WebScheduler

SV 9.0 ©Copyright 2009 - Reproduction prohibited

Installing the Web Scheduler
The Web Scheduler must be installed on the same PC as the Supervisor. The only pre-requisites are that the Web
enabled version of the Supervisor must already be installed and that the PC fully met its pre-requisites.
The Web Scheduler installation is started from the Add-ons menu of the Supervisor's distribution media. An instal-
lation wizard guides you through the installation process. The only user selectable option is the folder in which the
components are installed.
As part of the installation process, shortcuts to start both the run-time and configuration components of the Web
Scheduler are added to the Supervisor's program group.

The run-time component of the Web Scheduler is normally started automatically when the PC starts.

Requirements for the Supervisor and Project

Supervisor
To use the Web Scheduler, the Web enabled version of the Supervisor must be installed fully meeting its instal-
lation pre-requisites.

Project
The Supervisor's project that is being used with the Web Scheduler has the following requirements.

l The Web Services toolkit must be set up using the Toolkit Server tab of the Web Server configuration dialog.
(Configuration.Communication.WebVue server)
l At least one WebVue enabled user account (profile and user) must be configured.

Do not call the Supervisor's project WebScheduler, since that will create a virtual directory with the same
name as the one used by the Web Scheduler and prevent it from operating correctly.

Run-time engine
The Supervisor does not need to be running to start and run the Web Scheduler's run-time engine as it only con-
nects to the Supervisor when it executes an action collection or updates the (optional) watchdog variable.
If the Supervisor is not running when the run-time engine tries to connect an error will be generated in the run-
time log.

Configuration tool
The Supervisor must be running with a suitable project before the configuration tool is started as the first action it
takes is to connect to the Supervisor using the user name and password of a WebVue enabled user account.

How the Web Scheduler Works

The Web Scheduler forces the values of variables in the Supervisor's variable database according to a configurable
schedule. The process of forcing a variable's value is known as an action.
The Web Scheduler has two components.

l A configuration tool that runs in a web browser.

l A run-time engine that communicates with the Supervisor and tells it when, and to what value, to force its
variables.
 The Web Scheduler's configuration is independent of the Supervisor's project configuration. While it is pos-
sible to have several projects for the Supervisor on the same PC, it is only possible to have one con-
figuration for the Scheduler.

About the actions and schedule

An action can force the value of bit, register or text variable. Actions are grouped together in an action collection
that can contain one or more actions that will be executed in sequence.
The schedule can contain one or more triggers and exceptions. A single trigger can initiate one or several action col-
lections. Triggers can be configured as single shot, hourly, daily or weekly, or according to a weekly time-table.
Exceptions override the operation of triggers by either blocking them completely, or replacing them with an alter-
native trigger and/or action collection. There are two types of exceptions, one type is attached to a specific trigger,
the other is global and applies to all triggers.

About the configuration tool

The configuration tool runs in a Web browser on any device that has an intranet or Internet connection to the host
PC. The installation process creates a virtual directory so that you can start the configuration tool using the same
URL independent of its physical location on the host PC.
The configuration tool communicates with the Supervisor, mainly for the purpose of browsing its variable data-
base, using the Supervisor's Web Services (also known as the WebServices Toolkit).
The schedule produced by the configuration tool and then used by the run-time engine is saved in an XML file on the
host PC.

About the run-time engine

The run-time engine runs on the same PC as the Supervisor and communicates with it using the Supervisor's Web
Services. The engine runs continuously but only connects to the Supervisor when it needs to send it an action. The
run-time engine reads the schedule of actions from the XML file produced by the configuration tool.
Configuring the Web Scheduler

Starting the Web Scheduler's Configurator

You can run the Web Scheduler configuration tool while the Web Scheduler's run-time engine is running.
However the language settings are only applied at start-up.
As the configuration tool is Web based you start it from an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox.
Its URL is
http://<Host PC name>/WebScheduler
where <Host PC name> is the name or IP address of the PC on which it was installed. For example:
http://Platform1/WebScheduler
If you want to run the configuration on the PC where the WebScheduler and the Supervisor were installed you can
substitute the PC name with LocalHost or use the shortcut that the installation created in the Windows' Start menu.

The Supervisor must be running so that its Web Services can let you log in as follows.
Before you can use the configuration tool you must log in using the User name and Password of a user
account that is WebVue enabled in the Supervisor.
The configuration tool opens with two panes. The left pane always displays the configuration tree and the right
pane displays the configuration item selected from the configuration tree. After login the right pane displays Wel-
come information. Show picture

Login options

l Language - Selects the language for the configuration tool. This effects the static texts that are displayed and
the format of the date and time entry fields. If you leave the Language setting at [default] the locale will be
taken from the host operating system.
l Enable automatic login on this machine - If ticked the User name and Password are saved in a cookie. The
next time the configuration tool is started you are automatically logged in.

