Helix PowerMover 1.0.1

PowerMover is a utility used for scheduling high performance import and export of data in a Helix Express Collection using Helix Express Apple Events.

Helix PowerMover requires an Apple Event External Access (AEEA) enabled copy of Helix Express, Helix Express Server, or Helix Express Runtime Engine version 3.7.1 or greater. PowerMover will not work with older versions of Helix Express or Double Helix.

Helix PowerMover 1.0.1 Release Notes

This version of the Helix PowerMover fixes some problems involving recurring date timer entries and a couple of other timer related problems.

1. In some cases the internal trigger time was getting set incorrectly, resulting in timer jobs not firing. All known problems in this area have been fixed.
2. When a timer job script could not be opened (e.g. due to a bad file path), the timer would think it is waiting for user input that could not occur resulting in an infinite loop. This has been fixed.
3. Timer jobs should never display a modal error message (eg., file could not be opened. Error = -43) on the screen. These messages should appear only in the PowerMover Log file. This has been fixed.
4. If a timer job script file error did occur (eg. the -43 referred to above), the next timer job to fire in that same run would almost always freeze the computer. This has been fixed.
5. The 4.0 Update Collection structure checker has a problem that would report inaccurate fatal damage for a collection that experienced a certain type of AEEA failure. This includes certain PowerMover failures. Everyone who is using PowerMover is strongly encouraged to use Update Collection 4.0.1 or greater.
6. For greater detection of bad timer script file paths, editing a timer job entry will now display the full path name of the script file. There is not enough room to display this full path name in the timer window, but perhaps we can eventually display a visual cue for this window. Comments are solicited in this area. But please do not expect anything to be done very quickly on this.
7. PowerMover would crash whenever it tried to log a record (eg. if a load error for that record occurred) that was longer than 255 bytes.

1. When a timer job is specified, a trigger time is calculated. Whenever the timer is enabled and now is later than the trigger time, that timer job will fire. Examples are:
   1. a single date job is set to run last year (or month, day, hour, etc.). When the timer is enabled this job will fire ASAP.
   2. a recurring day job is specified to run on Wednesdays. If the job has not fired or the timer is not enabled until any day following that Wednesday, this job will fire ASAP.
2. When the timer is enabled, the timer jobs are scanned. Any jobs that should be fired (re: (1) above) are and a "next check" time is calculated. This time is the earlier of:
   1. 1 hour past the current time;
   2. the earliest trigger time from the current timer file job list. The timer file is not checked again until this next check time has passed. When the timer is enabled, if the trigger time of a job changes such that its fire time is earlier than the next check time, the next check time will change appropriately.

Reasoned comments about the immediate firing of a recurrent date timer job on days other than the specified recurring day are welcomed.

Helix PowerMover 1.0 Release Notes

It is not advisable, at this time, to use PowerMover to dump or load data from a queried list or queried entry view in a Collection that is running on the Helix Express Server 3.7. There is a possibility that doing this could lead to crashes in some cases. There are no problems or risks dumping or loading with views that do not utilize a query, and there are no problems dumping or loading into any View (including queried Views) using the Helix Client. This situation involves a long standing, but recently found, problem in the AEEA code of the Helix Server application. This problem was corrected in Helix Express Server 3.7.1.

When accessing a view in a Collection that is open in the Helix Server, the View options (query settings, dump/load options) in effect are based on settings that were last saved in Helix Express Full Mode. Any changes to the View that you make using the Helix Client are stored in the Client's Saved Structure file, not the Collection, therefore, PowerMover has no way of reading these settings.