Managing Schedules
This chapter describes how to manage schedules using the Cisco Network Building Mediator graphical user interface (GUI), and includes the following topics:.
•About Schedules
•Creating Schedules
•Grouping Schedules
•Overriding and Releasing Schedules
•Deleting Schedules
About Schedules
Schedules allow the devices to power on and off as necessary to maintain the programmed setpoints for that state. You can view the scheduled operating hour of each device that can be scheduled on either a weekly or a monthly calendar-based graphical schedule. This lets you select and adjust each schedule and time period, and to simultaneously schedule other related devices.
Prerequisites for using schedules:
•PC with Internet Explorer. The Mediator is supported on Mozilla Firefox 3.5 and later, and Internet Explorer version 7.0 or 8.0.
•Mediator Manager, Downstream Mediators, and PC on the same network.
It is understood that you have installed the Mediator and are ready to configure it. (For more information on installing the Mediator, see Getting Started.)
Note Before you install, operate, or service the system, read the Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information for the Cisco Network Building Mediator document for important safety information.
The following schedules-related terms are used in this section:
•Schedule group—A conceptual grouping of devices or other schedule groups that may contain schedule data or calendar entries.
•Schedule data—The weekly schedule that is in effect for the schedule groups and devices in the group.
•Calendar entry—Calendar date that defines exceptions to weekly schedules. They apply to the group and its devices and subgroups.
•Scheduling hierarchy—The schedule groups and devices tree that are defined at a Mediator portal or EBMS server.
Creating Schedules
You can create new schedules and customize them per your requirements. This section describes how you can create and customize a new schedule.
This section includes the following topics:
•Creating New Schedules
•Defining Properties
•Defining Options
•Creating Weekly Schedules
•Creating Exceptions
Creating New Schedules
To create a new schedule, it is important that an entity root is created under the Aliases node. To create an entity root, see Adding an Entity Root.
Note The Mediator does not support multi-level schedules, since multi-level schedules cannot be imported to the Mediator Manager. Hence, you must create only one-level schedules on the Mediator. Multi-level schedules are created when you use special characters such as a semi-colon.
To create a new schedule, perform the following steps:
Step 1 In the Mediator web client homepage, click Schedules.
Step 2 In the name pane, expand the Schedules node to list the nodes.
Step 3 Select the schedule that you want to configure, and click Add Schedule.
Step 4 In the dialog box that appears, enter a new schedule name in the Name text box, and click OK.
Note We recommend that you do not use special characters (such as [; # ? % ]) while naming the schedules. But you can use specific special characters such as [_ - @]).
The new schedule appears in the Name pane, under the selected schedule.
Step 5 Click Save to save the new schedule.
Step 6 (Optional) Click Change Name to change the schedule name.
Defining Properties
You can edit schedule values for an existing property, remove an existing property, or add a new property.
To define the properties for a new schedule or edit the properties of an existing schedule, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Click the Properties tab.
Step 2 To define a new property, click Add Property. The Property Selection Panel dialog box appears.
Step 3 Select the check box for the appropriate entity, and click OK. The newly added entity appears on the Properties tab, in the Property Name column.
Step 4 (Optional) Click Remove Property to remove the defined property.
Step 5 Click Edit Custom Values to customize the existing values for the defined entity/property. The Update Values dialog box appears.
Step 6 In the Update Values dialog box, enter the appropriate values for required state in the Custom Value column. Click OK to save the values.
The defined state of the entity displays the new value.
Step 7 In the Mediator web client homepage, click Save to save the defined properties.
Defining Options
The Schedules feature allows you to create new actions for a schedule. Once you create an action, you can create a new time entry, edit, or delete the existing time entries for that action within a schedule.
To create a new action, edit, or delete a time entry for an action, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Click the Options tab.
Step 2 To add a new action and the corresponding value to it, click Add. A new event appears.
Step 3 On the Options tab, enter the following information:
–Name—Enter the name of the new event. For example: ON
–Color—Select the color that represents the new event. For example: Green
–Value—Select the appropriate BO value. For example: 1 or 0
Step 4 (Optional) Click Delete to delete an existing event.
Step 5 (Optional) Click Move Up or Move Down to move an event in an ascending or descending order.
Step 6 In the Mediator web client homepage, click Save to save the new values.
Note Any event that appears at the beginning of the list, will not display the corresponding color. By default, this event is the OFF state. You must not move a newly created event to the beginning of this list.
Creating Weekly Schedules
You can create a schedule for either an entire week or for specific days.
To create weekly schedules, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Click the Weekly Schedule tab.
Step 2 To create a time entry for a particular day, click Add.
Step 3 In the Add New Entry dialog box that appears, enter the following information:
–Entry—Enter the hour and minutes in the provided text box or select by using the up and down arrows.
–Day—Choose the day from the drop-down list.
Step 4 Click Add Entry. The new entry appears on the Weekly Schedule tab.
Note You must manually enter the time entries for each day and action for a weekly schedule.
Step 5 In the Mediator web client homepage, and click Save to save the weekly schedule.
Creating Exceptions
Exceptions are one or more days (such as holidays) during which the normal schedule changes. You are allowed to create exceptions to the normal schedule.
To create an exception schedule, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Click the Exceptions tab.
Step 2 Click Add to enable all the text boxes on the Exceptions tab.
To set the exception specifications, enter the following information:
–Name—Enter a descriptive name for the new exception schedule.
–Single Day—Click the Single Day radio button for an exception for a single day.
–Multiple Days—Click the Multiple Days radio button for an exception for multiple days.
–Start Date—Click the Start Date to select the start date for the exception schedule.
Step 3 To set the time entries for the new exception, click the + icon. This enables the time entry text box
Step 4 Enter the hour and minutes in the provided text boxes, or select by using the up and down arrows.
Step 5 In the Mediator web client homepage, click Save to save the exception schedule.
Grouping Schedules
To create a schedule group, you need to group together all the local schedules that need to be part of that schedule group.
To create a schedule group, perform the following steps:
Step 1 In the Mediator web client, click Schedules.
The left pane displays the local schedules.
Step 2 Click Add Schedule. A new dialog box appears.
Step 3 In the New Schedule dialog box, enter a new schedule group name in the Name text box, and click OK
The new schedule group appears in the Name pane.
Step 4 Drag and drop the local schedule that you want to add to the schedule group. The local schedule now appears as a child of the schedule group.
All schedules grouped under a particular group inherit the schedule of that particular group.
Overriding and Releasing Schedules
The Override feature allows you to give preferences to the local schedules over the global schedules. You can override the local schedules by clicking Override for that schedule. If you do not select the override option, the global schedules will get preference over the local schedules.
You are also allowed to control the level at which the local schedule can override all the points that it controls. To control these levels, you have to set the override priority values in the configTOOL.
The Schedule Manager node is an inherent child node under the Services node in the configTOOL. The Schedule Manager tab displays the default name and description along with the Override Priority text box. You can change the default value in the Override Priority text box. While the default value is set to 10, you can choose any value between 1 to 16.
Note Override Priority value is the priority at which the local schedule overrides all the points that it controls. This option is applicable to all schedules that are created and operating on a specific Mediator.
The Release feature allows you to reverse the override options.
Click Release to activate the global schedule for that Mediator. In such cases, the global schedules take precedence over the local schedule until you change the preference
Deleting Schedules
To delete a schedule, select the schedule, and click Remove Schedule. The schedule is deleted.