Working with Batches

A batch is a packet or report that is generated multiple times according to a selected iteration and combined into a single PDF file. Batches can be shared, scheduled, generated, modified, and downloaded just like individual reports and packets.

Important: About Sharing and Scheduling Batches

A batch is an object that can be saved, and changes to batches are included in future scheduled instances of the batch. This means that when you schedule a batch to run in the future and then certain contents of the batch are changed, the scheduled instance will generate the updated batch. This is especially important to consider when a batch is shared with other users at your organization.

Keep the following considerations in mind when sharing and scheduling batches:

▪ When a batch has been scheduled, and then the iteration list or batch item is updated and saved by either you or another user, the scheduled instance runs with the changes that were made. This does not apply to changes to the Selection list, as the items in the Selection list are saved as part of the scheduled instance.

▪ When a user changes a batch from Shared to Private, all scheduled instances of the batch created by other users are cancelled. For more information on these access settings, refer to the Managing Batch Settings topic.

▪ If a user loses access to a report or packet included in a batch, that user's scheduled instances of the batch will no longer run. Access can be lost due to security role or report group updates, because the report or packet was deleted, or because the report or packet was changed to Private.

Caution

If you want to run a batch that is similar to an existing shared batch, MRI Software recommends duplicating the batch and maintaining the new copy yourself rather than editing the existing batch. For instructions on quickly duplicating a batch, refer to the "Modifying Batches" section below.

Note

When opening a shared batch, it is possible that you will have access to multiple data contexts that match the batch items' configuration. In this case, Report Gateway selects one for you and displays a banner at the top of the screen. Click More info to see which batch items had a data context automatically assigned. If you want to change any data contexts, refer to the instructions in the Overriding Data Contexts for Shared Packets and Batches topic.

Creating and Generating Batches

Note

If you plan on creating a batch that uses a packet as its batch item, the packet must first be configured to use packet parameters. For more information on setting up packet parameters, refer to the Managing Packet Parameters topic.

To create a new batch, follow these steps:

1. On the Report Gateway Home page, go to the Batches tab.

2. Click Add. The Add a batch window appears.

3. In the Batch name field, enter a name for your batch.

4. In the Tags field, you can optionally enter one or more tags to help categorize this batch. Click the field to show a drop-down list of existing tags, or enter your own tag manually.

5. Click Add. The Manage Batch page opens.

6. In the Iteration list section, you can configure how you want the batch to iterate. Complete the following fields and options:

▪ Application—Select the application that contains the items for which you want to generate a batch iteration.

Note

The Client ID, Username, and Database fields described below are displayed conditionally, depending on the type of platform entered in the Application field. Some platforms do not use the concept of multiple databases or user names.

▪ Client ID—Select a client ID that has access to the items for which you want to generate a batch iteration.

▪ Username—Select a user name for a user that has access to the items for which you want to generate a batch iteration.

▪ Database—Select the database that contains the items for which you want to generate a batch iteration.

▪ Iteration List—Select one of the available options from the drop-down list. This list is populated automatically based on the APIs that are available for the data context you entered in the fields above.

7. In the Selection section, select one of the following options to determine which items will be included in the iteration list:

▪ Include list—When this option is selected, you can choose items individually from the Add to selection list and add them to the Selected list by clicking the right arrow icon. After adding multiple items, you can reorder them by clicking the item you want to reorder and then clicking the up and down arrow icons. The order in which the items are listed determines the order in which your iterations appear in the combined batch PDF. To search for a specific item, you can use the search bar above the Add to selection list.

▪ Exclude list—When this option is selected, you can choose items that should NOT be included in the iteration list. All items from the iteration list that have not been added to the inclusion list will be iterated over in the generated batch.

▪ All items—When this option is selected, all items from the selected iteration list are included in the generated batch.

Caution

Selecting All items for a large iteration list will impact performance, as batches with a high number of iteration items take longer to complete.

8. In the Batch item section, click Add.

9. In the Add batch item drawer on the right side of the screen, select the report or packet that you want the batch to iterate over. By default, the drawer opens to the Favorites tab. To see available reports, switch to the All Reports tab. To see available packets, switch to the Packets tab. You can also use the fields at the top of the list to filter the reports by platform or by name and tag.

