Automated Events - Overview

The automated events feature can be used to execute a number of different types of events on a set schedule.  Select the Maintenance > Automated Events menu option to open the main automated events screen.

The automated events feature provides the option to create settings for automated reporting. The generated reports may be saved to a specific file or sent to an email recipient as an attachment.

Report settings may be created to run any report at a specified date and time or on a set interval. The report may then be sent to a specific file location on your system, or as an email attachment. Note that the Remote Sever must be running to facilitate automated events.

The message that the Remote Server is not running is highlighted in red – see screenshot below:

The Remote Server is running in the screenshot below:

Click the 'New Event' button at the bottom left of the window to get started!

New Event – Make a new event while working in the New Event window.

First, give the event a Title. This may be any name. Next, click the down pointing arrow to the right of the field for Event Type, and then click to select an option from the list. The Event Type list is program specific and may not be altered.

In the box under Event Type, enter a description for the event. Any data may be entered into the Description box.

Click on the Event Properties button to open the report event properties window. While working in the Automated Events window users may select reports to be run, set report filters, and select a destination for the report to be sent and saved.

Report Event Properties – Select report group and reports, set filters, set document format, select email destinations for the reports to be run or save to a directory.

Click the down pointing arrow to select a Report Group. Report Groups describe all of the reporting options available in FabSuite. Click to highlight a selection which best describes where your report would be found. Notice that there are options to select 'Multiple Job'. The Multiple Job option allows users to include reporting for more than one project.

After a Report Group has been selected, a prompt appears to select an email recipient or directory, depending on which tab is selected in the Automated Events' window.

After an email recipient or a directory location has been selected, reports may be selected and filters for those reports may be set.

To 'Send Email', click the 'Send Email' tab, changing the window to allow the user to enter the email data. Available selections are those which exist in the Address Book.

While in the 'Send Email' window, select a recipient, and then click the 'Add Recipient' to add the entry to the list in the bottom right of the window. Multiple entries may be installed. To remove a recipient, click to highlight a recipient in the list and then click the 'Remove Recipient' button.

When completed with adding recipients, click the 'OK' button at the bottom of the window. Note that in order for FabSuite to send emails an email account must be set up in the outgoing email settings screen.

To save the report to a file location on your system, click the tab for 'Save to Directory'. Click the blue square to the right of the empty field for 'Directory', opening the 'Browse for Folder' window.

Select a save location, and then click the 'OK' button at the bottom of the 'Browse for Folder' window to enter that file path into the directory window.

To the right of the Report Group option, select a Report Type. The Report type list will match those settings saved to a particular Report Group. When not using the Report Type option, click on the Select Reports button to continue.

Click the 'Select Reports' button to open the 'Select Reports' window:

Click to highlight a report in the left side of the window, and then click the single right pointing arrow to move the selection to the right or 'Included' side of the window. More than one report may be selected. Click the 'OK' button when finished, returning to the report event properties window.

While in the report event properties window, the Reports selected are listed to the left side of the window, and the locations the reports are to be saved or sent by email are shown to the right.

Export format options for the reports is shown at the bottom left of the window as PDF or EXCEL. Click to place a checkmark in the box for 'Show Company Logo' to show the company logo in the report.

While in the 'Automated Events' Window, click the 'Set Filters' button to create settings to filter report data. Click the 'OK' button at the bottom of the window when finished.

Click to highlight a filter selection in the list to have it appear in the box to the right side of the window

Select – to select specific options to filter by, click the 'Select' button under the box at the left side of the window.

Click on the center pointing arrows to move items to the 'Not Included' or 'Included' side of the Filter window. The single pointing arrows move only the highlighted item, and the double pointing arrows move all items at once.

When completed with filter selections, click the 'OK' button at the bottom, returning to the 'Filter Set' window.

Returning to the Filter Set window, the filter settings are highlighted in Green. When finished with setting filters, click the 'OK' button to save, returning to the 'Automated Events' window.

When completed with selecting reports, setting filters, and selecting where the reports are to be sent, click the 'OK' button at the bottom of the window, returning to the Event Details window.

The last steps with setting up an Automated Event involve setting the schedule by which the reports are to be run.

Repeat Type - Use the 'Repeat Type' settings to tell the program how often the report is to be run.

Selections there are by 'Interval' or 'Scheduled'. The 'Interval Units' selections are by Minutes, Hours, or Days.

After an interval unit has been selected, enter an associated value. For the example, Interval Units as 'Days' the value is set at '14' in the screenshot below. Click the 'Save' button when finished.

For Scheduled events, click the tab for 'Scheduled' in the Automated Event Details window to view the setting options.

Click to highlight a selection in the schedule window, and then click the 'Edit' button to view and reset the options.

Click the tab for Day of the Week or Day of the Month to view settings. For day of the week, click to checkmark the day or days, and then enter the time to run the report. When completed click the 'Save' button.

For the Day of the Month, enter the day number and the time, and then click the 'Save' button, returning to the 'Automated Event Details' window.

• Add – Click the 'Add' button to add another event date and time.
• Edit – Click to highlight an event in the list and then click the Edit button, opening the window in which to make changes.
• Delete – Click to highlight an event in the list and then click the 'Delete' button to delete the item.
• Save – When completed with this window, click the 'Save' button, returning to the Automated Events window.

Result History – Click the 'Result' History button to review the report run results. Error items will be highlighted in Red, and a brief reason for the error will appear in the column for Error Message. To see the specific error message information, click to highlight the error item, and then click the 'Details' button at the bottom right of the window.

The Automated Event Status window opens with the Details button has been clicked. See example below:

• New Event – To make a new Automated Event, click the 'New Event' button.
• Copy Event – To copy an event in the list, first, click to highlight an event and then click the 'Copy Event' button. The 'Automated Event Details' window opens, ready for new data to be entered.
• Event Properties – To edit properties for an event, first, click to highlight an event and then click the 'Event Properties' button to open the 'Automated Event Details' window, ready to edit the existing event properties.
• Run Event Now – To run an event, first, click to highlight an event in the list, and then click the 'Run Event Now' button. A 'Confirm' pop up window opens, click 'Yes' to continue.

The Status window opens as the report is being run.

Last Event Status – To view the last event status, first, click to highlight an event in the list, and then click the 'Last Event Status' button. The Automated Event Status window opens with the information regarding the last event.

Delete Event – To delete an Automated Event, first, click to highlight an event in the list and then click the 'Delete Event' button. The Automated Event will be deleted.