What is Auto Archiving?

Back to Month End Processes

Auto Archiving is the ability to automatically archive a collection of reports during the Metrix month end close leveraging the Optix Archiving process. This functionality allows Production Accountants to save all relevant reports for a given Production Date/Control Group.

Report Criteria Groups set up in Optix can now be associated to a Control Group in Metrix. During Metrix Region month end close, the Report Criteria Group attached to the Control Group being processed will be submitted as an Optix archive. The Production Date and the Control Group being processed will be provided as report criteria to each Report within the Report Criteria Group.

Optix Setup

Create Report Criteria Groups

Navigate to: Report Configurations > Manage Report Criteria Groups > Report Criteria Groups

From the above screen, you can create the necessary Report Criteria Groups to be used within Metrix.

Things to consider:

Use a meaningful name and description for your Report Criteria Groups.
Always Share the Report Criteria Group
Group the reports within the Report Groups based on common themes. For example: Reports for Gas Flow properties, Reports for operated properties (i.e. this could be the default), Reports for Partner Operated properties, Reports for BC Properties etc.
Make a list of the reports that should be archived (see Add Reports to the Report Criteria Groups below) and decide on the reports that need to be in each Report Criteria Group.

Add Reports to the Report Criteria Groups

Navigate to: Report Configurations > Manage Report Criteria Group Reports

From the above screen you can add existing saved reports (see Saving a Report for Archiving Purposes below) to any existing Report Criteria Groups.

Saving a Report for Archiving Purposes

When saving a report, note that reports must be saved with only a Production Date and a Control Group. Any Production Date and Control Group can be used as they will be overwritten during the Metrix month end close process. These criteria attributes will be replaced by the Production Date and Control Group being closed. If other criteria is used, incorrect results will occur.

Production Date

Control Group

Qbyte Metrix Setup

System Configuration

Navigate to: Administration > System Configuration

Select the Month End Reporting tab from the System Configuration screen.

This screen must be used to make Metrix aware of the Report Criteria Groups that have been set-up in Optix. Report Criteria Groups that were set-up in Optix above need to be added here.

The screen is initially displayed in View mode (as shown above). Selecting Edit will display the screen in Edit mode (as shown below).

To Create a New Report Criteria Group:

1. Select Create New

Report Criteria Group
- The name must be an exact match to an already created Optix Report Criteria Group (see Create Report Criteria Groups). Select the Submit Test Archive button to verify (See To Submit a Test Archive).

Output Types
- The available Output Types are PDF, Export to Excel Formatted and Export to Excel Unformatted.
- These are the same Output Types that are available in Optix.

Output Results
- The Output Results depend on the Output Type selected.

Shared Report
- Select Yes in the Shared Report field to share the Report Criteria Group. The Default is Yes.
- Selecting Yes will allow other users to view the Archived output.

Things to consider when creating a new Report Criteria Group:

The Report Criteria Group must exist in Optix. Use the Submit Test Archive button to confirm. (See To Submit a Test Archive below)

Give special consideration when setting the Default Report Criteria Group. This default group will be used for all Production Dates/Control Groups that are set to archive and that do not have an override entered at the Control Group level (See Control Group Override ).

To Modify an Existing Report Criteria Group:

Highlight a row and Edit the Details below.

To Delete and Existing Report Criteria Group:

Existing Report Criteria Groups can be deleted one at a time. The default Report Criteria Group cannot be deleted unless the Default setting is cleared.

To Set as Report Criteria Group as Default

Select a row and select the Set as Default button.

Setting a Report Group as the default for Metrix must be performed after careful consideration. When a Report Criteria Group is set as the Default, every Production Date/Control Group that is closed will submit an Archive Request for that Report Criteria Group.

It is not mandatory to set up a Default Report Group. Should one not be set up, all Control Groups that need to be archived must be overridden at the Control Group Level (see Control Group Override).

The default can be viewed from the screen below.

System Configuration > Configuration Tab

To Change a Pre-existing Default

Select the new Report Group and the Set as Default button and then select OK.

The user will be prompted to confirm the selected default and will replace the existing default.

To Clear Default

This button will change to Clear Default when the row selected is the default Report Criteria Group. Selecting the Clear Default button will remove the selected group as the default.

To Submit a Test Archive

The Submit Test Archive button allows you to validate the Auto Archive process is set up correctly. It should be specifically used to validate the following
- The Report Criteria Group exists in Optix with the same name.
- The Metrix and Optix applications are both configured correctly.

When selected, the pop-up screen (shown below) is displayed with the Report Criteria Group that is highlighted in the Edit Grid.

Enter a Control Group to submit the Archive with.
- It is recommended a Control Group that applies to the selected Report Criteria Group be selected.

The following error is displayed if the selected Report Criteria Group does not exist in Optix or if the selected Report Criteria Group is available in Optix but is not shared: Either create a matching Report Criteria Group in Optix that is Shared or edit the existing Report Criteria Group and select the 'Share Report Criteria Group' check box.

If the User does not exist in Optix the following error is displayed: The Metrix User must have access to Optix with the same User ID.

If more than one Report Criteria Group with the same name exists and if more than one is shared, the following error is displayed: Locate all the Shared Report Criteria Groups with the same ID within Optix. Only one of them should be shared.

If none of the above errors occur, the Report Criteria Group is immediately scheduled within Optix and the following message is displayed:

The Test Archive submitted can be found at the following location in Optix: Home > Manage Configurations > Report Configurations > Manage Scheduled Archive Requests

These test archive requests will always be named 999999_<Control Group> <Requested_Production Date> Requested_TestRun. The Last Run Status may be blank.

Pressing Refresh Results will reload the list of Archive Requests to allow you to see changes to the status of Archive Request. The normal status flow is Pending to Running to Complete. When the job is Complete, the request will disappear from the screen.

