Running Contributor Macros / Admin Links using Manager

[Beast]

Has anybody had any joy in running admin links and contributor macros from a Manager screen ? Just been told that you can create an Analyst macro using the Run command but couldnt work it out using the help screen.  :( Any tips ?

[StuartS]

Hello

You can run a bat file from a manager screen.  If you are running on the "Server" and NOT a "Client" you can use the bat file to execute the file epMacroExecutor.exe found in ..\cognos\cer4\bin or ..\cognos\c8\bin.    If you are running on a client then your bat file will need to call a bat file located on the server.  This will execute Contributor Macros.

Have not tried running an admin link this way.

I use epMacroExecutor.exe combined with a bat file and windows scheduler to run an overnight macro in 8.1.  In a later version (8.3, 8.4) you can run macros from the Cognos Connection.

Note:  I mentioned server in the first paragraph as epMacroExecutor does not work on clients.

Hope this helps

Stuart

[Beast]

Thanks for that Stuart. All looks a bit too complicated for one with a simple mind like mine and a little outside of the core product from what I was thinking.

Had picked up on a comment that I'd seen on the website of an IBM Business Partner that read 'Now you can run any programme from a Manager scren by linking to an Analyst macro which uses the @Run macro command. For example....start Contributor Administration' and that 'Contributor Admin tasks can be fully automated (or run from a Manager screen)'.

It was way back in 2005 so might not be relevant anymore but thought I would ask as it would really assist in model maintenance.

Beast

[StuartS]

Hi

Looking at this macro it would appear that from my example it removes the need for a bat file.

So The Pathname in the macro would want to execute the ....bin\epmacroexecutor.exe file.  The Params would then have the parameters after this macro, e.g. /Macro=pad/pad_live/macro/xxxxxx.  Where xxxxx is the name of your macro.

I haven't tested this.

Note that the epmacroexecutor file must be executed on the server.

This may mean that you have the option of using this @run command to execute a bat file on the server which in turn runs your epmacroexecutor file.

For info the contents of the bat file I have which works

"C:\Program Files\Cognos\cer4\bin\epMacroExecutor" /Macro=pad/pad_live/macro/AFTBP Schedule

Where pad_live is the name of my pad and AFTBP Schedule is the name of my macro.

It seems complicated but once you've got one working then its very slick.

Note reference your comment.  What you read is still relevant as manager has not really changed.

Hope this helps.

Stuart

[DavidSmith]

I agree, once you've got one working using the syntax as above, all you need to do is change the name of the macro
It works really well for automatically running synchronises, data loads and GTPs all from the manager screen
You call a CAC macro that in turns can call an analyst macro etc

Also you can write a CAC macro to run admin links and then call this from the manager screen

The only limitation I have found it that the epmacroexecutor.exe doesn't work in a citrix environment
Dave