Action collections
The Action Collection Overview
To open the Action Collections Overview pane click Action collections in the configuration tree. The pane displays a
list of configured action collections and their status. Show picture

From the Action Collections Overview you can directly change the status of an action collection or display its details
(by clicking on its name).

Changing the status of an action collection

Starting from an action collection that is enabled.

l
To disable an action collection click the disable button. The disable button is then replaced with the ena-
ble and delete buttons .
l
To enable a disabled action collection click the enable button .
l
To permanently delete an action collection click the delete button .

Viewing and Editing an Action Collection

To open the View Action Collections pane click View action collections in the configuration tree. The pane initially
appears with the configuration of the first action collection that was created. To select the configuration of other
action collections use the drop down list box to select the action collection name name. The selected collection
appears as a list of actions. Show picture

Editing action collections

You can edit an existing action collection as follows.

1. Click on the Edit button to open the action collection for editing.
2. You can perform the same operations as when you add a new action collection, as follows. 

Add action
Edit action
Delete action

3. You can click the Save button to apply your changes to the action collection.
4. To create a new action collection from the original, enter a new name in the drop-down box then click the
Save button. The original action collection is unaffected.

Moving an action collection to or from the trashcan

l
You can click on the Trashcan button to delete the selected action collection.
l
The Trashcan button turns into a Restore from trashcan button . If you change your mind or deleted the
action collection by mistake, you can click on that button to restore it.
 l To delete an action collection permanently, it must first be put into the trashcan. You then click on the Delete
button to delete it.

An action collection that is currently in trash is still displayed normally but cannot be used for new
triggers and exceptions.

Adding an Action Collection

1. From the configuration tree in the left pane, select Create Action Collection. A new empty action collection is
displayed in the right pane. Show picture

2. Click the Add action button to add an action. A dialog is displayed from where you can select the name of the
variable and enter the value to which it will be set. See the table below for an explanation of what you can
 do. Show picture

3. When you have selected the variable and the value to which it is to be set click the OK button.
4. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the action collection is complete.
5. Enter a Name for the action collection and click the Save button.

Variables, actions and values

The following variables and actions are available.
Variable Action Value
Bit Choice of On, Off or Reverse (If On set Off and vice versa)
Register Set to Sets the register to the specified value
Add Adds the specified value to the register's current value
Subtract Subtracts the specified value from the register's current value
Text Sets the text to the specified string.
You can optional make the action pulsed by entering a value in the Reset after ... seconds field and entering a reset
value. If the Reset after ... seconds field is 0 then reset is disabled.

Making changes before you save

You can make changes or delete any of the actions you have selected, before you save the action collection, using
the buttons in the adjacent to each action.

l
Click the Edit button to edit an action.
l
Click the Delete button to delete the action.
Triggers
The Triggers Overview
To open the Trigger Overview pane click Triggers in the configuration tree. The pane displays a list of configured
triggers their status. Show picture

From the Trigger Overview you can directly change the status of a Trigger or display its details (by clicking on its
name).

Changing the status of a trigger

Starting from a trigger that is enabled.

l
To disable a trigger click the disable button. The disable button is then replaced with the enable and
delete buttons .
l
To enable a disabled trigger click the enable button .
l
To permanently delete a trigger click the delete button .

Viewing and Editing Triggers

To open the View or Edit Triggers pane click View triggers in the configuration tree. The pane initially appears with
the configuration of the first trigger that was created. To select the configuration of other triggers use the Trigger
drop down list box to select the trigger name. Show picture

By default the View or edit trigger pane displays the general properties of the trigger. You can display the trigger
schedule from the Schedule button or the trigger exceptions from the Exceptions button.
For information on the properties available see the topics Adding a single shot or repeating trigger and Adding a
time-table standard week trigger.

Adding a Single Shot or Repeating Trigger

Single shot and repeating triggers are configured in a similar manner whilst table-scheduled triggers are different.

1. Click on Create Trigger in the left-hand menu to open the Trigger Wizard pane.
2. Select the option Create a single shot or repeating trigger then click on Continue. Show picture
To create a single or recurring trigger, you must provide the following information. Show picture
 l Trigger name - A name for the trigger.
l Repeat - The frequency of repetition, if any. If you choose a repeating basis, the pane changes.

