Recording Times, Dates and Sizes of files created during a run

The software automatically records the time and date when each job (simulation, BOT job or spreadsheet job) finishes.

The software also automatically records the time and date of files created during the run.

The software also records the size (in bytes) of each output file when the file is created.

The times, dates and sizes stored are used to check

•whether or not the results of the run are unchanged when you start a subsequent run (for example, whether or not the Base Case files are unchanged when you start the Policy run), and

•whether results you view (on the Results page) are up-to-date.

The times, dates and sizes stored are also used when answering the question Are Results Still Ok? or Are Results Still Ok? (see the Tasks menu).

The times, dates and sizes are stored on files which we call Record of Runs files. These files have suffixes .DS3 (Base), .DS4 (Rerun) and .DS5 (Policy).

The names of these Record of Runs files are determined by the Model name and the Sim Names when you carry out the run. The names are closely related to the standard name for the Simulations Details files which are also automatically saved (or updated) whenever you run any job.

Suppose, for example, that your are using TABLO-generated program MYMODEL.EXE to solve the model and that the 3-character Sim Names for the Base, Rerun and Policy are BS1, BR1 and PL1 respectively. Suppose that you carry out some of the Base, some of the Rerun and some of the Policy. Then

•the time, date and size of files created during each year of the Base will be recorded in the Base Record of Run file which is called MYMODEL-BS1B.DS3,

•the time, date and size of files created during each year of the Rerun will be recorded in the Rerun Record of Run file which is called MYMODEL-BS1B-BR1R.DS4, and

•the time, date and size of files created during each year of the Policy will be recorded in the Policy Record of Run file which is called MYMODEL-BS1B-BR1R-PL1P.DS5.

[Prior to Version 3.0 (November 2003), the name BS1PL1 was used in the example above for all three .DS3, .DS4 and .DS5 files. Version 3.0 (November 2003) used names similar to the current ones except that the Model name was not included and there were no dashes _ included.]

You are not given any choice about the names of these Record of Runs files. The software always uses the names indicated above. Whenever you successfully carry out part of the full application, RunDynam automatically adds information about that part to the relevant Record of Run file.

•Whenever you successfully carry out part of the Base, the software also automatically saves information about that part of the Base in the Base Record of Run file. [For example, if you successfully carry out the simulation for year 2003 of the Base, RunDynam records the time and date when the job was completed on the Base Record of Run file. RunDynam also records the time, date and size of the direct input files to this simulation (for example, the data files for year 2002 this simulation starts from). RunDynam also records the time, date and size of the output files produced by this simulation (for example, the updated data files and the Solution file).]

•Whenever you successfully carry out part of the Rerun, the software also automatically saves information about that part of the Rerun in the Rerun Record of Run file.

•If part of the job crashes, no information about this part is added to the relevant Record of Run file. [However information is added for any parts completed prior to the crash.]

When you load simulation details, you load whatever time, date and size information is available for the relevant Sim Names, as well as the Sim Details (Model/Data, Sim Overview and Closure/Shocks pages information). For example, if you load a Sim Details file, you also load the associated Record of Runs files (whose names are the ones based on the Model Name and Sim Names shown in RunDynam after you load the Sim Details). For example, if you load all parts of the Sim Details stored in MYMODEL-BS1B-BR1R-PL1P.DS1 file, you load information from the Record of Runs files MYMODEL-BS1B.DS3 (record of Base jobs), MYMODEL-BS1B-BR1R.DS4 (Rerun jobs) and MYMODEL-BS1B-BR1R-PL1P.DS5 (Policy jobs).

Note that the name for the Record of Runs for jobs from the Base is based on the Sim Name for the Base only (it does not include the Sim Names for the Rerun or the Policy). This is important if at some time in the future if you wish to carry out a different policy run starting from the same Base case. [Then, if you ask Where To Start ? under the Tasks menu, the software will know when you last ran the various jobs from this Base.]

The system of recording times and dates of files changed with Version 3.0 (November 2003) and again (change of names of the DS3,DS4,DS5 files) with Version 3.1 (December 2003). Unfortunately this means that current versions of RunDynam cannot give information about jobs run with earlier versions of RunDynam.

RunDynam does not record the time, date and size of spreadsheet files covering just some years, nor of cumulative results or cumulative differences RSL files covering just some years. [But RunDynam does record time, date and size for spreadsheet and RSL files covering all years.]

Some of the technical details of what RunDynam stores on its Record of Runs files are indicated here.

URL of this topic: www.copsmodels.com/webhelp/rundynam/hc_recordofruns.htm

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