I want to design a framework that allows multiple concurrent instances of a job to write diagnostic content (number of widgets read, etc) that ends up in a semaphore file named like this:
<jobname>_<timestamp>.<event>
where <event> is the 24x7 job completion event.

These jobs will run on remote machines, in synchronuos and asynchronous mode, and (generally) detached.

Can you suggest how best to do this?

: I want to design a framework that allows multiple concurrent instances of a
: job to write diagnostic content (number of widgets read, etc) that ends up
: in a semaphore file named like this:
: <jobname>_<timestamp>.<event>
: where <event> is the 24x7 job completion event.
: These jobs will run on remote machines, in synchronuos and asynchronous mode,
: and (generally) detached.
: Can you suggest how best to do this?

I don't what is the best way, but for similar task I'm using global environment
variables. These can be read by macro statements. To set a global environment variable
you need a SetX program from Windows 2000 Resource Kit.

Regards,
David

This is quite simple, for the semaphore file name you can use the following string of macro-parameters
@V"job_name"_@T"mmddyyyyhhmmss".@V"event"

Please see "@ - macro-parameters" topic for additional information and other available parameters

: I want to design a framework that allows multiple concurrent instances of a
: job to write diagnostic content (number of widgets read, etc) that ends up
: in a semaphore file named like this:
: _ .
: where is the 24x7 job completion event.

: These jobs will run on remote machines, in synchronuos and asynchronous mode,
: and (generally) detached.

: Can you suggest how best to do this?

: This is quite simple, for the semaphore file name you can use the following
: string of macro-parameters
: @V"job_name"_@T"mmddyyyyhhmmss".@V"event"

: Please see "@ - macro-parameters" topic for additional information
: and other available parameters

I am concerned that two jobs may get the same clock value and so use the same file name. Is there a value that is unique to an instance of an executing job that I could use to prevent this?
@V"job_id" looks like it could be but I'm not sure.

You should be fine if you use unique file names and don't run multiple instances of same jobs concurrently (the synchronous run option can be used to ensure that only one job instance is run at a time)

If you use non-unique job names then you can use @V"job_id" which is guaranteed to be a unique number for every job (do not confuse this with the job run id)

To improve the accuracy you can use milliseconds in the timestamp, for example
@T"mmddyyyyhhmmssffff"

: I am concerned that two jobs may get the same clock value and so use the same
: file name. Is there a value that is unique to an instance of an executing
: job that I could use to prevent this?
: @V"job_id" looks like it could be but I'm not sure.

: You should be fine if you use unique file names and don't run multiple
: instances of same jobs concurrently (the synchronous run option can be
: used to ensure that only one job instance is run at a time)

: If you use non-unique job names then you can use @V"job_id" which
: is guaranteed to be a unique number for every job (do not confuse this
: with the job run id)

: To improve the accuracy you can use milliseconds in the timestamp, for
: example
: @T"mmddyyyyhhmmssffff"

I tried your suggestion and got this message:
Unable to create semaphore file C:\Program Files\24x7 Automation 3\SchedulerTestStub0_12112003160122.@V"event"

I tried many variations, but no matter what I did, 24x7 would not recognise the @V"event" macro variable. Any suggestions?

Please try this version
http://www.softtreetech.com/download/betas/247upg3417.exe

: I tried your suggestion and got this message: Unable to create semaphore file
: C:\Program Files\24x7 Automation
: 3\SchedulerTestStub0_12112003160122.@V"event"

: I tried many variations, but no matter what I did, 24x7 would not recognise
: the @V"event" macro variable. Any suggestions?

: Please try this version
: http://www.softtreetech.com/download/betas/247upg3417.exe

I de-installed the previous version of 24x7 and installed this version.
No luck I'm afraid. I tried @V"computer" and @V"job_ID" to confirm my syntax, and they worked fine. I noticed in the help file that just about all other macro variables except @"event" say "This parameter can be used in any script, notification event or job trigger".
The help file doesn't say that for the event variable. Is there are reason for that?

When you install an upgrade, you do not need to uninstall anything. Maybe that's why it does nto work.
Also, please verify you do not have 24x7 installed in multiple places. I guess you installed the upgrade into a wrong directory and this did not upgrade your current version. Please check that in the Help/About it says "version 3.4.17"

: I de-installed the previous version of 24x7 and installed this version.
: No luck I'm afraid. I tried @V"computer" and @V"job_ID"
: to confirm my syntax, and they worked fine. I noticed in the help file
: that just about all other macro variables except @"event" say
: "This parameter can be used in any script, notification event or job
: trigger".
: The help file doesn't say that for the event variable. Is there are reason
: for that?

: When you install an upgrade, you do not need to uninstall anything. Maybe
: that's why it does nto work.
: Also, please verify you do not have 24x7 installed in multiple places. I
: guess you installed the upgrade into a wrong directory and this did not
: upgrade your current version. Please check that in the Help/About it says
: "version 3.4.17"

This was indeed an installation error. Well spotted. This now works correctly.