Defining Calendars

This screen allows you to set custom date/time codes that determine what rates are used for a given instance of usage. To further customize calendars, see Customizing Calendar Style Sheets.

As MetraNet is commonly configured, the four date/time codes you can configure are:

Navigating to a Calendar

To navigate to a calendar so that it may be customized, use the following steps:

  1. Find the account with the calendar that you want to view or customize.

  2. Click the Subscriptions link in the left navigation bar.

  3. Click the Rates button in the Subscriptions screen.

  4. If the account is subscribed to a product offering with a calendar, it will appear in the Select a Parameter Table screen. Click the calendar parameter table you wish to modify.

  5. Click on the Edit button () next to the rate schedule of the calendar you wish to customize, or the view button ( ) to simply view the calendar.

  6. The calendar screen appears. Edit the calendar as needed using the steps below.

Defaults

A useful feature of calendar parameter tables is that you can set a default codes and periods for weeks and weekdays. This means that you are not required to manually set codes for every day and time. There are two types of defaults for calendars:

The default code for a holiday is always "holiday".

Example

Let's say that you want to set up all weekdays so that they have a 9-5 Peak period, with the rest of the times during the week being Off-Peak. You would begin by clicking the Edit button and setting the default code for the default day as Off-Peak. You would then enter a period in the default day of 9-5 and give it a Peak period code. Your calendar would now appear with all days having a 9-5 Peak period, with all other times having an Off-Peak code. Clicking Save will save your modifications to the database.

Configuring a Calendar

Note

If all buttons in a calendar are disabled, then the calendar screen you are viewing is read only. A calendar screen will be read only if:

  • You chose the View instead of Edit icon in the Select Rate Schedule screen, or

  • The calendar you are viewing was not configured to accept custom rates in the MetraTech Catalog Manager application.

To specify personal dates, times, and codes for an account, use the following steps:

  1. Click the New Calendar button to start with a new, blank calendar. Click Edit Properties to give your new personal rate calendar a new name and description.

  2. Click the radio button of the type of period you want to enter: Weekdays, Weekends, or Holidays.

  3. To specify default codes for weeks or weekends, click the Edit Button in the Default row (the top row for a weekday or weekend). Click the Add button in the Period column in the default row to set up default periods for all days of the week or weekend.

  4. If you need to specify periods and codes for a specific day, click the Customize button next to that day. Then click the Add button next to the day you want to specify a period for. You can also set a default code for an individual day by clicking the Edit button.

  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as needed for Weekends or Weekdays.

  6. For a holiday, enter the name of the holiday and the date using a MM/DD/YYYY format. Click the Add button in the Period column of the holiday to specify periods within the holiday.

  7. When you have made all of your changes, click Save.

Important

Remember that the changes you make to your calendar will not be put into effect until the Save button is activated. Cancel will close the calendar screen without making any changes to the database.

Additionally, you must stop and restart the following services whenever you make calendar information changes:

  • Pipeline

  • Internet Information Services (IIS)

Calendar Screen Functions

See below for explanations of each of the functions on the calendar page.

Edit/Select/Create New Calendar Buttons

Edit Calendar

Edit the Name and Description properties of the calendar presently being viewed.

New Calendar

Create a new calendar that will be in effect for this subscription.

Weekday/Weekend/Holiday Radio Buttons

Weekdays

Select this radio button to view, edit, and add weekday periods and codes to your calendar.

Weekends

Select this radio button to view, edit, and add weekend periods and codes to your calendar.

Holidays

Select this radio button to view, edit, and add holidays and holiday periods and codes to your calendar.

Editing Weekdays/Weekends/Holidays

If you chose the Edit icon () in step 5 above, you will be able to edit the calendar:

  • If you are editing or viewing Weekdays, click here.

  • If you are editing or viewing Weekends, click here.

  • If you are editing or viewing Holidays, click here.

Save/Cancel Buttons

Save

After you have entered all of your data for the calendar, click Save to save all of your data permanently in the database.

Important:

If you do not click Save, your calendar changes will not be made to the database.

Cancel

If you do not want to save the data that you've entered, click Cancel and the database will not be updated with your changes.

Editing Weekdays

Editing Weekdays

Customize

Use this button to modify a day to have its own values that are different from the default weekday.

Make Default

Erases any times that have been entered for this day and sets it back to the default weekday (appears after the Customize button has been activated).

Day of the Week

Indicates the day of the week.

Default Code

This is the code for the time of day if a period does not specify differently. Click the Edit button to select the default code that will be used for that weekday.

Graph

A simple graphic representation of the times entered for this day.

Periods

Use these buttons to set the times of day codes are in effect. Click Add to enter new times. Click Remove to remove a period.

Editing Weekends

Editing Weekends

Customize

Use this button to modify a day to have its own values that are different from the default weekend day.

Make Default

Erases any times that have been entered for this day and sets it back to the default weekend day (appears after the Customize button has been activated).

Day of the Week

Indicates the weekend day.

Default Code

This is the code for a time of day if a period does not specify differently. Click the Edit button to select the default code that will be used for that weekend day.

Graph

A simple graphic representation of the times entered for this day.

Periods

Use these buttons to set the times of day codes are in effect. Click Add to enter new times. Click Remove to remove a period.

Editing Holidays

Editing Holidays

Edit

This button allows you to edit the properties of the Holiday (including the Name and Date).

Remove

Removes the holiday from the calendar.

Holiday

Indicates the name of the holiday.

Date

The date the holiday falls on (Enter in MM/DD/YYYY format, or use the calendar button to the right of the field).

Graph

A simple graphic representation of the times entered for this day.

Periods

Use these buttons to set the times of day codes are in effect. Click Add to enter new times. Click Remove to remove a period.