Scheduling, Jobs, and Delivery Administration
Schedules versus jobs
A schedule defines when an object runs; a job is a container of sequential steps that can include reports, other jobs, and import or export tasks. Jobs can be scheduled and their history reviewed. Delivery is handled by the Delivery Service and can target email, FTP, file system, printer, or mobile.
Core rules
- Set the correct time zone on schedules; a schedule owned by a user in another time zone can run at the wrong local time.
- Email delivery depends on SMTP configuration and, for tracking, the notification database.
- Bursting personalizes a single report for many recipients; it depends on a burst key and a delivery list.
- Job steps run in order; confirm whether a failed step stops the job or continues, and design notifications accordingly.
- Disable or reassign schedules owned by departing users; otherwise runs can fail silently.
Worked example
A monthly job has two report steps. Step one fails because a data source password expired. The administrator checks the job history, fixes the signon, reruns the job, and confirms both steps complete. They also add an email notification on failure so the next outage is visible.
Traps
Ignoring time zones; scheduling to users without email addresses; forgetting the notification database; and assuming a job rerun skips already successful steps without checking.