The Data Reviewer service

The Data Reviewer service is a Windows service that can be scheduled to run Reviewer batch jobs. Similar to running a batch job using the Reviewer Batch Validate tool, the Reviewer service validates and runs batch jobs and writes the results to the Reviewer table in a specified Reviewer session. Batch jobs can be scheduled to run once at a specific date and time or to run repeatedly at regular intervals.

Requirements for running the service

Before you can run a batch job using the service, the following criteria must be met for the system and the database:

• A Reviewer session must be set up in the Reviewer workspace.
• An ArcGIS license must be available where the service is installed.
• A configuration file must be available for the service.

Components of the service

There are two components to the service: the Windows service and the controller, which is a means of configuring the service. The Reviewer service runs in the background as a Windows service under the control of the Windows Service Control Manager (SCM). On startup, the service reads the configuration specifying which batch jobs will be run at which time and at what frequency or interval. The service also performs a regular maintenance cycle to check any batch jobs that are currently executing. In addition, the service listens for a shutdown event from the SCM or another external source, for instance, which it then propagates to any currently executing batch jobs.

The Reviewer Service Controller provides the means to configure and administer the service and it is accessed from the system tray. From the system tray, you can open a shortcut (context) menu from which the various Reviewer Service Controller dialog boxes can be opened. The service controller is used to create or edit the configuration specifying which batch jobs will be run when, as well as what Reviewer workspace and session should be used to record the batch job errors. In addition, the service controller allows you to start and stop the service, as well as view its current status, log files, and the batch jobs.

Configuration files

There are two configuration files that are associated with the Data Reviewer service: the service configuration file and the service job file. The service configuration file controls the configuration of the service itself, such as where it writes the log files and the job status, the location of the service job configuration file to be run, and so forth. The service job file specifies the Reviewer batch jobs to be executed. Both of these are Extensible Markup Language (XML) files.

The Data Reviewer service interacts with these files by initially searching for the service configuration file, which contains information about which service job is to be run as well as the directory to which the status and log files will be written. The service then parses the referenced service job file, and an internal timer is created and configured according to the schedule information that is part of the file. At the scheduled time, the batch jobs referenced in the service job are run.

Learn more about the service job configuration file

Learn more about the service configuration file

Permissions and the Data Reviewer service

The Data Reviewer service runs under a local system account that should already have access to the necessary configuration and connection files required by the service. If the user who will be configuring the service (that is, setting up and scheduling batch jobs) does not have administrative privileges on the machine, that user will receive an access denied error when trying to start or stop the service using the service controller. To allow non-administrative users to start and stop the Data Reviewer service, you need to grant them permission to do so. One way to do this is to use the SubInACL command line tool available from Microsoft. To give a particular user permissions to the Data Reviewer service you would enter the following command:

subinacl /service RevService /grant=domain1\user1= F

Here, F is for Full Control.

Nota:

You must run the command line tool with an account that has administrative privileges.

If the account the service runs under is changed from local system, you will need to ensure that the account has administrative privileges on the local machine as well as the necessary permissions to the files required for the service to run. The list below is a summary of the permissions.

Service component	Required permissions	Notes
Service Configuration files	Modify	It is recommended these files be stored in the config directory of the Data Reviewer service folder chosen during the post-install process.
Service Job files	Modify	It is recommended these files be stored in the jobs directory of the Data Reviewer service folder chosen during post install process.
Reviewer batch job files (.rbj files)	Read	The service account needs read access to the batch job files (.rbj files) referenced in the service job file.
Reviewer Workspace Connection File	Read	The service account needs read permissions to the Reviewer workspace connection file referenced in the service job file.

Data Reviewer service permissions