Autosys Force Start Job

 

Autosys Force Start Job: A Complete Guide

Introduction

Autosys is a widely used job scheduling tool in enterprise environments. It helps automate workflows by defining, scheduling, and monitoring jobs.

Sometimes, you may need to start a job manually, bypassing its defined conditions. This is where the force start option becomes useful.

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What is Force Start in Autosys?

Force start allows you to run a job immediately, regardless of:

• Its scheduled start time
• Dependency conditions (success/failure of other jobs)
• Box conditions

It essentially tells Autosys:

"Run this job now, ignoring normal rules."

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Command to Force Start a Job

The command used is:

sendevent -E FORCE_STARTJOB -J <job_name>

Example:

sendevent -E FORCE_STARTJOB -J data_load_job

This will immediately trigger the job data_load_job.

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When to Use Force Start

Force start is useful in scenarios like:

1. Testing Jobs

• Running a job without waiting for dependencies
• Validating fixes or changes

2. Recovery Situations

• When a dependent job failed but you still want to proceed
• Restarting workflows manually

3. Urgent Execution

• Business-critical jobs that must run immediately

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Important Considerations

While force start is powerful, it should be used carefully.

⚠️ Ignores Dependencies

• Jobs may fail if required upstream jobs haven’t completed

⚠️ Data Integrity Risks

• Running jobs out of sequence can cause incorrect data processing

⚠️ Audit & Monitoring

• Force-started jobs may not follow normal workflow tracking

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Checking Job Status

After force starting a job, monitor it using:

autorep -J <job_name> -q

This shows:

• Current status
• Start time
• Exit code

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Difference Between Start and Force Start

Feature	STARTJOB	FORCE_STARTJOB
Respects schedule	Yes	No
Checks dependencies	Yes	No
Immediate execution	No	Yes

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Best Practices

• Use force start only when necessary
• Verify dependencies manually before triggering
• Monitor job execution closely
• Inform stakeholders if running out of schedule

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Conclusion

The FORCE_STARTJOB command in Autosys is a powerful tool for manual intervention. It enables immediate execution of jobs, especially useful during testing and recovery scenarios. However, because it bypasses standard controls, it should be used responsibly to avoid unintended consequences.