Please confirm how Delay works with CRON Followups

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi,

Here's my question, can you please tell me how EXACTLY the Delay works with CRON, here's what my settings are:

Followup1:  DELAY: 0 CRON: * * 3   (wednesday only)
Followup2: DELAY: 2 CRON: * * 1-5  (mon-friday)

Can you tell me if Followup2 WILL go out on Friday, 2 days after Followup1, for example Followup1 goes out Wednesday, Sequence number increases to 2, Delay is set to 2, Thursday, Delay is set to 1, Friday Delay is set to 0 - when is the CRON code ran, before or after the Delay is set to 0?

If the Delay is 1, WHEN is it decremented to 0, BEFORE, or AFTER The CRON is executed?

Please let me know, it's the only way to know for sure WHEN the message will go out.

[DW]

Brett,

The delay is processed before the cron timing is considered.

With a delay of 1, one dailymail will be skipped and then the cron timing will be taken into account.

Regards

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi DW,

With a delay of 1, one dailymail will be skipped and then the cron timing will be taken into account.

Can you please be more specific?

I thought that a Delay of 1 was a 48 hour delay - always 1 day MORE than the Delay value?  Are you saying that with a Delay of 1 and a CRON specified that the job will run after only 24 hours - 1 dailymail skipped (if the CRON were specifying a date/time that was within the current date/time)?  

What I guess from what you are saying is that DELAY-1 means that after the previous FOLLOWUP ran, that would move the SEQ# to 2, and DELAY to 1, the next time Dailymail runs (which is 24 hours later), the Delay is decremented to 0, and then the CRON is ran immediately right then (only 24 hours later, and not 48 hours later)?  Is this correct?

Thanks for clearing this up - please consider providing an example in your Help pages - this is a little harder to understand when both of these are setup DELAY and CRON.

[DW]

Seq 2 Delay 1

Next Dailymail (1min to 23:59 later) -> Delay decreased to 0 - Cron NOT processed (I double-checked this)

Next Dailymail (24 hrs later) -> Cron processed

Regards

[BGSWebDesign]

DW,

This is not the same as normal delay then, think about it:

Seq 2 Delay 1

Next Dailymail (1min to 23:59 later) -> Delay decreased to 0 - Cron NOT processed (I double-checked this)

Next Dailymail (24 hrs later) -> Cron processed

This means that Seq2 Will not run until 72 Hours after Seq 1, is that right, please be very specific on this, I'm trying to get a handle on how I have to setup DELAY with CRON.  

To make this CONSISTENT with the way things work now you need to have it so Cron IS processed when Delay = 0, and not wait an extra day!That is the case IF the next Sequence number/delay is NOT adjusted until the next day?   If the Sequence number/delay is adjusted the SAME day that the CRON is processed then everything should be ok... but I need clarification that is how it works?

WHEN is the Sequence number set to the next number, and delay set to the delay for that Sequence number, is it THE SAME day that CRON executes, or is it the NEXT day (see below)?

If for example (please pay attention to the time between Seq 1 and 2, and how this can affect delay time):
-----------------------------------------
Sat  - Seq: 1       Del:1
Sun - Seq:1        Del:0    CRON NOT processed
Mon - Seq:1        Del:0    CRON RUNS
Tue - Seq:2       Del:1    CRON NOT processed
Wed - Seq:2       Del:0    CRON NOT processed
Thur - Seq:2       Del:0    CRON RUNS


As you see, if it works as shown in this example SEQ #2 will not execute until 72 hours after Seq #1?    UNLESS Seq #1 is INCREMENTED and set to 2 on the same day that CRON RUNS (Monday), is this the case?

As I suggested please think about providing a detailed example like this in your HELP page - this is very hard to get a handle on when we don't know WHEN the Seq # and Delay is adjusted...

[DW]

Brett,

It's the same as with regular followup delays.

If dailymail runs and the delay is higher than 0 the delay is decreased.  If the delay is 0 at the time of dailymail executing the followup is sent or cron job is considered.

Sat - Seq: 1 Del:1
Sun - Seq:1 Del:0 CRON NOT processed
Mon - Seq:1 Del:0 CRON RUNS
Tue - Seq:2 Del:1 CRON NOT processed
Wed - Seq:2 Del:0 CRON NOT processed
Thur - Seq:2 Del:0 CRON RUNS

I think it's
Dailymail Sat - Seq: 1 Del:1 CRON NOT processed delay decreased
Dailymail Sun - Seq:1 Del:0 CRON RUNS, if valid increase user to Seq:2 Del:1 else ignore
Dailymail Mon - Seq:2 Del:1 CRON NOT processed delay decreased
Dailymail Tue - Seq:2 Del:0 CRON RUNS

A delay of 1 between followups is 48 hours.

Think of the delay as the number of dailymails to skip.

Regards, DW

[BGSWebDesign]

Hi DW,

I'm very sorry but I have to ask for confirmation again, you stated above (look 3 messages back:

Delay decreased to 0 - Cron NOT processed (I double-checked this)

You said this to let me know that CRON does NOT run the first time that Delay is decreased to 0, instead that it has to wait until the next Daily mail before CRON is processed, now you say in your last message that CRON runs when delay hit's o:

Seq:1 Del:0 CRON RUNS, if valid increase user to Seq:2 Del:1 else ignore

So WHICH one is right??

You also say:

I think it's

You wrote the software, I'm sorry , but shouldn't you KNOW?  So which one is it?  Does CRON run IMMEDIATELY when the Delay is decreased to 0, or does it have to wait until the next Dailymail (as you said in your earlier message)?

I think you can understand - but maybe not, if you would try to setup your own Followups how frustrating this could be if you can not be sure what the EXACT sequence of events are with Sequence #, Delay and CRON, it's very difficult to understand - now if you want I can go through the code myself and figure it out - but I figured you would know this off the top of your head!!!

[DW]

Brett,

When dailymail runs IF delay is 0 then the followup is sent (non-cron) or cron is considered (cron).  If delay is greater than 0 the delay is simply decreased.  It is exactly the same as standard followups.  To Send a cron followup on Sunday then on the Monday immediately following (next day), set up the followups like this:

Seq 1 Delay 0 Cron * * * * 0
Seq 1 Delay 0 Cron * * * * 1

To send on Sunday then not the immediate Monday but the NEXT monday, put a delay of 1-6 on Seq 2.

Regards, DW