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ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager

The ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager is a GUI-based tool used when the Scout is run in Configuration Manager mode. The tool allows you to easily schedule two scout data collection cycles and integration. It is primarily designed to synchronize data collection for use with AppClarity and Shopping.

There are two optional synchronizations you can define: a once-per-day scout run at a particular time and an alternate scout run on a sync schedule defined in minutes, which operates only during a time window between two defined times.  For AppClarity you use the once-per-day scout run which includes an optional step to also run the AppClarity sync. For Shopping you use the alternate scout run,  since Shopping is often configured to query the live Configuration Manager server you can use the time window to restrict demand to just that time.

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You can define a schedule for either AppClarity, Shopping, or both. The schedules can overlap, so that both scouts are running at the same time. However, if you choose to do this, be aware that you will be making additional demand on the network, the scout server and the ActiveEfficiency web server and database, so you should test that your configuration is adequate to support the expected workload.

The Configuration Manager database and server to which the ActiveEfficiency Scout connects can be configured separately for the daily and alternate schedules and are initially configured when you install the Scout.

 

Running the ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager

A Start menu item and desktop shortcut for the 1E AE Sync Manager are created on installation. You can use either one of these to run the ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager. The account used to run the ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager needs to be a local administrator. If not a notification dialog will appear and the fields on the ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager will be greyed out.

Schedules

There are two types of schedule that can be set using the ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager: daily and alternate.

  • Daily schedule – primarily for use with AppClarity, the daily schedule lets you define a particular time of the day to run the Scout with an option to follow this with a run of the AppClarity Sync as well. The time for the schedule is selected from the Time: control. Each step in the schedule is configured to run by clicking on the step's Run checkbox. For example, the Scout and AppClarity Sync set to run at 1 a.m.
  • Alternate schedule – Primarily for use with Shopping, the alternate schedule lets you define a period for running the Scout that will be used only between a set start and end time. The picture opposite shows an alternate schedule where the Scout is set to run every 30 minutes but only between the hours of 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily

Scout credentials

For security purposes all account details and passwords are encrypted before they are stored.

Master Credentials

The first time you run the ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager your account username will be pre-filled into the Master Credentials section, as shown in the picture opposite. The master credentials are used as the default account that the steps in the schedule will be run under.

You can simply add your password and use your own credentials to run the steps under or use another account entirely. The ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager is used to manage the configuration of Task Scheduler tasks, therefore the account used will be granted the following permissions:

  • Log on as a batch job
  • Adjust memory quotas for a process
  • Replace a process level token

If the Master Credentials account needs to be changed then it must have the rights described in Accounts needed to install the Scout.

Using other credentials

For each individual step in either of the schedules you can select to use an account that is different to the master account. To change a step's account you click on the Edit... button next to the step's Run checkbox. Doing this displays the Step Properties dialog for that step, as shown in the picture opposite.

When you start typing a user name the Use master credentials checkbox will automatically switch to unchecked. After entering the new credentials you click Save and the chosen account details will be stored for that step.

Reverting to using the master credentials

If at some later stage you want to revert the step to use the master credentials you click the Edit... button for the step, check the Use master credentials checkbox in the Step Properties dialog and click Save.

 

Schedules

There are two types of schedule that can be set using the ActiveEfficiency Synchronization Manager: daily and alternate.

  • Daily schedule – primarily for use with AppClarity, the daily schedule lets you define a particular time of the day to run the Scout with an option to follow this with a run of the AppClarity Sync as well. The time for the schedule is selected from the Time: control. Each step in the schedule is configured to run by clicking on the step's Run checkbox. For example, the Scout and AppClarity Sync set to run at 1 a.m.
  • Alternate schedule – Primarily for use with Shopping, the alternate schedule lets you define a period for running the Scout that will be used only between a set start and end time. The picture opposite shows an alternate schedule where the Scout is set to run every 30 minutes but only between the hours of 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily

The AppClarity Sync Task Step

If you are running the Scout and AppClarity Sync remotely from the AppClarity service you will need to perform an additional step before the AppClarity Sync can be run. You must configure the AppClarity Sync with the location of the server where the AppClarity service is running.

To configure this, click the Edit... button on the AppClarity Sync step row to display the Step Properties dialog.
 

By default the AppClarity Server: field is set to localhost. To locate the remote AppClarity server you must set this field to the FQDN, NetBIOS name or IP address of the server where the AppClarity service is installed and running. Once the location has been set, click Save to store the information and close the dialog.

Test Runs

Each schedule includes a Test Run button that can be used to create a one-off scheduled task to run and test all the steps enabled for the schedule. Clicking the Test Run button displays a dialog notifying that the steps will be run as a one time task scheduled to start in 10 seconds from when you click the OK button. You can check the log files to validate that the selected steps have run correctly.