Setting The trigger is executed at the specified time

Once Only On a single occasion (single shot).
Hourly A first time and every 60 minutes after that.
Daily A first time and every 24 hours after that.
Weekly A first time and every 7 days after that.

l Valid from - The date and time from which a repeating trigger is valid. You can tick the box Now to select the 
current date and time.
l Valid to - A date and time until which the repeating trigger is valid to, or click the Forever checkbox to create
a trigger that never expires.
l Execution - The time (and optionally day or date depending on the repeat type) at which the action collection
is executed.
l Action - The action collection that is to be executed.

Activating a trigger
 1. Click the Save button. Your input is confirmed.
2. The wizard presents the configuration of the newly created trigger. Show picture

The trigger is now complete and active.

Adding exceptions
Optionally, you can add exceptions to the trigger by clicking the Add exceptions button.   See the book on Trigger
Exceptions for how to do that.
Adding a Time-table Standard Week Trigger
Time-table scheduled triggers consist of events that are executed on a specified time and day of the week. A single
time-table trigger can execute, in a single week, one or several action collections, once or several times.

1. Click on Create Trigger in the left-hand menu to open the Trigger Wizard pane.
2. Select the option Create a time-table standard week then click on Continue. Show picture
The pane Create a Time-table Standard Week opens. Show picture
The toolbar

Adding new events

1. Click the add (+) symbol in the toolbar or double-click the timetable. A dialog will open asking for the fol-
lowing information for the event. Show picture

The day of the week

The time of day
The action collection
 2. Click OK to insert the event in the timetable.
3. Repeat stages 1 and 2 until you have added all events.

Removing scheduled events

To remove an event click on it in the timetable and then click on the minus ('-') symbol in the toolbar.

Confirming and saving the time table

1. Once you have finished scheduling the events, click the green save ('tick') symbol in the toolbar. The Create
a Time-Table Standard Week pane is displayed. Show picture

2. Enter a name for the trigger.

3. Enter the Valid from and Valid to date and times (or you can select Now and Forever)
 4. Click the Save button to save the trigger. The wizard presents the configuration of the newly created trigger.
Show picture

The trigger is now complete and active.

Adding exceptions
Optionally, you can add exceptions to the trigger by clicking the Add exceptions button. See the book on Trigger
Exceptions for how to do that.

Exceptions
The Exceptions Overview
To open the Exceptions Overview pane click Exceptions in the configuration tree. The pane displays a list of con-
figured exceptions their status. Show picture

From the Exceptions Overview you can directly change the status of an exception or display its details (by clicking
on its name).

Changing the status of an exception

Starting from an exception that is enabled.

l
To disable an exception click the disable button. The disable button is then replaced with the enable
and delete buttons .
l
To enable a disabled exception click the enable button .
l
To permanently delete an exception click the delete button .

Viewing and Editing Exceptions

To open the View or Edit Exceptions pane click View exceptions in the configuration tree. The pane initially appears
with the configuration of the first exception that was created. To select the configuration of other exceptions use
the Exception drop down list box to select the exception name. Show picture

By default the View or edit exceptions pane displays the general properties of the exception. You can display the
exception schedule from the Schedule button.
For information on the properties available see the topic Adding an exception to a trigger.

Global exceptions are clearly marked as such.

Adding a Single Shot Exception

The Single Shot Trigger Exception configuration pane is opened from the Exceptions button of the View or Edit
Triggers pane. Show picture

At the foot of the pane there are three choices for adding an exception.

l Select an existing exception.

l Creating a single shot exception.
l Creating a time-table exception.

Selecting an existing exception

When selecting an existing exception you are presented with a drop down list of exceptions that have been gen-
erated for other triggers. You can choose to make a copy or use the original.
Choice Effects
Creates a new exception that is identical to the exception that is copied. Any changes you make t
Creating a copy
the new exception do not affect the original exception.
The original exception is assigned to the current trigger. Any assignments to other triggers are
Using the original unaffected. When this exception is changed, the changes apply to all triggers to which it is
assigned.

Creating a single shot exception

Creates a new single shot exception. A single shot exception behaves and is configured in an almost identical way
to a single shot or repeating trigger except that you have the option of no action collection. See the topic Adding a
single shot or repeating trigger for more information.

Although the exception itself is single shot (it does not repeat) it can contain single shot or repeating actions.

Creating a time-table exception

Creates a new time-table exception. A time-table exception behaves and is configured in an almost identical way
to a time-table trigger except that you have the option of no action collection. See the topic Adding a time-table sin-
gle week trigger for more information.

Adding a Global Exception

Global exceptions are created and edited in a manner similar to that for trigger exceptions. However you start
directly from the configuration tree rather than via the triggers pane.

