I have been running 24x7 in a test environment. I have several questions.

1) When I run executables generated in Visual FoxPro I get completed successful e-mail even if the application ab-ends. What is 24x7 looking for in the way of response codes that my executables are not sending?

2) If I set up to only get mail when an application is complete (no e-mail for the job start) the completed e-mail fires at the launch of the executable rather then at the completion of the job. What causes this behavior?

3) When I make a change to a jobs property sheet and then save the changes the job oft time is triggered automatically. How do I prevent this? I understand that a job looking for a semaphore file is supposed to run. However when the job is set to run on specific dates and times this self execution could cause problems.

: I have been running 24x7 in a test environment. I have several questions.

: 1) When I run executables generated in Visual FoxPro I get completed
: successful e-mail even if the application ab-ends. What is 24x7 looking
: for in the way of response codes that my executables are not sending?

Which version of 24x7 do you use. In v3 you can setup specific exit codes that will be considered as success. In v2 or if in v3. you don't setup process exit conditions, every process that can successfully started is considered as success. Only you know that your application crashed because you could see the "Abnormal Program Termination" box on the screen, nothing in the system can tell 24x7 that there was "Abnormal Program Termination" message and not "Hello World". Alternatively, at the end-of your program you can write to some log, which than you can scan in 24x7. This is by far the most reliable and proven method when dealing with unattendant program runs.

: 2) If I set up to only get mail when an application is complete (no e-mail
: for the job start) the completed e-mail fires at the launch of the
: executable rather then at the completion of the job. What causes this
: behavior?

Make sure you setup the process as "synchronous", otherwise from the 24x7 point of view the "program type" job is complete immediately after the process is successfully started. Synchronous external processes are monitored, asynchronous are not.

: 3) When I make a change to a jobs property sheet and then save the changes
: the job oft time is triggered automatically. How do I prevent this? I
: understand that a job looking for a semaphore file is supposed to run.
: However when the job is set to run on specific dates and times this self
: execution could cause problems.

Please explain, how the job is setup (why scheduled time, why semaphore files at the same time)?

: Which version of 24x7 do you use. In v3 you can setup specific exit codes
: that will be considered as success. In v2 or if in v3. you don't setup
: process exit conditions, every process that can successfully started is
: considered as success. Only you know that your application crashed because
: you could see the "Abnormal Program Termination" box on the
: screen, nothing in the system can tell 24x7 that there was "Abnormal
: Program Termination" message and not "Hello World".
: Alternatively, at the end-of your program you can write to some log, which
: than you can scan in 24x7. This is by far the most reliable and proven
: method when dealing with unattendant program runs.

We are testing version 3. External logs and auto e-mail are a method we employ extensively across our enterprise. I just wanted to understand any options I had relating to talking directly to 24x7. Thanks this is helpful.

: Make sure you setup the process as "synchronous", otherwise from
: the 24x7 point of view the "program type" job is complete
: immediately after the process is successfully started. Synchronous
: external processes are monitored, asynchronous are not.

That group of test jobs was set up as asynchronous. Thanks that helps.

: Please explain, how the job is setup (why scheduled time, why semaphore files
: at the same time)?

I was referring to completely different jobs. I expected the job that was looking for the semaphore to run. I did not expect the job set up with a specific date time to run. Sorry if I was unclear.