RE: Workstation Data Areas

We have implemented the following system which is OK for now:
 - Lock all user out of the workstation data area (they can't modify it)
 - Strict security on all spool files
 - All workstation data areas point to a single output queue
(BPCSUSO/BPCSOUTQ)
 - A monitor program that verifies the contents of the associated data queue
and perform different tasks based on the name of the spool file 
        .Move the document to a 3rd party - NT based - spool file parser
(this is for invoices, POs, etc. - which are documents we reformat
entirely),
        .Delete some spool files on the spot - QPRINT, NEWI stuff
        .Remove some spool files from users' view by sending them to an
"admin" user (Job log, etc.)

 - We are installing SAVOUTQ to manage what's left so we can archive spool
files as needed (the restore facility is great and SAVOUTQ is free)
 - We have provided all users with a tool called Compleo to manage their
spool files from the PC. This is a client/server tool that allows them to
download the  spool file in a word document, stored the spool file on their
PC and otherwise manage the spool file the way they would with wrksplf. It
is licensed based on the As/400 and allows unlimited number of users.
Company selling the product is Symtrax (www.symtrax.com).

 We are planning to extend the Data Q monitoring to provide more
functionality that will allow users to route documents to printers based on
the name of the spool file and the user that created it (e.g. Credit Hold
report for Montreal user always goes to the Montreal Finance 2nd floor
printer, etc.)

 This does not require any mods to BPCS which is our religion. This has been
relatively simple to implement but will require a bit of maintenance to
setup spool files / users' group  -> printers mapping.

Marc Chartrand
Eicon Technology
-----Original Message-----
From: MacWheel99@aol.com [mailto:MacWheel99@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 1999 4:06 PM
To: BPCS-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: Workstation Data Areas


Check the Logic Manual in BPCS On-Line Documentation - there are tons of
work 
areas created for all sorts of purposes, based on work station name - you 
never want a base name longer than 8 characters.

We have the added headaches that: 

we are not interested in the tons of audit trail reports generated by BPCS 
updates, so as a general rule we just put everything on hold, and let users 
release as needed, what they want, moving it to relevant printer if 
neccessary;

we have groups of people within departments who need to extract each other's

reports; so I made the user group able to look at anyone's reports & tell 
everyone that there is no such thing as a confidential report, so watch what

you leave on hold indefinitely;

users responding to printer "error" messages have a tendency of not reading 
the message & assuming the message is the more common one of "unneccessary" 
alignment, so we changed all printer defaults to not ask for alignment
unless 
absolutely called for.

Every night after backup, I clear the joblogs printer spool unless someone 
has reported to me some problem needing our attention.  I would like to be 
doing the same to some user print spools, if we only had some rules of thumb

which can be deleted how fast --- eg. modify ORD500 CL to send audit trail
to 
a spool that will be purged regularly.

Al Macintyre
Programmer
Central Industries

old = http://www.evansville.net/~cenelec (Webmaster = Joe)
new = http://www.cen-elec.com (Webmaster = Jason)
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