1. In the left-hand menu, click on Create Global Exception. The Create Global Exception pane opens. Show pic-
ture
 2. Click on Create a single shot global exception or Create a time-table global exception.

Create a single shot global exception

The pane Create a New Global Exception is displayed. Show picture
1. You are asked to enter the following information.
l Exception name - A name for the exception.

l Valid from - The date and time from which an exception is valid. You can tick the box Now to select the 

current date and time.

l Valid to - A date and time until which the exception is valid to, or click the Forever checkbox to create

an exception that never expires.

l Select Do nothing or Change action and timing.
 2. If you select Change action and timing, the pane asks for further information. Show picture

l Repeat: the frequency of repetition, if any. If you choose a repeating basis, the pane changes.
l An Execution time, that is the time of day at which the action collection is executed.
l Action: the action collection that is to be executed.

Creating a time-table global exception

The pane Create New Global Exception is displayed.

Adding a new event

1. Click the plus (+) symbol in the toolbar or double-click the timetable. A dialog will open asking for the fol-
lowing information for the event.

The day of week.

The time of day. 
The action collection.

2. Click OK to insert the event in the timetable.

Removing scheduled events

 l Select an event by clicking on it and then click on the minus ('-') symbol in the toolbar. 

Confirming the events

l Once you have finished scheduling the events, click the green Accept button in the toolbar.

Specifying exceptions
In the next dialog, you will be asked for details as follows. Show picture

Day of the week.

A Time. 
An Action Collection.

l Click the Save button to confirm the settings.

The calendar shows the event at the specified day and time. Show picture
Activating an exception

1. Click the Save button. Your input is confirmed.

2. The wizard presents the configuration of the newly created exception.

The exception is now complete and active.

Using the Calendar Tool
The calendar provides an overview of all triggers and exceptions, with a summary of the times when events are
due to be executed. To open the calendar tool select Calendar in the configuration tree. The calendar initially opens
displaying the current week in a view known as the Week View. Show picture
Color coding of the texts
The texts in the calendar are color coded according to the type of event.
Type of event Color
Belonging to a trigger Blue
Trigger exception Purple
Global exception Red

Navigating in the calendar

The calendar displays a whole week, starting with a Monday, or a single day. The controls for navigation are along
the top. Show picture

You can select a particular date by clicking on the box Choose a Date to open a pop-up month index. Click on a date
to view its events. Show picture

When you select a single date in either Week View or Week Day View, the week containing that date is dis-
played.
 l Two buttons are visible at a time for displaying a Week View, a Week Day View and a Day View. The name of
the current view is not shown.
Week View: one cell for each day of one week.
Week Day View: one cell for each hour of each day of one week.
Day View: one cell for each hour of one day.
Double-click on an event in the calendar to open the View Trigger pane or the View Exception pane, depend-
ing on the type of event. See the topics Viewing and Editing Triggers and Viewing and Editing Exceptions for
how to use these.
l Navigate within the calendar by clicking the arrowheads on the long button (a time-period navigation bar). In
the Week and Week Day views, they display the previous or next week. In the Day view, they display the pre-
vious or next day. Show picture

The Week Day View is as follows. Show picture

The Day View is as follows. Show picture
Running the Web Scheduler

Starting the Run-time Engine

A shortcut to the Web Scheduler's run-time engine is placed in the Windows' Startup program folder during the
installation process therefore it will start automatically whenever Windows is started. While it is running an icon
appears in the Windows' System Tray. Show picture

l Double-click on the icon will display the run-time engine's log window and configuration menu.

Starting the run-time engine manually

If the run-time engine has been stopped it can be manually restarted from its shortcut in the Windows' Start menu.

Configuring the Run-time Engine

You can configure the Web Scheduler's run-time engine while it is running. However the language and roll-
back settings are only applied at start-up.
The first time that the run-time engine is started it is un-configured and the Settings dialog automatically appears.
Show picture
The dialog can also be opened from the Settings command in the run-time engine log window. So that the run-time
engine is able to connect to the Supervisor you must enter the user name and password of a WebVue enabled
account in the Supervisor's project.

Selecting the language for the run-time engine

The language that the run time engine uses to display its messages and other text can be selected from the Lan-
guage list box. At the time of writing the following languages were supported.

English
German
French
Spanish
Italian
Japanese
Russian
Chinese (Simplified)
Latvian

Entering the name of a watchdog variable

You can optionally enter the name of one of the Supervisor's register variables for use as a watchdog. The run-
time engine will increment the register approximately once a minute and it can be used by the Supervisor's appli-
cation to check that the run-time engine is running.

