Help Center

Connections between BlueConic and other systems can be instant or they can run a scheduled batch job. This depends on the type of connection. Learn how to configure a schedule for a scheduled batch connection below. You can also set email notifications for batch connection runs.

Note: Some BlueConic Connections, such as the Data Layer Connection, are active when you configure them and turn them on; no Run now or schedule is required for these connections.

How to schedule BlueConic connection runs

You can access a connection's schedule settings by opening the Set up and run panel on the left. Scroll down to Run history and you will find a Run now and cogwheel icon on the right.

Click the cogwheel icon  to open the scheduling settings.

First, choose the type of schedule you want. There are four options:

• Number of times per day
• Days of the week
• Day of the month
• Weekday of the month

Depending on the choice you make, you will have to fill in some extra data to complete the schedule. Be mindful of the amount of time that a task will take and make sure not to set a scheduling time that is shorter.

Once you have set up your schedule the runs will show up under "Runs", including details on each run.

Number of times per day

Select this option if you want to run the connection a fixed number of times per day. Select the number of times that you require the connection to be run. Switch the connection to "ON" and save to kick off the first run.

Days of the week

Select the option "Days of the week" if your schedule is supposed to run the task on certain weekdays at a fixed time.

The settings display a row of buttons with the names of the weekdays and a time field. Enter a time and select or deselect days to fit your schedule. A grey button indicates a deselected day; a white button indicates a selected day.

The example above is for a schedule that runs a task every Monday and Friday at 1:30 AM.

Day of the month

Select this option to set a schedule that runs once per month on a given day at a given time. Select the day number and set the time at which the task should run.

The task will run on the selected day and time. If the day number you selected does not occur in a month (e.g. "31st" in February) the task will not run.

Weekday of the month

Select this option to set a schedule that runs once per month on a given weekday at a given time. Select the day and the time at which the task should run.

How to run BlueConic connections

Once you have set up a schedule, the schedule will be shown under "Runs":

Scroll down through the run log to see previous runs.

Connections will run sequentially in BlueConic. This means that sometimes a planned run will have to wait for another run to complete. When this happens, BlueConic will show the queued connections and the currently running connection.

 

Note about time stamps in connection runs

The time shown in connection runs is based on the local timezone of the user who is configuring the schedule. This ensures that all scheduled activities are aligned with that user's local time.

Run

A number indicating the incremental number of the run, "Running" to indicate the task is being run, or "Next" for the projected next run.

Start date & time

The time the run started, or will start for the projected next run.

Run time

The time a run took. Make sure your schedule leaves enough room for the run time of a task, e.g. it does not make sense to start a task every minute if it takes an hour to complete.

Details

Messages from the task during its run. Hover over a particular run to show a "download log" icon on the right-hand side. Click the icon to download the log messages for the run. If the connection encountered errors or problems, they are listed here. For example, if the connection would result in content of the wrong data type being added to a profile (text into a numeric field, for example), this would be reported here. Or if profiles cannot be imported or exported due to privacy or consent management, it would be reported in the connection's run history.

Tips for interpreting the connection log: 

• Unchanged: An update was sent to BlueConic, but nothing was changed as a result (e.g. the values in the profile from the imported file are the same as those in the profile).
• Checked: Total number of profiles evaluated.
• Skipped: Profiles that were in the file but were not sent to BlueConic for evaluation (i.e. lines that were skipped in a file because the data was processed in a previous run). 

Note that the Run history shows the number of profiles exported via batch exports. For real-time data exports, the number of profiles does not appear in the connection's Run history section.

Stopping a running connection

For batch connections, you can stop an active run by clicking the Stop run button for that connection.

For real-time connections, you would turn the connection status to Off to stop it from running.

Get notified for batch connection runs

At the top of the connection configuration page for batch connections, in the metadata section, you can request that BlueConic notify one or more email addresses when the connection is run.

You can choose to receive emails either each time the connection runs or only if it fails to run successfully. Note: Connections that run several times a day will produce multiple emails.