendars are not deployed to a Controller and Agent. Instead, they are used by the JS7 - Daily Plan Service to create orders for workflow execution at the given days.

Calendars know a draft status and a released status:

• A draft status is visible from  icon and from the  orange bullet.
  • The draft status is in place when a Calendar is added or modified and is not yet released.
    • A draft Calendar can further be invalid which is indicated by the  icon. This happens due to missing input or invalid data added to the Calendar by the user.
    • Invalid Calendars are automatically stored in the same ways as valid Calendars. However, they cannot be released before they are valid.
    • Validation is performed with a JSON Schema, see JS7 - Inventory Storage Format.
  • Draft Calendars are ignored by the Daily Plan when creating orders for workflow execution.
• A released status is visible from the  icon and from the  blue bullet.
  • Valid Schedules only can be released.
  • Released Calendars are used by Schedules when creating orders for workflow execution with the Daily Plan.
  • In addition they are considered when manually creating the Daily Plan from the respective view.