Recovery Behavior
The Roll back all events since last shutdown tickbox determines how the application behaves at startup. When the
option is ticked, at start-up the run-time engine will play all triggers that were scheduled during the time the
engine was shutdown.

Use this option with caution as it could result in a considerable number of actions in a short period of time.

The Run-time Log

The run-time log records messages according to the run-time engine's activity. Each message starts with a key-
word indicating the severity.
Text Meaning
INFO Produced when operating normally and do not indicate a problem.
WARN Produced when there is a non-critical error.
ERROR Produced when there is a critical error.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I force my web browser to use a different language than the one used by the operating sys-
tem?
If you choose to use the default language in the WebScheduler it will take its language settings from the Web
Browser. You can force the Web Browser to use a language other than that of the operating system using the fol-
lowing method.

l For Internet Explorer - From the Tools menu select the Options command. You can select the preferred lan-
guage in the General tab.
l For Mozilla Firefox - From the Tools menu select the Options command. You can select the preferred lan-
guage in the Content tab.

How do I integrate the WebScheduler into one of the Supervisor's mimics?

1. Paste the MS Web Browser ActiveX control into a mimic.

2. Use VBA and the Navigate2 method, with the location of the WebScheduler as a parameter, to force the Web
Browser to display the Web Scheduler. This could be done on a button or when the mimic opens.
Private Sub Mimic_Open()
WebBrowser1.Navigate2 ("http://localhost/WebScheduler")
End Sub

How do I restrict access to certain parts of the Web Scheduler

Version 1.0 of the Web Scheduler does not incorporate any user rights management and if the user is allowed to
login then he/she has access to everything.
However, if you open the Web Scheduler in a mimic you can direct the user to specific pages using a pre-defined
set of URL arguments. When using these arguments the navigation menu is not displayed so denying access to
other areas of the Web Scheduler.
Argument 1 Value Argument 2 Type / Value Arg 3 Values Arg 4 Valu
mode viewtriggers
createtrigger
edittrigger triggerid Long
viewexceptions
editexception exceptionid Long
createtriggerexception triggerid Long
createglobalexception
viewactioncollections
createactioncollection
editactioncollection actioncollectionid long
calendar
calendar day Int / 0 to 31 month Int / 1 to 12 year Int

Examples
http://localhost/webscheduler/?mode=edittrigger&triggerid=5
http://localhost/webscheduler/delault.aspx?mode=calendar&day=23&month=10&year=2009
http://192.168.2.30/webscheduler/?mode=createglobalexception

How often does the Web Scheduler read the configuration database
The Web Scheduler run-time reads the database every 60 seconds as long as a connection to the Supervisor is
available. Therefore changing the configuration, using the Web Scheduler configuration tool or by some other
means, has an immediate effect.

How can I restrict access to the Web Scheduler database?

By default the database is saved as plain text meaning that it is relatively straightforward for a third party to
access and change it. You can change it to a non plain text format by editing the Web Scheduler's configuration
files as follows.

1. In the WebScheduler folder open the web.config file and replace the section
<setting name="DatabaseType" serializeAs="string">
<value>Xml</value>
</setting>
with
<setting name="DatabaseType" serializeAs="string">
<value>SqLite</value>
</setting>

2. In the Runtime folder open the WebScheduler.Runtime.exe.config file and replace the section
<add key="DatabaseType" value="Xml" />
with
<add key="DatabaseType" value="SqLite" />

Can I change the appearance of the Web Scheduler configuratoion tool?

The only thing that can be changed is the appearance of the calendar.

l Beginning of the work day.

(type = minutes, range 0 to 1439, default 00:00)
l End of the work day
(type = minutes, range 0 to 1439, default 23:59)
l Show weekend days
(type = boolean, default = true)

To adjust these settings open the web.config file in the WebScheduler folder and edit the following lines.
<setting name="EndWorkDay" serializeAs="String">
<value>1439</value>
</setting>
<setting name="StartWorkDay" serializeAs="String">
<value>0</value>
</setting>
<setting name="ShowWeekendDays" serializeAs="String">
<value>True</value>
</setting>

How does the Web Scheduler run-time log file work?

The Web Scheduler run-time produces one log file per day. By default it logs every message. Log files are stored in
the sub-folder „Log Files“. Log files are deleted after one year (365 days).
Does the Web Scheduler support redundancy?
Redundancy is not supported in version 1.0.
You can install the Web Scheduler on two different stations but the databases of the two instances are not syn-
chronized automatically and there is no mechanism to automatically direct the configuration tool to a particular
Web Scheduler web server.