Can multiple PR530 jobs run at once?

Not sure about 9.0 since I know a lot of changes occurred from 8.1, but PR530 form help in 8.1 says : Note The CSV file for this program MUST be pre-sorted by company, batch number, and employee.

**Processing Effect
The system creates Batch status time records by reading a comma separated value (CSV) file created from a non-Lawson time record system.

PR530 can create multiple batches of time records from the same time record interface file and then process them into the Payroll system by a specific batch or for all batches.

Best to check your form help, but I think you're good to go.

Thanks Stephanie. Our form help has a very similar comment.

My impression from reading it was that it could create multiple batches from a single input file, but I'm not sure about creating multiple batches from multiple input files in separate jobs at the same time. It just concerns me having multiple update jobs populating the same table at the same time. Maybe I'm just being over-cautious.

I absolutely understand being over cautious - I, too, am the same way, probably to my detriment at times. I don't suppose you have a test system to check it out with a couple of files? pgmdef shows it can be run concurrently - I would think with the sort, and batch number preceding employee number, it should be OK. Good luck

I would just like to add that you will need to think about the location of your PRTRCSV file. I think the default for the PR530 is the work directory. You may need to change the location that the PR530 pulls from on the specific job you are running. You can do that from jobdef and csv attributes. But, if your users are using LS9 security, they will not be able to do that themselves. Or at least I don't think so. If someone knows a way to do that, I'd be interested.

Thanks Stephanie and Margie,

I do have a test system, and we can run some test files to see how it goes. My concern is that somehow the users always manage to do something that wouldn't even occur to me to test for. I think you're right, though. As long as they use different batch numbers and everything is keyed correctly, it should work fine.

We are creating separate jobs with different file locations for each of our processing groups. You're right about users not being able to do it themselves - we only have a few people (like 3) with LID access who can do that setup, which is painful - particularly when we have something like 30 processing groups and 12 processors...ugh. This is a huge oversight by Lawson - this should be available via Portal, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Hi Kelly - I guess on the bright side, you'll only need to set up the jobdefs once... and of course, any time your processors or groups change (grimace - if you're anything like here, that's constant). I have to admit, though - I wouldn't want our users to be able to set up jobdefs, or similar items. So many users here know just enough to be dangerous, I'd rather be a control freak and take care of it now, to save on problems later!! If you're putting the files in a home directory, you can use the jobdef copy function - that should save at least some time. Good luck

Hi Stephanie - Yep, we only have to set them up once, but you're right - things change constantly here. I see your point about users setting up jobdefs - it would be scary. My concern is that they (the PR folks) will forget that we have to do this step when they add a new person or a proc group, and waste a lot of time trying to figure out why it isn't working...but I can't control that.

We haven't had much luck with the jobdef copy - it seems that the parameters and such are copied, but the csv setup isn't. Am I missing a step or something? We aren't pointing to files in a home directory, but the setup for each processing group will be identical for all the users. We're pointing them to a folder that everyone has rights to, and that is set up with a read-only Samba share so they can "see" the files in Windows (we're on Unix).

We'll get it working...it'll just take some time.

When you say the csv setup isn't copied - I don't understand. Are you saying that the "jobstep csv workfile attribute definitions" aren't updating? Or something else? Feel free to contact me off line at stephanie.harris@mail.house.gov

Oops - you're right, Stephanie. I just checked. The LID jobdef copy works. It's the Portal "Inquire on existing job, change name, and add" that doesn't work. Thanks!

Two thumbs up!! Who said Monday's were the worst day of the week? Oh - that's right. Today's TUESDAY.