Scheduling Automatic Interface Download and Processing

The interface download and processing tasks can be scheduled to run automatically in the background. This article explains how to automate these tasks using the Windows Task Scheduler. 

Make sure that you can interface manually from the computer on which the scheduled tasks will run. 

Skip To:

• Information Required
• Creating scheduled tasks using Task Scheduler
  • Interface Download
  • Interface Processing
• Verifying Scheduled Tasks

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED 

You need to have certain information to create the scheduled tasks. Most of the information can be taken from the Interface Download window: 

Path to the Trams applications 

The default is:  

C:\Program Files (x86)\Trams\Tramswin\ 

Username and Password 

We recommend creating a unique user login specifically for the scheduled task. This user login must have permission to view and report on full credit card and bank account numbers. As when logging into TBO (Trams Back Office) manually, passwords are case sensitive. 

In our examples, we will use the username INTERFACE and password changeme. 

Your Trams database alias 

This is the alias that is selected from the TBO Login window. The default alias is Trams. 

The correct identifier for your GDS 

Note the number assigned to your GDS: 

     0     Amadeus 

     1     Apollo/Galileo/Travelport+ 

     2     Sabre 

     3     Worldspan 

Note: You must be using the “Worldspan” interface format. Downloading records from the “Worldspan (Images to Disk)” format is not possible. 

We will use Sabre (#2) 

Optional options 

There are a series of optional flags that your agency may use during download. If your agency uses any of them, you can find them on the Download window in the field labeled “Options” 

We will be using the option to ignore credit card guarantee information (-NG) 

Options that apply to all GDS: 

-J (Read Apollo Itinerary) 

-NU (Ignore Remarks UDIDs - all GDS) 

-D (Dash optional on MS code entries) 

-NG (Ignore credit card guarantee - All GDS) 

-NE (Ignore e-mail updates - All GDS) 

-NC (No default comm. track FOP (Form of Payment) - All GDS) 

-RC (Ignore hotel rate code - All GDS) 

Options applicable to Worldspan only: 

-NM (Ignores the NM- name entry) 

-D (Dash option on MS code entries)

PNR file path 

This is the path to the folder where you GDS sends interface files. You can find it on the Download window, next to “PNR File Path” 

In our example, will use C:\SPOOL. The following are the DEFAULTS for each GDS, but yours will vary, especially if the GDS interface folder is on another computer. 

Amadeus	C:\AIR
Apollo	C:\MIR
Galileo/Travelport+	C:\MIR
Sabre	C:\SABRE\APPS\INTERFACE\PNRDATA.TXT
Worldspan	C:\WSPAN\HPM\OUTPUT

Optional 

Windows username and password 

While creating the task, you will be prompted to enter your Windows username and password. If you do not know your Windows username or password, the scheduled task must be run on the same computer where the interface files folder is found. 

 

CREATING SCHEDULED TASKS USING TASK SCHEDULER 

The Task Scheduler is a tool included with Windows that allows predefined actions to be automatically executed whenever a certain set of conditions is met. The Interface Download and Interface Processing activities are created as scheduled tasks. 

We recommend scheduling the tasks on the same computer where the interface file path is found. 

INTERFACE DOWNLOAD 

• Open the Windows Task Scheduler 
  • Press [⊞ Win] to open the Windows Start Menu 
  • Type “Task Scheduler” and select the Task Scheduler app

• In the left panel, click on the Task Scheduler Library folder 
• In the Actions panel on the right side of the window, click Create Task 

• One the General tab, enter the following: 
  • Name: “Trams Interface Download” 
  • Description: “Scheduled task to download GDS interface files” 
  • Select (check the box next to) “Run whether using is logged in or not" 
  • OPTIONAL: If you do not know your Windows username and password, select the box labeled “Do not store password. The task will only have access to local computer resources.”
• Click the Triggers tab, then click on “New” 
• In the New Triggers window, enter the following: 
  • Begin the task: Select “On a schedule” 
  • Settings: Select “Daily” 
  • Start: Select a start time, or leave at the default which is the current time 
  • Recur every X days: Enter “1” 
  • Advanced settings 
    • Repeat task every: Select how often you would like to download your interface files. For most agencies, “1 hour” is adequate. 
    • For a duration of: Select “1 day” 
    • Enabled: Make sure the box is selected (checked) 
  • Click OK to save 

• Click on the Actions tab, then click “New” 
  • Program/Script: Include the quotation marks at the beginning and end of the line: 
     
    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Trams\Tramswin\Download.exe" 
     
  • Add Arguments (optional): The username, password, alias, CRS, path, and any optional flags are preceded by a hyphen (“-”). There is no space between the hyphen and the code. This line must end with “-auto”. Make sure there are no leading or trailing spaces: 
     
    -username INTERFACE -password changeme -alias Trams -CRS 2 -path c:\spool -NG –auto 
     
  • Start in (optional): Include the quotation marks at the beginning and end of the line: 
     
    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Trams\Tramswin\" 
     
  • Click OK 

• On the Settings tab: 
  • Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed: Make sure the box is selected (checked)

• Click OK to save the new task 
• When prompted, enter your windows password 

INTERFACE PROCESSING 

The steps for creating the Interface Processing scheduled task are identical except for the following: 

• Step 4: 
  • Name: Trams Interface Processing 
  • Description: “Scheduled task to process downloaded GDS interface files” 

• Step 6:  Select a start time that is at least five minutes after the Download scheduled task. 

• Step 7:
  • Program/script: Include the quotation marks at the beginning and end of the line: 
     
    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Trams\Tramswin\Tramswin.exe" 
     
  • Add arguments (optional): Note that there is no space between the hyphen and keyword. The line must end with “-autointerface” 
     
    -username INTERFACE -password changeme -alias Trams –autointerface 

•  

VERIFYING SCHEDULED TASKS 

You can verify that the scheduled tasks have run by reviewing the Interface Download/Processing Log report in TBO: 

• After waiting approximately 10 minutes after the tasks are scheduled to run,  
• Click on Reports > Interface > Downloading/Processing Log 
• Enter the date 
• Click the log to make sure that there is activity for the date/time that was scheduled