We are evaluating 24x7 for our regularly scheduled job needs because it runs as a service and supports agent-based remote jobs. The evaluation version has been installed and a sample job created in a new job database. The 24x7 service was configured using a domain account that has both Domaon Administrator and Local Administrator privileges.

When 24x7 is run stand-alone, the "Next Run" and count down till next job fields display the correct values for the single job. However if the 24x7 service is running, starting the 24x7 program brings up a notification that the service is running and timers will be disabled in the stand-alone instance. When this occurs, the "Next Run" field for the job is blank, the count-down timer fields says "off" and double clicking on the task bar says that there are no jobs scheduled to run. When the job time rolls around, the job does NOT run.

Is this designed behaviour? We need to be able to monitor scheduled jobs from a client and have the jobs run by a service, because the jobs need to run regardless of whether someone is logged in to the server or not. How can I configure 24x7 to run as a service and display the correct job schedule information in the client?

Jobs do not run, because the evaluation version can be run only under LocalSystem account! Otherwise the scheduler service does not start completely and waits for the user to click the Continue button on the Evaluation Reminder dialog, which you cannot see in that mode.

By the way, it is clearly stated in the message box when you setup 24x7 to run as a service.

The licensed version can run under any account!

: We are evaluating 24x7 for our regularly scheduled job needs because it runs
: as a service and supports agent-based remote jobs. The evaluation version
: has been installed and a sample job created in a new job database. The
: 24x7 service was configured using a domain account that has both Domaon
: Administrator and Local Administrator privileges.

: When 24x7 is run stand-alone, the "Next Run" and count down till
: next job fields display the correct values for the single job. However if
: the 24x7 service is running, starting the 24x7 program brings up a
: notification that the service is running and timers will be disabled in
: the stand-alone instance. When this occurs, the "Next Run" field
: for the job is blank, the count-down timer fields says "off" and
: double clicking on the task bar says that there are no jobs scheduled to
: run. When the job time rolls around, the job does NOT run.

: Is this designed behaviour? We need to be able to monitor scheduled jobs from
: a client and have the jobs run by a service, because the jobs need to run
: regardless of whether someone is logged in to the server or not. How can I
: configure 24x7 to run as a service and display the correct job schedule
: information in the client?

Well, it's hard to evaluate how the service works if the evaluation version doesn't properly support the product running as a service! My suggestion is to change this behavior.

If the product is licensed and run as a service, will the the second instance, which is required to view or modify jobs, properly display the status and time-to-execution of the scheduled jobs?

Can you tell me what kind of support we would receive from SoftTree if we were to license your product? I'm aware of this forum (obviously), and you probably have e-mail support as well. Is telephone support available and if it is, what are the terms?

: Jobs do not run, because the evaluation version can be run only under
: LocalSystem account! Otherwise the scheduler service does not start
: completely and waits for the user to click the Continue button on the
: Evaluation Reminder dialog, which you cannot see in that mode.

: By the way, it is clearly stated in the message box when you setup 24x7 to
: run as a service.

: The licensed version can run under any account!

Q:
: Well, it's hard to evaluate how the service works if the evaluation version
: doesn't properly support the product running as a service! My suggestion
: is to change this behavior.

A:
I agree, but ... if this feature is changed to then people can run the software unlimited without paying any license fees. Because of the WinNT/2000/XP limitations only the LocalSystem services can interact with the Desktop, other cannot.

Q:
: If the product is licensed and run as a service, will the the second
: instance, which is required to view or modify jobs, properly display the
: status and time-to-execution of the scheduled jobs?

A:
The second instance will not display "time-to-execution of the scheduled jobs" because it has the scheduling engine disabled and does not perform any time calculations, but it can read and display the job logs.

There exist several other options for monitoring and tracing jobs.

First of all please check the Job Forecast report which can be run from the second instance.

Please also enable and play with the Status Report. You will be able to use your Web browser to read and refresh this report, allowing you to monitor job progress from virtually anywhere.

You can also consider running 24x7 in the server mode (called "Master" mode) so you can use the 24x7 Remote Control to change and monitor jobs in the real-time. Even more if you run 24x7 master on the server you can run 24x7 on your workstation and connect to the remote server.

Other options are also available.

Q:
: Can you tell me what kind of support we would receive from SoftTree if we
: were to license your product? I'm aware of this forum (obviously), and you
: probably have e-mail support as well. Is telephone support available and
: if it is, what are the terms?

A:
You will get free email support. In addition, you may purchase the Yearly Tech.Support contract that includes priority phone/fax support and all free upgrades even to new major versions.

Thank you for your answers. We have purchased 24x7 and the registered version will now run as a service. We've configured it to use a specially created domain admin account. When changes are made to scheduled jobs and saved, an error message is generated: "unable to restart 24x7 service, try restarting the service from the control panel" or something similar. The control panel shows that the service is started, however right clicking on it and looking at the properties shows that it is stopped. When the service is restarted from the control panel, the Job Forecast Report does not show the change in the job.

If an attempt is made to change to account the service logs in as, an error message stating that the service can't be deleted due to insuifficient rights occurs.

We are running 24x7 on a Windows 2K server. We would really like to have the scheduler survive reboots and not require a user to be logged in to access network resources. We need the service to work reliably before we can assign mission critical tasks to it.

Thanks for your help, again.

Any

: Q: A: I agree, but ... if this feature is changed to then people can run the
: software unlimited without paying any license fees. Because of the
: WinNT/2000/XP limitations only the LocalSystem services can interact with
: the Desktop, other cannot.

: Q: A: The second instance will not display "time-to-execution of the
: scheduled jobs" because it has the scheduling engine disabled and
: does not perform any time calculations, but it can read and display the
: job logs.

: There exist several other options for monitoring and tracing jobs.

: First of all please check the Job Forecast report which can be run from the
: second instance.

: Please also enable and play with the Status Report. You will be able to use
: your Web browser to read and refresh this report, allowing you to monitor
: job progress from virtually anywhere.

: You can also consider running 24x7 in the server mode (called
: "Master" mode) so you can use the 24x7 Remote Control to change
: and monitor jobs in the real-time. Even more if you run 24x7 master on the
: server you can run 24x7 on your workstation and connect to the remote
: server.

: Other options are also available.

: Q: A: You will get free email support. In addition, you may purchase the
: Yearly Tech.Support contract that includes priority phone/fax support and
: all free upgrades even to new major versions.

You don't have much of a choice if you want the service to start with the computer and not after a user is logged on, the service must be setup either as a LocalSystem or a domain admin account.

The Job Forecast Report is run by the 24x7 GUI console and it has nothing to do with the service because it is based on the job definitions and so the forecast is completely calculated by the console. Please check that the changes you made take effect in the next 7 days which is the default report interval. Especially please check that job start initial start dates are either in the past or within next 7 days.

: Thank you for your answers. We have purchased 24x7 and the registered version
: will now run as a service. We've configured it to use a specially created
: domain admin account. When changes are made to scheduled jobs and saved,
: an error message is generated: "unable to restart 24x7 service, try
: restarting the service from the control panel" or something similar.
: The control panel shows that the service is started, however right
: clicking on it and looking at the properties shows that it is stopped.
: When the service is restarted from the control panel, the Job Forecast
: Report does not show the change in the job.

: If an attempt is made to change to account the service logs in as, an error
: message stating that the service can't be deleted due to insuifficient
: rights occurs.

: We are running 24x7 on a Windows 2K server. We would really like to have the
: scheduler survive reboots and not require a user to be logged in to access
: network resources. We need the service to work reliably before we can
: assign mission critical tasks to it.

: Thanks for your help, again.

: Any