Schedule blackout dates are those dates on which schedules will not run and cannot be set to run. As a ReportCaster user, you can view schedule blackout dates that have been set for all users (global dates) and those set for the groups to which you belong. Only ReportCaster administrators and Managed Reporting Group administrators can define, update, and delete schedule blackout dates.

To view schedule blackout dates, in the ReportCaster Development Interface, select the Blackout Dates tab. The Schedule Blackout Dates interface, shown in the following image, provides a calendar and a list of groups to which you belong in the left pane. The right pane displays a list of schedule blackout dates for the selected group. The Blackout Dates tab initially opens to the Global group.

The following image shows the Schedule Blackout Dates tab for the administrator, which includes the administrative options in the toolbar, Save, Import, and Extract.

Administration of schedule blackout dates is performed by:

• ReportCaster administrators, who can set and manage blackout dates globally, affecting all ReportCaster users, or exclusively by targeting specific user groups. The group list in the left pane provides a selection all applicable groups including Global.
• Managed Reporting Group administrators with ReportCaster schedule privileges, who can set and manage blackout dates for the group(s) they administer. The group list in the left pane provides a selection of applicable groups. Global schedule blackout dates are available for viewing only.

When managing schedule blackout dates, you can add new blackout dates, delete and replace the description of existing blackout dates, and extract existing blackout dates to a file for future use. In the ReportCaster Blackout Dates tab, you can perform these tasks through:

• The Blackout Dates interface provided in the Blackout Dates tab. This interface provides an interactive calendar through which you can select blackout dates, and a list of groups to which you can assign blackout dates.
• The Import Dates utility, accessed from the Blackout Dates tab.
• The Extract Dates utility, accessed from the Blackout Dates tab.

To view the schedule blackout dates for a particular group, select that group in the left pane. The list of blackout dates in the calendar and right pane refresh to display the selected group blackout dates, which are shaded in yellow, along with the global blackout dates, shaded in gray.

You can change the month or year using the arrows at the top of the calendar. Click Refresh to load the latest blackout dates. Dates only appear as available or unavailable. You can toggle between exposing and hiding the left pane by clicking the arrow in the top-right corner of the pane. The following image shows the display with the left pane hidden.