10. Complete the following fields and options, depending on whether you selected a report or a batch:

▪ If you selected a report, click the Variable () icon next to at least one of the parameters in the report and select the Item from iteration list option. Complete the remaining fields and options for the report as described in the Running Reports topic.

▪ If you selected a packet, enter the necessary packet parameters in the Parameters section for the packet. Ensure that at least one of the packet parameters is using the Item from iteration list variable type by clicking the Variable () icon next to at least one of the packet parameters and selecting the Item from iteration list option. For more information on setting up packet parameters, refer to the Managing Packet Parameters topic.

11. Click Add to finish adding your batch item.

12. To view or update batch settings such as the batch name, tags, and access settings, click the ellipses at the top of the Batch contents area, then click Batch settings. This page allows you to share your batch with other users.

13. Click Save to save any changes made to your batch.

14. To schedule this batch to generate in the future, click Schedule. The workflow for scheduling a batch is the same as the workflow for scheduling a report.

Caution

Any changes made to a batch's iteration list or batch item before its scheduled run time are included in the scheduled generation, including changes made by other users. See the "Important: About Sharing and Scheduling Batches" section above.

15. Click Generate. If you have unsaved changes to your batch, the button is called Save and generate instead. While the batch is generating, users can click Cancel in the viewer on the right to cancel the generation. Upon successful generation, the combined PDF output is displayed in the viewer on the right, where it can be downloaded or printed.

Note

When a batch is generated, the Batch item is generated once for each iteration value in the order they have been selected. The generated output is combined into a single PDF file that contains all iterations.

16. After generating a batch, the Share button becomes enabled. To share the batch over email or publish it to a database, click Share. The workflow for sharing a batch is the same as the workflow for sharing a report.

Modifying Batches

A list of the batches you have access to is shown in alphabetical order on the Batches tab of the Report Gateway Home page. By default, the Show only items I can run switch is set to On. This switch filters the batch list to show only the batches that you have access to run. In order to run a batch, a user must have access to the report or packet used by the batch.

Caution

Modifying a batch can affect scheduled instances of the batch, even for other users. See the "Important: About Sharing and Scheduling Batches" section above.

To modify the report or packet that the batch will iterate, follow these steps:

1. Click the batch that you want to modify from one of the following locations:

▪ The Home page in Report Gateway. Find a batch on the Favorites or Batches tab by scrolling through the list or typing in the Find in batches search field.

▪ The Recent items page in Report Gateway, by clicking Edit.

The Manage Batch page appears. The contents of the batch are listed on the left.

2. To edit the parameters of the batch item, click the Edit icon next to the report or packet in the Batch item section. The Edit batch item drawer opens.

▪ If you selected a report, make any desired changes to the data context and parameters for the report, then click Done. Ensure that at least one of the parameters is using the Item from iteration list variable type. For more information on completing report information, refer to the Running Reports topic.

▪ If you selected a packet, ensure that each report within the packet has at least one parameter using the Item from iteration list variable type. Then, enter the necessary packet parameters in the Parameters section and click Done. For more information on setting up packet parameters, refer to the Managing Packet Parameters topic.

3. To remove the report or packet selected in the Batch item section, click the Delete icon next to the batch item.

4. Click Save to save any changes to your batch.

To modify other batch settings, follow these steps:

1. Click the batch that you want to modify from one of the following locations:

▪ The Home page in Report Gateway. Find a batch on the Favorites or Batches tab by scrolling through the list or typing in the Find in batches search field.

▪ The Recent items page in Report Gateway, by clicking Edit.

2. Review the Iteration list section. To change the items you want the batch to iterate over, update the fields and settings in this section according to the instructions in the "Creating and Generating Batches" section above.

3. Click the ellipses at the top of the Manage Batch screen, then select one of the following options:

▪ Batch settings—Click to open the Batch Settings page to view or update settings. Only the owner of the batch or an authorization admin can update the fields on this page.

▪ Duplicate—Click to create a duplicate of the batch, with you as the owner. In the Duplicate batch window, enter a Batch name and add some Tags if desired, then click Duplicate.

▪ Delete—Click to delete the entire batch. On the confirmation window, click Delete to delete the batch.

Caution

Deleting a batch cannot be undone. When a batch is deleted, all users lose access to the batch, and any scheduled instances of the batch are cancelled. This includes instances that were scheduled by users with shared access.