Overview

Utilities

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Utilities - The Admin Stuff

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are the tools that are used to implement, maintain or support business processes within the system.  These include a scheduling engine for planning and executing CRM.COM processes in one flow, a data integration mechanism used for imports and exports, and an archiving utility for saving storage space occupied by unused data.

Major features

• Execute and manage batch processes.
• Roll back single entities if a batch process is interrupted.
• Archive data to control database size
• Mark data associated with archived data for reference. 
• Use import files to import hardware directly into a warehouse and to create rewards participants.
• Export vouchers.
• Customize imports and exports with Pentaho kettles. Schedule imports and exports to run once or on a recurring basis.

Related configuration areas

Mandatory modules must be configured for the utilities module to work.

Using the Archiving Utility

Data used and generated by businesses increases exponentially.  Insufficient storage space on database servers is directly related to slower performance.  Consequently, the need to archive unused data (data created up to a certain date) is expanding.  

The archiving utility:

• Compresses data that no longer has financial or marketing impact.
• Saves the data in an archived structure in the database.
• Updates the existing entities still available in the system that are associated with the archived data. 

A record is created for every 'data archiving entity'.  The record is available for download and can be permanently deleted if no longer needed.  

Designated system users can execute the archive utility and delete archived data; the processes are password protected.

The following data can be archived:   

• Purchase customer events
• Spend request customer events
• Referral customer events
• Social media customer events
• Web customer events
• Achievement customer events
• Financial achievement customer events
• Financial statement customer events
• Provisioning requests
• Process run logs
• Rated billing items

As well as explicitly defined entities, associated records can also be archived, such as:

• Awarded events
• Spend reward transactions
• Provisioning request parameters
• Process run log entity
• Applied additive discounts

Archiving data run definitions

To archive data, an archiving data run definition must be set up.

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1. Navigate to Foundation > Utilities > Archiving Utility > Perform Data Archiving Runs and click on NEW from the Actions menu.
2. Provide the mandatory information and criteria.
   1. Data Archiving Entity: Select an entity to archive from the drop-down menu.
   2. Archive Data Created X Months Ago: Identify the data to be archived using the date on which it was entered into the system. The minimum (and default) value for new definitions is 12 months.
3. SAVE the configured definition and SUBMIT it to the scheduler to be executed.
4. A list of previously executed runs is available under Process Runs.
   A run is created each time the definition is submitted.

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Viewing archived data

After the utility is executed, the archived data can be accessed, downloaded or deleted from a dedicated screen.

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Downloading archived data

1. Navigate to the archived data Summary page and search for the data you are interested in.
2. Click on DOWNLOAD.
   
3. Provide a password.
   A compressed file will be downloaded.

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Deleting archived data

1. Navigate to the archived data summary page and search for the data to delete.
2. Check the select box on the left of the item to be deleted.
3. Click on Delete from the Actions menu.
   
4. Provide a password.
5. Click on Delete.

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Using the Scheduler

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The scheduler is used to program and execute system tasks that are processed in one flow.  Each task consists of a series of steps involving the simultaneous handling of multiple entries, without the need for manual intervention.

Each time a run definition is submitted, a task is created and sent to the scheduler for processing.  The scheduler settings defined in the run definition determine whether the task is executed once and removed from the scheduler or whether it is recurring (executed and next one scheduled).

The scheduler can be in one of two states:

• 'Running':  All 'Effective' tasks that have a CRON Expression equal to the current time are executed. 
• 'Standby Mode': Scheduled tasks are not executed.

1. Navigate to the scheduler utility and explore scheduled tasks through the Summary page. 
2. Click on an entry to access the task Data Entry page and DELETE a scheduled task or STOP a running one.
3. Select one of the following options from the Actions menu:
   • VIEW SCHEDULED TASKS 
   • VIEW RUNNING TASKS 
   • VIEW COMPLETED TASKS
   • VIEW LOG: Click a day of the month to display tasks executed during specific days of the current month and their results.
   • START SCHEDULER: This action can be applied only if the current application server is enabled to run scheduled processes for the specific organization. More information is available at Scheduler Settings.
   • STOP SCHEDULER.

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Task fields

The following information is available for each task on the Summary page. 

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Deleting a scheduled task

A task can be deleted so that it is not executed. 

1. Navigate to the scheduler utility. 
2. Click on the task to go to its Data Entry page.
3. Click on DELETE from the Top Menu.
   
4. The scheduled task is deleted permanently and removed from the list.

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Stopping a running task

A task that is being processed can be stopped once the current step is completed. 

1. Navigate to the scheduler utility.
2. Click on the task to go to its Data Entry page.
3. Click on STOP.
   1. Provide a reason for stopping the task.
4. The following information is kept on the associated log entry of the scheduler task:
   
   1. The user that stopped the task.
   2. The date and time that the task was stopped.
   3. The reason for stopping the task. 

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Using Data Imports & Exports

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Utilities Business Examples

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