XML file rules

Control‑M/EM utilities read input text files that are used to enter information into the Control-M/EM database. Control‑M/EM export utilities export data from the database in text files. Both the input and the output files are formatted with XML. For example, the defcal input file specifies new Calendar definitions to enter into the database. Different parts of the input file are defined by tags composed of punctuation marks. For an example, see XML file example.

XML files have the following characteristics:

• XML is a structured format for organizing and specifying data.
• Data in an XML file is classified by type.
• Words enclosed in angle brackets (< >), called tags, are used to classify and organize the data.

In the XML files used by the Control‑M/EM utilities, tags are used to classify job processing definitions, Calendar, folder, and SMART Folder parameters, and values. Each Control-M/EM utility is composed of a combination of at least two of the following parts:

• An invocation command.
• An input file containing either data to enter into the Control-M/EM database or arguments for selecting specific data from the database.
• An output file containing data specified in the arguments file, if it was used.
• Optional switches for controlling how the utility runs.

For example, the defjob utility has three parts; the invocation command, a file of job processing definitions that are imported into the Control-M/EM database, and an optional switch. You prepare the file containing the job processing definitions.

The exportdefjob utility uses an invocation command, a file containing arguments for specifying the job processing definitions that are exported from the Control-M/EM database, an optional switch, and an output file containing the exported job processing definitions. You prepare the arguments file. The output file is created by the exportdefjob utility.

Each utility contains a table of elements (job, calendar, and folder parameters) and attributes (sub parameters). If the valid value is a string, see the description of the appropriate parameter in Control‑M Parameters for information about valid values and their formats. If working in an I18N environment, a header must be placed at the top of the arguments file, as described in XML file for I18N environment.

Some of the parameter names changed for Control-M version 8.0.00 and above. Terminology from previous versions is still supported.