SLC schedules

There are two types of SLC schedules: calendar and duration.

An SLC calendar schedule is based on a calendar that specifies the days and dates that the schedule is in effect and the normal start range (NSR), normal end range (NER), or both, in which processing must occur. NSR defines a start and end time that describes when an activity is expected to begin (NSRs and NSRe). NER defines a start and end time that describes the window during which activity is expected to end (NERs and NERe).For example, you might set up an SLC schedule based on a Wednesday-only calendar and then specify that processing must start between 20:00 (NSRs) and 21:00 (NSRe) and end between 22:00 (NERs) and 23:00 (NERe).

This image is a visual demonstration of the schedule described in the previous paragraph.

For SLCs with calendar schedules, IBM® Sterling Control Center Monitor can monitor activity for a specified number of hours before and after the schedule requirements you define (window start and window end in the previous example). The monitoring schedule can be set up wider than the schedule to detect a start that is earlier or an end that is later than expected. You set this up using the Start/End Window Tolerance.

Whereas an SLC calendar schedule specifies a range of time (with a specific start, end, or both), a duration schedule specifies that processing can begin at any time. However, when it begins, it must be completed within a specified amount of time (hours, minutes, seconds). For example, processing must complete within 15 minutes of when a file transfer starts.

For duration schedules, IBM Sterling Control Center Monitor can monitor for a specified number of hours after the maximum duration is reached (end window tolerance). The monitoring schedule can be set up wider than the duration schedule to detect a duration that is longer than is expected.

Note: The concurrence count value associated with wildcard and workflow SLCs is handled differently by the SLC service. How the count is handled depends on the type of schedule associated with the SLC. For SLCs with a calendar schedule, the concurrence count value dictates how many instances the service expects to see, and events are generated so. For SLCs with a duration schedule, the concurrence count value dictates how many instances the service watches for simultaneously. Unlike SLCs with calendar schedules, “did not occur” events are not generated for SLCs with only duration schedules.