BBQueue Overview

Because of Blackbaud’s Queue product shortcomings (see panel below) these are required parameters for setting-up queued items. (These parameters are detailed in the panels below.)

1. All output files, reports, exports, logs, etc MUST be written to a directory on the server \\BBQueue\...
   
   Currently these folders exist:
   
   
   • \\BBQueue\Admissions
   • \\BBQueue\Development
   • \\BBQueue\Finance
   • \\BBQueue\PITS
   • \\BBQueue\Registrar
   • \\BBQueue\SES
   
   If you believe more should be added email your request to HelpDesk@prairie.edu
   
   
2. When setting-up Queued jobs you will need a special Blackbaud account otherwise the jobs will fail to run correctly. Contact HelpDesk@prairie.edu to get your individual Queue account set-up.
    
3. ALL Queue Items MUST be "Run on" the server BBQueue

The Bad News – Queue Shortcomings

Queue has several shortcomings (that Blackbaud is working on I’m told) that this document attempts to overcome. Among those are:

1. Queue runs jobs in sequence. This means if there are three jobs Queued and the first job has a problem that requires a human response (for instance, the output file name wasn’t specified so the system has to ask for one) that item stops until it gets an answer and none of the following jobs are processed until it clears.
   
   
2. Queue has nearly no error reporting. If there are 7 Queued items and one is throwing an error it is a difficult process figuring out which is the problem child. Worse, if the error stops the job from processing without ending the Queued item it can stop all the remaining Queued items from being processed (see item above).
   
   
3. Restarting of some of the network servers (not sure which ones yet, or why) can cause the Queue process to stall. If you think this has happened contact HelpDesk@prairie.edu and we can manually "kick" the thing.
   
   
4. If the "Maximum Users" are logged into the system Queue stops. Example, we have 7 user licenses for Financial Edge (FE), if 7 people are logged in and your Queue item runs under an FE username it will not process.
   
   
5. By design a user can only be logged into their Blackbaud product once so, example, Suellen can’t log into her computer and a workstation in the next cubical at the same time. Generally this is a good thing except that a scheduled Queue item is treated like a "login" so if you are logged into your computer and a Queue item tries to run under your username it dies.
   
   
6. Queue can, by design, run on any computer. This causes issues with both saving reports and/or exports (especially to local "C:\" drives) and with some of the email functions (some special set-up is required for this to work). Either of these can cause a Queued item to fail or to have possibly sensitive data misdirected to unexpected and possible problematic locations.
   
   
7. Finally, Queued items in either the Sample or *TEST* databases will throw a clog into the gears of progress and basically disable Queue entirely (not to mention make for a grumpy IT staff who will always think of this last so take two days trying to figure out why Queue isn’t working again – it took several days locally and @ 2.5 hours on the phone with Blackbaud figuring this out the first time). The solution to this one is simple – NEVER "play" with Queue in any of the Sample or *TEST* databases. Ever!

Because of this and as a result of much testing we have developed these guidelines for you when setting up Queued items.

Definition, what do we mean by "Queued items?"

All output files, reports, exports, logs, etc MUST be written to a directory on the server \\BBQueue\...

Currently these folders exist:

• \\BBQueue\Admissions
• \\BBQueue\Development
• \\BBQueue\Finance
• \\BBQueue\PITS
• \\BBQueue\Registrar
• \\BBQueue\SES

There are three things to note on the Processing tab:

1. All Queue Items MUST be "Run as" your special Queue user account.   If you don't already have one please contact HelpDesk@prairie.edu.
   
2. ALL Queue Items MUST be "Run on" the server BBQueue   (NOT on your local machine or "<All Machines>" as the system will default to).
   
3. Do NOT check the box "If an error occurs while running this queue, stop processing" as this could impact jobs that are queued to run after yours.
   

All output files, reports, exports, logs, etc MUST be written to a directory on the server \\BBQueue\...

Currently these folders exist:

• \\BBQueue\Admissions
• \\BBQueue\Development
• \\BBQueue\Finance
• \\BBQueue\PITS
• \\BBQueue\Registrar
• \\BBQueue\SES

1. Services on the BBQueue server

   ONLY on the BBQueue server, in both FE/SIS and RE you need to go to the Queue window and . After this is done go into Windows services.msc and change the account the resulting two services run under. (Ref. the two images below) This should carry over between restarts automatically but just in case...