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Introduction

There are two approaches to running Excel in Condor jobs, one involving the Windows Scripting Host and the other involving embedded VBA code in the Excel workbooks. The following are examples for either approach.

COM Automation

Condor can be used to run COM automation jobs using the Windows Scripting Host (WSH). This means, for example, Condor can run jobs that automate Microsoft Excel. What follows is a step-by-step introduction to running Excel 'jobs' in Condor.

Configuration

First, you need to create a new administrative user that will be used to run Excel jobs under. We assume, for convenience, that this account name is excel.

To configure the Excel DCOM object, do the following:

  1. Login to the execute machine as an Administrator.
  2. Click, Start, click Run and enter dcomcnfg.
  3. This will bring up the Component Services window.
  4. Click Console Root, click Component Services, click Computers, and finally, click DCOM Config.
  5. Right click on the Microsoft Excel Application component and select Properties.
  6. In the General tab, select None in the Authentication Level drop-down list.
  7. In the Identity tab, click This user, and enter the name of the administrative account, excel, and its password.
  8. Click the OK button.

NOTE: This will render Excel almost inoperable on this machine for any interactive users. Also, this has only been tested on Vista; the requirements of any future or past versions of Windows may differ slightly.

Example 

  universe     = vanilla
  executable   = excel.simple.vbs
  log          = excel.simple.log.txt
  error        = excel.simple.err.txt
  output       = excel.simple.out.txt
  load_profile = true
  queue 1


  On Error Resume Next


  WScript.Echo "Creating Excel Application Object"


  Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
  Set objBooks = objExcel.Workbooks


  WScript.Echo "Creating a Workbook"


  Set objWorkbook = objBooks.Add()


  WScript.Echo "Generating Data"


  For i = 1 to 10
      objExcel.Cells(i, 1).Value = i
  Next


  WScript.Echo "Document Filed"


  Set objFS = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
  sCurPath  = objFS.GetAbsolutePathName(".")
  sFileName = sCurPath & "\" & "test.xlsx"


  objWorkbook.SaveAs(sFileName)


  WScript.Echo "Document Saved"


  objWorkbook.Close()


  WScript.Echo "Document Closed"


  objExcel.Quit()
  WScript.Echo "Done"
  WScript.Exit 0

Test Run

Let's take a look at what the script returns. First, submit the job: 

  C:\condor-jobs\scripts>condor_submit excel.simple.sub
  Submitting job(s).
  Logging submit event(s).
  1 job(s) submitted to cluster 77.

Once the job has completed, dump the output file: 

  C:\condor-jobs\scripts>more excel.simple.out.txt
  Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.7
  Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


  Creating Excel Application Object
  Creating a Workbook
  Generating Data
  Document Filed
  Document Saved
  Document Closed
  Done

Embedded VBA

For people who wish to dispatch an Excel workbook to another machine for calculation, saving, and then closing of Excel and the return of the workbook, a fairly straightforward solution is to use a VBA script and modifying a setting in the Excel that one uses to view the workbook's contents.

The embedded VBA is in the actual workbook so instead of calling a script to execute Excel, Condor directly calls it. In this example, the script relies on two settings, Application.Calculation and ActiveWorkbook.ForceFullCalculation. It checks to see if Calculation is set to xlCalculationAutomatic and ForceFullCalculation is set to True. If both are true, then it sets ForceFullCalculation to False and Calculation to xlCalculationManual, refreshes and hence forces a recalculation, saves, and then exits the program.

To set the script to do the calculations, follow these steps. These instructions are for Excel 2007.

Open the Excel workbook where the initial calculation needs to be done. Open up the menu by clicking on the globe on the upper left and select Excel Options on the lower right of the menu. Click on the Formulas option on the menu on the left hand side and under Calculation options, change the option to Manual. You may also wish to uncheck Recalculate workbook before saving. Save the workbook and close it. Reopen the workbook and repeat the above steps, except this time select Automatic in the Calculation options. Save and close. However, it should be noted that you cannot reopen the workbook again until you have submitted it for processing, as the next time Excel opens the workbook it will go through all the calculations before saving and closing the workbook automatically.

Example 

  universe     = vanilla
  executable   = excel
  log          = excel.embeddedvba.log.txt
  error        = excel.embeddedvba.err.txt
  output       = excel.embeddedvba.out.txt
  load_profile = true
  arguments    = /e filelocation
  queue 1

Public WithEvents Appl As Application

Private Sub Appl_WorkbookOpen(ByVal Wb As Workbook) If Application.Calculation = xlCalculationAutomatic Then If ActiveWorkbook.ForceFullCalculation = True Then ActiveWorkbook.ForceFullCalculation = False ActiveWorkbook.RefreshAll Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual ActiveWorkbook.Save Application.Quit End If End If End Sub

Private Sub Appl_WorkbookBeforeClose(ByVal Wb As Workbook, Cancel As Boolean) 

    If Application.Calculation = xlCalculationManual Then
        MsgBox "Closing Workbook"
        ActiveWorkbook.ForceFullCalculation = True
    End If

End Sub