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Article Goal: Set up the scheduler from start to finish with each step.

 

In this article we are going to walk through each of the various steps needed to get the VDM scheduler set up and running using our recommended setup.

 

Main Step 1. Install SQL Express & SSMS

Installing SSMS will allow us to use a SQL Database for scheduling reports. This is our recommended setup for the scheduler as allows users to make changes to the calendar without needing to start and stop the VDM service.  If you already have access to a Microsoft SQL Instance, and a Microsoft SQL Instance user account with the appropriate permissions, please skip to Main Step 4.

 

1. Download the Microsoft SQL Express setup here.  (SQL Express 2019 Steps below)

 

 

2. Run the executable to begin the installation.

 

3. Select the Basic installation type.

 

4. Read and click Accept to the License Terms.

 

5. Set the Install Location, then click Install.

 

 

6. Wait for the installation to complete.

 

 

7. Click Install SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio). 

 

NOTE: The Instance name (SQLEXPRESS) will be used later in configuring your appsettings.

 

 

8. Click the download link on the SSMS download page.

 

 

9. Run the SSMS setup.

 

 

10. Select the install location, then click Install.

 

 

11. Wait for the installation to complete.

 

 

12. Once the Setup is complete, click Close.

 

 

Main Step 2. Create the Scheduler Database

The Scheduler database will be used for storing all information around the Scheduler (appointments, jobs, descriptions, etc.).

 

1. Launch Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

 

2. Login to your SQL Server. 

 

NOTE: Copy the Server name and paste it somewhere. You will need this when creating the Scheduler profile in VDM.

 

Example: Copied out EC2AMAZ-R209LKV\SQLEXPRESS from the Server name.

 

 

3. Right click on your Microsoft SQL server instance and select Properties.

 

 

4. Click on the Security section and set the Server Authentication to SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode, then click OK.

 

 

5. Click OK again.

 

 

6. Right click on your Microsoft SQL server instance and select Restart.

 

 

7. Select Yes to restart your Microsoft SQL server instance. 

 

8. Expand your Microsoft SQL server instance and right click on Databases, then select New Database.

 

 

9. Enter Scheduler for the database name, then click OK.

 

NOTE: Copy the database name and paste it somewhere. You will need this when creating the Scheduler profile in VDM.

 

 

 

 

Main Step 3. Create a User Login for the Scheduler Database

The new user login for the Scheduler Database will be used for authentication in VDM.

 

1. Expand the Security folder for your Microsoft SQL server instance, right click Logins and select New Login.

 

 

2. Enter your Login name.

 

NOTE: Copy the Login name and paste it somewhere. You will need this when creating the Scheduler profile in VDM.

 

 

 

3. Select SQL Server authentication.

 

 

4. Enter the password for your account. We recommend using a strong password.

 

NOTE: Copy the password and paste it somewhere. You will need this when creating the Scheduler profile in VDM.

 

 

 

5. Uncheck the "Enforce password expiration" and "User must change password at next login" options. The reason for this is that it is not ideal to have the password expire causing scheduled reports to not run.

 

 

6. Select User Mapping, then select the Scheduler database. Once the roles popup for the Scheduler database, enable the following minimum database permissions / roles. Then click OK.

• db_datareader
• db_datawriter

 

 

 

 

 

Main Step 4. Create the Scheduler profile in VDM

The Scheduler profile inside VDM will allow VDM to connect to the Scheduler database.

 

1. Click on the Settings tab at the bottom of VDM.

 

 

2. Click on Profiles.

 

 

3. Click on Scheduler inside VDM's Profile Settings.

 

NOTE: Click the Scheduler text above Finished Reports.

 

 

 

4. Enter your SQL database connection information. (Server\Instance, Database, Username, Password - the information that was recommended to copy from the previous steps)

 

 

 

5. Click Test Connection to verify the connection information was entered correctly.

 

 

NOTE: If the database is not detected, VDM will prompt to create it.

 

Database Not Detected Prompt:

 

6. If the test connection passed, Save the scheduler connection profile and name it Scheduler.

 

Main Step 5. Adjust VDM's Settings

Now that the database and login with proper mappings has been created, the next step is changing VDM's settings to use the SQL Database and Scheduler profile.

 

1. Go into the User Options (Settings) and set Use SQL Database to True.

 

 

2. Set the SQL Connection setting to the scheduler profile you created in Main Step 4.

 

 

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 in the Global and Service options.  Global and Service Options are only available when VDM is launched with elevated permissions; right click on the VDM shortcut and select "Run As Administrator".

 

Global Options:

 

Service Options:

 

 

 

 

Main Step 6. Setup the Service

The last step will be to setup the service to run for VDM. The key thing at this point is making sure that the account using the service has access to all locations needed to run / execute reports. IF the account for the service IS the same account used to login to the machine then it should already have access to the user's documents folder (default folder locations for VDM install).

 

1. Search for Services in the Windows search bar. Click on Services.

 

 

2. Browse to BridgeWorks VDM Scheduler Service. Right click on the service and select Properties.

 

 

3. Click the Log On tab inside the properties then click Browse.

 

 

4. Enter the account name that is going to be used to access views, export data locations, reports, etc. and then Check Names. If successful, click OK.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: The account running the service must have access to the necessary folder locations. If the paths are in the user documents it needs to be the same account, otherwise accessible locations will be needed. Click here for more information regarding access / permissions.

 

 

 

Note: Invalid account names will result in an error when checking the name

 

 

5. Enter the password for the account and hit apply to verify a successful account configuration.

 

 

6. Go back to the BridgeWorks VDM Scheduler Service and right click on it and select Start. 

 

 

7. If the Log On information was correct, the service should start. If the service does not start, verify account name and password.

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is recommended to set the startup type to Automatic for the service. This can be done in the General tab of the service properties.

 

8. Stop the service before moving forward. From this point on the service should only be started / stopped inside VDM. 

 

 

9. Once the service has been started successfully, you will then be able to Start/Stop/Restart the service within VDM's Scheduler. In order to see the service controls within VDM, VDM must be ran as an administrator. 

Non Admin users refer to article: Controlling Scheduler Service Without Admin Privileges.