The above Archive Request will also be displayed within the Archive Request Monitor (Home > Manage Configurations > Report Configurations > View Archive Request Monitor). The Status will change to Completed Successfully when the Archive Request is complete.

Control Group Override

The Control Group Maintenance screen (Master > Control Groups > Maintenance) has been changed to display the default Month End Report Group. This indicates that at month end close when the Region that this Control Group belongs to is closed, the displayed Report Group will be used to Archive reports pertaining to the Production Date/Control Group.

This screen allows you to select a different Month End Report Group (an override) for this Production Date/Control Group only. You have the option not to archive the Production Date/Control Group. These options are date-specific. Entering an override or specifying that the Control Group must not be archived is your decision.

If a default Month End Report Group exists, the Production Date/Control Group will be archived.

If a default Month End Report Group does not exist but there is an Override Month End Report/Month End Report Group, the Production Date/Control Group will be archived using the override.

If both the Month End Report Group and the Override Month End Report Group are not entered, the Production Date/Control Group will not be archived.

If Do Not Archive Control Group is selected, the Production Date/Control Group will not be archived regardless of whether a Default or an Override Month end Report Group exists.

If the Control Group you wish to Override is an amendment month, the Control Group must be open for Amendment at Step 1. But the Default Month End Report Group applies to all months for all Control Groups unless overridden.

Region Close

During the Region Month End Close, each Production Date/Control Group that is closed will submit an Archive Request if the following conditions are met:

1. The Do not Archive Control Group is not set.

2. A Default Report Criteria Group has been set OR the Control Group has an Override Month End Report Group set.

The completion of the Metrix Region Close is independent of the Archive Requests being successfully submitted and completed. Should one or more of the Archives fail for any reason, the Region Close process will still complete.

Each Archive Request submitted will be displayed within the Close Histories tab of the Region Close History Menu. The Report Archive name will always be the Accounting Date + Control Group + Production Date. The Report Archive Name is used to identify the report Archive Request within Optix (see Optix Auto Archive Requests).

The following grid explains the Archive Status Column and the Resubmit Archive Status Column. The Archive Status Column above is populated using the status of the submitted Archive Request in Optix.

Archive Status	Resubmit Archive	Description

Archive Status	Resubmit Archive	Description
Pending	Resubmit Archive	The Archive Request has just been submitted by the Metrix Region Close and has yet not been Scheduled within Optix or Optix is unable to Schedule the Archive Request. You can resubmit the Archive by selecting the Resubmit Archive link.
Scheduled		Optix has Scheduled the Archive Request.
Running		Optix is running the Archive Request.
Complete		The Archive Request has successfully completed.
Error	Resubmit Archive	An error occurred. Either when submitting or during the Archive Process within Optix. The user can resubmit the Archive by selecting the Resubmit Archive link.
Delete	Resubmit Archive	The Archive Request was deleted from Optix. The user can resubmit the Archive by selecting the Resubmit Archive link.
Blank		The Control Group was not Archived.

It is important to note that as the Month End process is running, each archive that needs to be run is set as Pending, with these archives all being submitted at the end of the close. As a result, while the process is running, it is recommended that these not be re-submitted.

You can login to Optix and monitor status of the Archives using the Scheduled Archive Requests screen and the Archive Request Monitor screen (See Reviewing Auto Archive Requests within Optix below).

The Archive Statuses should all be either Blank or Complete before declaring that the Metrix Month Region Close has completed.

If you are allowed back into Metrix after the Region Close is complete, but not all of the Archive Requests are Complete, it is advised that Amendment Requests not be created within Metrix until all of the Archive Requests have a status of Complete or Blank.

Reviewing Auto Archive Requests within Optix

Scheduled Archive Requests

Archive Requests submitted by the Metrix Region close will visible in the Scheduled Archive Requests screen (Home > Manage Configurations > Report Configurations > Manage Scheduled Archive Requests).

The format of the Report Output Name is Accounting Date_Control Group_Production Date. The Last Run Status may be Blank.

When the Archive Request starts to run, it will also be displayed within the Archive Request Monitor (See Archive Request Monitor below).

When the request is Complete, it will disappear from the above screen. If the Archive Request encounters an error, the request will remain on the screen. You can then resubmit the request from Metrix or from within this screen.

Archive Request Monitor

When the Scheduled Archive Request starts to run, it will be visible in the screen Archive Request Monitor (Home > Manage Configurations > Report Configurations > View Archive Request Monitor). The Status will change to Completed Successfully when the Archive Request is complete.

The Archive Request Output can be found in the following location: Home > Find Archived Report Output. If the output is not displayed, select Refresh Results.

The Report Output Name from the screen above will be the same as the Report Archive Name within the Close History tab found within the Metrix Region Close screen and the Control Group Maintenance screen.

Close History Reports

A new Close History Report button has been added to the Close History tab of the Region Maintenance screen and the Control Group Maintenance screen.

Region Close History Report

The Close History Report button from the Close History tab within the Region Maintenance screen launches Optix and opens the Report Results tab of the Region Close History Report. The Region Close History Report contains all the information displayed on the Region Close History tab including the Archive details for the selected Production Date from Metrix.

If launched from Optix, you are able to select an Accounting Date or a range of dates as well as a Production Date or a range of dates. A Region can also be selected.

Control Group Close History Report

The Close History Report button on the Close History tab within the Control Group Maintenance screen launches Optix and opens the Report Results tab of the Control Group Close History Report. The Control Group Close History Report all the information displayed on the Control Group Close History tab including the Archive details for the selected Production Date from Metrix.

If launched from Optix, you are able to select an Accounting Date or a range of dates as well as a Production Date or a range of dates. One or all Control Groups can also be selected.