Frequently asked questions about the option: RUN_COMPLETE_RULESET_DAY 

This guide helps to explain some different configuration choices for the RUN_COMPLETE_RULESET_DAY setting found within Snow Management and Configuration Center (SMaCC) within Configuration - System Core Settings. 

There is no "one setting for all" approach because the setting should be configured taking into account some factors which depend on the particular environment it is running on.  This guide helps to explain some of the options and reasons why you might select them.

What are the potential values to select?

AUTOMATIC WEEKLY (recommended for most environments)

Set the value to an active value (by specifying a day which the process should run).  This does mean that your data update job (DUJ) will take longer to run on the specified Run Complete Ruleset day (further advice on this below). 

To activate an automated weekly Run Complete Ruleset set the value to one of the day values listed below:

• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday

As mentioned, your data update job (DUJ) will take longer to run on the Run Complete Ruleset day, so a good value to select is a day before a break from using Snow License Manager (SLM) and a day where it will not conflict with other tasks (e.g. index jobs or patching schedule).  For this reason a commonly recommended value to set this to is "Friday".  

EXAMPLE: For a company who does not use SLM on a Saturday or Sunday.

• Example 1: If the Data Update Job start time is 21:00 (or anything before 0:00): Set it to FRIDAY.
• Example 2: If the Data Update Job start time is 1:00 (or anything after 0:00): Set it to SATURDAY.

The Data Update Job will take longer to complete with this option activated and for this reason you should choose the start day carefully so that the DUJ will complete without conflicting with other tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does switching on the Run Complete Ruleset have any negative effects?

• It will increase the Data Update Job (DUJ) run time on that day. 
• The increase in time to complete the DUJ depends on many factors such as:

  • Amount of computers

  • Amount of different software installed on those computers

  • Amount of historical (metering) data overall (in Inventory)

  • SMACC setting for metering months (in SLM)

  • SQL performance (indexing, hardware, etc.)

• For these reasons:

  • In smaller environments the increase is often small to moderate.

  • In larger (such as SPE) environments the increase is often significant.
• If the increase in time results in issues with the DUJ completing please see this article for advice on how you may be able to reduce the running time.

What does the option do?

• During the Data Update Job, a procedure checks for all the software reported from a computer and whether there is a software recognition rule which handles it.
• To optimize performance, the regular Data Update Job only applies rules to those computer software items which have not been processed earlier. Unless the application is removed from the computer (and this is reported into Snow Inventory) it will stay unchanged.
• Running the Data Update Job with this option, resets and drops all already applied software recognition rules and starts over again.

Why not have the option on by default? Why not run it every day?

• The "normal" daily Data Update Job (without this setting being active) is optimized for performance.
• This is perfectly fine for daily jobs and day to day will not cause any issues.
• However, in a typical environment and over time, there are usually events and issues (see next point below) where at some point the additional Run Complete Ruleset steps are required.
• Therefore, the best approach is to perform this regularly.

What are some common issues/scenarios that can be caused by not running Run Complete Ruleset regularly?

• Generally speaking: Issues with wrongly recognised applications. 
• Issues (with recognition) as a result of other separate issues e.g. a previously failed Data Update Job due to SQL error etc.
• You might not see changes made by Snow's Data Intelligence team to already recognized applications - for example the correction of an executable mapped to a wrong application or a newly required application if the vendor just changed licensing terms in a minor version, but before recognition on the full version was appropriate.
• You might not see changes made by you to override an existing application (bespoke applications), e.g. changes to an Endpoint Security Bundle to include your custom installations.  
• You might not see some changes to installed applications in your environment, i.e. bundle components not remapped to the new, updated application (you'll see that e.g. when the Snow Inventory Agent Powershell scripts will stay bundled on the old version, while already the new one is reporting in...).

The Data Update Job (DUJ) is taking an unusually long time to complete with this option activated

• Depending on your environment, the DUJ with Run Complete Ruleset set to an automated start time might take a long time to complete.  You may find that it then interferes with other tasks (e.g. index jobs or patching schedule).
  • Example 1: It runs for 24hrs, starting Friday night, but you have patching scheduled every Saturday morning.
  • Example 2: It runs for 65hrs starting Friday night and it would impact the business working in SLM on Monday morning.
• If you are having issues with the DUJ completing with this setting activated please ensure:
  • That you have followed the advice within our Best Practices for Large Environments
  • That the garbage collector is running successfully in your environment. 
    • More information about the Snow Garbage Collector.
      • If the Garbage Collector is not running, you may find the advice in this article helpful: Garbage Collector Times Out in Large Environments
  • Please see this article for further advice on how you may be able to reduce the running time of the DUJ.
  • If the issue still persists after following the above advice please contact Snow Support so we can investigate the root cause of the DUJ taking so long to complete.
    • Whilst investigation is in progress you might decide to temporarily deactivate the automatic Run Complete Ruleset.  In this instance you must take responsibility to ensure that you continue to run this manually at regular intervals, (for example every 6 weeks instead of weekly).  It should not be entirely deactivated for a long period because if it is never run you will run into issues eventually (see the section "What are some common issues/scenarios that can be caused by not running Run Complete Ruleset?").
    • To deactivate an automated weekly Run Complete Ruleset and choose when to run it manually:
      • Set the value to:
        • Never
      • When you want to run the Run Complete Ruleset manually set the value to your chosen day value.  One of:
        • Monday
        • Tuesday
        • Wednesday
        • Thursday
        • Friday
        • Saturday
        • Sunday
      • After the DUJ has completed (the DUJ which started on the day specified) you would then need to set the value back to:
        • Never
      • Using this method to activate and inactivate the setting you are able to manually decide when to run the Run Complete Ruleset.

I have previously been given advice to leave the setting always set to “Never” / to completely deactivate the Run Complete Ruleset?

• This option has been found to cause some reported issues if it is never run (detailed under the section “What are some common issues/scenarios that can be caused by not running Run Complete Ruleset regularly?”)
• For this reason, the advice is now that the Run Complete Ruleset should be run on a regular basis.