When the ReportCaster Distribution Server starts, it verifies that it can communicate with the following components:

• ReportCaster Repository. The ReportCaster Repository stores distribution and scheduling information. At installation, a repository is created in a selected location. The Report Library requires an SQL-based repository.
• WebFOCUS on the Web/Application server. The ReportCaster Distribution Server stays active if the Web/Application server is unavailable. Previously scheduled jobs continue to run but no new scheduling is possible. Distribution to Managed Reporting will not be successful until the Web/Application server is available.

Under certain conditions, the ReportCaster Distribution Server will open in console mode. ReportCaster console mode allows you to configure ReportCaster from the WebFOCUS Administration Console. The Distribution Server will open in console mode if:

• The Distribution Server cannot connect to the repository. Connection issues result if the JDBC Driver cannot be found, the database is unavailable, or the database user ID or password is incorrect.
• There is an issue with the repository. For instance, if the repository tables have not yet been created, the repository is not at the correct release level, or if you are configuring for Distribution Server failover and the BOTSTATE table has not been created.

Note: Check the scheduler.log file for information specific to your Distribution Server opening in console mode.

From the WebFOCUS Administration Console, you can verify the connection settings and test connectivity to the Repository. If you can connect to the Repository, but ReportCaster still opens in console mode, then the Repository does not contain its tables and you must create them.

Note: If Remote Authentication is set to Yes or to HTTP Header in the ReportCaster Configuration tool, then the value of IBIMR_RC_SVCUSER and the value of the default administrator in the ReportCaster configuration file (which must be the same) must be the ID used to Remotely Authenticate to ReportCaster. For information on ReportCaster Remote Authentication, see the WebFOCUS Security and Administration manual.

Upon successful initialization, the ReportCaster Distribution Server checks for jobs that need to be recovered and jobs that need to run as specified by the Recovery and Scanback parameters.

1. Log into the WebFOCUS Administration Console and expand the ReportCaster tab in the left pane.
2. Confirm that the Repository configuration settings are correct, as follows:
   1. Under the ReportCaster tab, click Repository, Connection.

      The right pane displays the Repository database parameters.

   2. Review the settings and make changes, if needed.
   3. Click Save.
3. Test connectivity to the Repository, as follows:

   Under the ReportCaster tab, click Repository, Test Repository.

   The results appear in the right pane. Pass means that there is connectivity to the Repository.

4. Restart ReportCaster and the Distribution Server, as follows:
   1. Under the ReportCaster tab, click Utilities, Restart ReportCaster.

      A confirmation window opens.

   2. Click OK.
5. Check the status to verify that ReportCaster is running in full mode, as follows:

   Under the ReportCaster tab, click Utilities, ReportCaster Status.

   The status appears in the right pane and should read:

   The Distribution Server is running in Full Function mode

6. Access ReportCaster as you normally would.

1. Log into the WebFOCUS Administration Console and expand the ReportCaster tab in the left pane.
2. In the left pane, under the ReportCaster tab, click Repository, Create All Tables.

   A message appears in the right pane. Pass indicates that the tables have been created.

3. Restart ReportCaster and the Distribution Server, as follows:
   1. Under the ReportCaster tab, click Utilities, Restart ReportCaster.

      A confirmation window opens.

   2. Click OK.
4. Check the status to verify that ReportCaster is running in full mode:

   In the ReportCaster tab, click Utilities, ReportCaster Status.

   The status appears in the right pane and should read:

   The Distribution Server is running in Full Function mode.

5. Access ReportCaster as you normally would.

The purpose of the Recovery parameter in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool is to recover jobs that were placed in the ReportCaster Distribution Server queue but did not complete schedule execution processing, which could be due to the ReportCaster Distribution Server or WebFOCUS Reporting Server being stopped. You can activate the recovery feature by setting Recovery to ON in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool.

When you create a schedule and the Recovery parameter is set to ON, the RECOVERY field for the schedule is set to N in the BOTSCHED repository table. When the schedule is placed in the run queue, the RECOVERY field is set to Y. This means that if the ReportCaster Distribution Server becomes unavailable while the job is still in the queue, ReportCaster will recover the job when the ReportCaster Distribution Server becomes available even if the Recovery parameter is set to OFF in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool. After the job is run and all log records have been written, the RECOVERY field is set back to N.

Any job that is running because the Recovery parameter is set to ON runs only once. After the job is placed in the run queue, its NEXTRUNTIME is updated to the next time it should run after the current time. For example, if a job is scheduled to run hourly and the ReportCaster Distribution Server is unavailable for four hours, when the ReportCaster Distribution Server becomes available the job will run only once and will resume running on an hourly basis thereafter.

