The Job Scheduler can be operated using its own, built-in, web-based graphical user interface (GUI). Instructions for accessing this interface were provided in the "Operation with a Browser" section of this chapter (above).

This interface is automatically installed and updated with the Job Scheduler installation package.

The Job Scheduler GUI is configured in the custom.js datei, which is to be found in the Job Scheduler installation directory\config\html directory

This interface is intended for the operation of the Job Scheduler - i.e. starting, monitoring and stopping the Job Scheduler itself, jobs & job chains, orders, and any locks and Job Schedulers operating in a cluster.
This interface should not be confused with the Job Scheduler Editor, which is a GUI used to configure the Job Scheduler itself, jobs & job chains, orders using XML. (Note that the Job Scheduler Editor can be called up from the Job Scheduler GUI. This is described below.)
The Job Scheduler GUI should also not be confused with the Managed Jobs Administration interface, which is a part of the Job Scheduler Managed Jobs package. The Managed Jobs Administration interface is a GUI for the creation and monitoring jobs, job chains & orders and comes with a user administration. Further information about the Managed Jobs Administration interface can be found in the »Managed Jobs Documentation«.

When first opened, the Job Scheduler GUI appears as shown in the screenshot below and comprises three areas:

• An upper menu bar, where the general configuration of the interface (language & update) is carried out; any monitoring functions the Job Scheduler is to carry out is shown and the configuration of the Job Scheduler itself in the XML configuration file is shown.
  Note that here the XML configuration file is shown "read-only" - to change the configuration, the Job Scheduler Editor or an alternative XML editor should be used which has access to the Job Scheduler installation directory.
• A central menu and status bar, providing access to the most important Job Scheduler menus and status information about the operation of the Job Scheduler.
  The "Update periodically" checkbox and the "Update" button are used to update the information shown in the web interface either at regular intervals (when the checkbox is selected) or manually, as required (using the button). The interval with which the regular updates of the interface are carried out is set using the Settings dialog, which is accessed via the "Extras" button.
• A working area initially showing a list of the jobs configured for the Job Scheduler, which can be used to provide information about other aspects of the Job Scheduler operation such as the job chains, process classes and locks by selecting the appropriately named menu tabs. Note that, should, for example, no locks be configured then the "Locks" menu tab will not be shown.

The main menu for the operation of the Job Scheduler is shown in the next screenshot:

Detailed information about the state of one of the jobs listed in the main working area of the interface can be obtained by clicking on the name of the job. This causes the right hand part of this area to divide and additional areas showing status information about the job, about the task and about the taks queue to be displayed as can be seen in the screen shot below:

The job status area also contains a menu providing the main commands necessary for controlling the job as shown in the next screen shot:

The "Show description" item in the menu opens a new browser window containing the job description. Job descriptions such as the one shown below can be written with the Job Editor. This editor combines documentation of the job, its configuration and a generate function, where the job can be newly generated after changes to its configuration have been made. It is so integrated in the Job Scheduler installation that the Job Scheduler automatically takes account of changes in a job configuration without having to be restarted.

The documentation for the Job Editor can be read in the Job Documentation Editor tutorial.

Information about tasks carrying out a job is shown in the task area of the interface as shown in the next screen shot:

A task menu is provided as shown in the following screen shot:

Information about any errors occuring in the execution of a job is shown in the interface job area:

If the Job Scheduler is part of a Job Scheduler cluster, providing backup, monitoriung and fail-over features, a corresponding "Cluster" menu tab will be shown in the main working area of the interface. As can be seen in the next screen shot, a button is provided to a menu for configuring cluster related aspects of the Job Scheduler operation:

The principles for using the Job Scheduler GUI and which have been described in conjunction with the features shown in the preceeding screen shots are followed for the aspects of the interface which have not been shown in the screen shots. This means, for example, that use of the job chain part of the interface should follow intuitively.

Detailed information about the configuration and operation of the Job Scheduler can be found in the following sections of this documentation:

• The XML Configuration of the Job Scheduler.
• Jobs and Job Chains.
• Orders.
• Log files and errors.
• Error messages.