What does a Work List do and how would you use it?

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Over time I have been asked several times what a Work List is and what is its purpose. A Work List provides a list of actions or commands to be submitted to a Connect:Direct server. The Work List can submit processes, commands to Send or Receive a file, execute a Run Task, execute a Run Job, or execute a local system command or program.

Once the work List is created you can use it to submit all items in the Work List to the Connect:Direct Server at the same time or only selected items. One caveat here, you cannot automate the execution of a Work List.

As an example of a Work List, I have created one containing a submit of a process, a Send/Receive, a Run Task, and the execution of a batch file. The text representation follows:

 SET

      AutoMonitor=TRUE

      SerialExecution=TRUE

 SUBMIT

_SubSub_ PROCESS

      SNODE=HAZELR.CD470

 SUBMIT FILE="C:\Program Files (x86)\Sterling Commerce\Connect Direct v4.7.0\Server\Process\mainblog.cdp"

PEND

 SUBMIT

/*BEGIN_REQUESTER_COMMENTS

    $PNODE$="HAZELR.CD470" $PNODE_OS$="Windows"

    $SNODE$="HAZELR.CD470" $SNODE_OS$="Windows"

    $OPTIONS$="WDOS"

  END_REQUESTER_COMMENTS*/

SendRecv PROCESS

      SNODE=HAZELR.CD470

 COPY

      FROM (

            FILE=C:\temp\config.txt

      )

      TO (

            FILE=C:\temp1\test_config.txt

      )

PEND

 SUBMIT

RunTask PROCESS

      SNODE=HAZELR.CD470

 RUN TASK PNODE (PGM=Windows)

      SYSOPTS="cmd(c:\batches\WorkList.bat)"

PEND

 RUN FILE=C:\batches\onTheFly.cmd

You might think that's nice but what does it do for me? Does your organization have a large number of scheduled processes running in Connect:Direct? If you have tens or hundreds of scheduled processes, the creation of a Work List can be a real time saver if for any reason you have to do a cold start of Connect:Direct, or flush the TCQ ( Transmission Control Queue) for any reason. When a cold start is done, in addition to resetting the process number to 1, the TCQ is flushed. The TCQ controls the execution of scheduled processes meaning you have to resubmit all of the scheduled processes. If you have a Work List you simply execute the Work List and it will submit all of the processes, thereby you execute only one command rather than tens or hundreds of commands.

If you have several processes that you routinely execute manually, put them in a Work List. You can then execute all of the processes at once or in groups based your selections.

Once you have created your Work List, make sure to maintain it by adding any new scheduled processes that you create to the Work List.