Note: The Recovery option works independently of the Scanback option. For more information about the Scanback option, see Scanback.

In certain instances, the ReportCaster Distribution Server may be unavailable for a period of time. During this time, no scheduled jobs can run. By default, when the ReportCaster Distribution Server becomes available again, it searches for and runs all jobs with a next run time less than the current time and resets the next run time according to the next scheduled run time of the job. If the Distribution Server is unavailable for a long time, you may want to adjust this behavior. Using the Scanback parameter you can run only those jobs found in a specified time period of the outage, or just reset the next run time of all unexecuted jobs without running them.

The Scanback parameter is available in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool and has the following settings:

• An integer value greater than zero. An integer that represents the number of 24 hour periods (beginning with the Distribution Server restart time) that the ReportCaster Distribution Server will scan back to look for and run jobs with a next run time less than the current time.

  For example, if the Distribution Server is unavailable for three days and Scanback is set to 2, then the Distribution Server will only run those jobs it finds with a next run time within the previous 48 hours of the server restart time.

  A valid value is any integer from 1 to 365. The default value is 15.

• Reset Next Run Time. Looks for all jobs with a next run time less than the current time and resets the next run time to the next scheduled run time of the job.
• Off. Turns off Scanback. This means the Distribution Server follows its default behavior to find, run, and reset all jobs with a next run time that is less than the current time.

Note:

• The Scanback option works independently of the Recovery option. For more information about the Recovery option, see Recovery.
• Consider Daylight Saving Time when setting the Scanback parameter. For more information, see http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html.

ReportCaster administrators can use the ReportCaster Configuration tool to navigate through and change the various settings that define the ReportCaster configuration. For example, ReportCaster enables administrators to change the polling interval for the ReportCaster Distribution Server and define access to multiple WebFOCUS Reporting Servers. The configuration settings are accessed from the Configuration tab in the ReportCaster Administration Interface. For more information about ReportCaster configuration settings, see Configuring ReportCaster.

ReportCaster provides the ability to incorporate a backup Distribution Server, and to configure two or more Distribution Servers to share the work of executing scheduled jobs.

• The Distribution Server Failover feature enables you to configure a backup Distribution Server that can resume ReportCaster operations when there is an interruption (planned or unplanned) in the primary Distribution Server service. A Failover Monitor service monitors the primary server to verify that it is operational. If there is an interruption in service, the monitor triggers the failover server to take over the role of the primary server. For details on setting up a failover Distribution Server, see the ReportCaster Post-Installation Tasks chapter in the WebFOCUS and ReportCaster Installation and Configuration manual for your platform. Note: When the Distribution Server attempts to make an SMTP connection to an Email server the connection will timeout after 5 minutes.

  The ReportCaster Console provides information, such as mode and status, on the primary and failover servers. From the ReportCaster Console, you can suspend, start, and stop the Distribution Servers. For details on these operations, see Failover Distribution Server Status and Tasks.

  Note: If you have the ReportCaster Server Configuration Recovery option set to On, the Distribution Server recovers scheduled jobs that were processed but not completed.

• The Workload Distribution feature enables ReportCaster to distribute the scheduled jobs across multiple Distribution Servers, providing an efficient and fast way to process large numbers of ReportCaster schedules.

  Multiple Distribution Server instances can be installed on one or more hosts. One instance is designated as the Workload Manager, while the others are designated as Workers. The ReportCaster repository will be shared by the Workload Manager and the Workers.

  Note: To configure for Workload Distribution, use the ReportCaster Configuration tool settings under the Distribution Servers folder, as described in Distribution Servers Settings. All servers will share one set of configuration information. The Workload Manager will push any configuration changes to the Workers.

  The Workload Manager will poll the ReportCaster repository to retrieve jobs scheduled for execution and place the jobs in its queue. It will then dispatch individual jobs to the next available Worker.

  The Workers will queue the jobs sent by the Workload Manager and dispatch the jobs for execution. The Workers will distribute output from the executed jobs and update the ReportCaster Log files.

  The following diagram illustrates the processing and relationship between the Workload Manager and its Workers.

  

  Distribution Server Failover can apply to the Workload Manager, which is the primary Distribution Server, but not to the Workers.

  You can monitor and manage the Workload Manager and Workers through the ReportCaster Console, Server Status window. For details, see Viewing the Distribution Server Status.