BwPostman TimeControl
This plugin is not provided by the package BwPostman. It can be acquired by purchase.
With this plugin it is possible to send newsletters at a specified point of time. The sending is processed at background.
Caution:
The plugin BwPostman TimeControl only works and only installs, if the module cURL for php is installed and activated at Your web server!
You can figure out, whether the module cURL is installed at the web server by search for curl at the back end at System → System Information → PHP-Information. Do You find it, You are able to use this plugin. If You can't find cURL, contact Your provider (or change the provider), to be able to use this plugin.
Configuration
Tab Plugin
The plugin needs an user, with which the automated sending will be processed. It is advisable to create a new user for this plugin. Also see advanced information below.
This user has to be able to log in at back end and he must be able to send newsletters. The sample user group BwPostmanNewsletterPublisher is appropriate by default. The permissions for Create and Edit newsletters and the permission to View newsletter are indeed not needed. You also could create a new user group on basis of the user group BwPostmanNewsletterPublisher and withdraw the superfluous permissions.
It is highly recommended to use an active mail address for this user, because success and error messages are sent to this user by mail.
Caution!
This user may not be used otherwise. You never should login into backend by this user, nor to create a scheduled newsletter! For this You use the users previously used.
Update for version 2.0.0
With this version of BwPostman TimeControl starting the cron server has switched to API. That means, that the password of the cron user has not to be entered at the options of the plugin, the respective field no longer exists. The authentication now happens by a Joomla API Token. However, Joomla!® only enables authentication by token only for the user group Super Users. Because of this You have to add the set up user to this user group!
The token is generated, when You login at the back end of Joomla!® as the user for the cron server. Go to User → Manage and edit this user. To create the token it only needs to save the user. The generated token You find at the tab Joomla API Token.
If the tab Joomla API Token does not exists, You have to activate the plugin API Authentication - Web Services Joomla Token.
The plugin BwPostman Webservices Plugin has to be activated to be able to start the cron server. This is done by the update of BwPostman TimeControl to version 2.0.0 automatically. But it doesn't hurt to check the state of this plugin.
The plugin BwPostman Webservices Plugin is delivered by BwPostman since version 4.3.0. Before the update of BwPostman TimeControl it is mandatory to update BwPostman to version 4.3.0.
Cron Interval sets the interval in minutes the cron server looks for newsletters which are due. The newsletter will be sent, if the scheduled time is reached or has overtaken. The newsletter to send is entered at the queue known by the component and will be processed there. Manual and automated sending will be processed separately.
Tab Update Options
Licence code is used to get updates for the plugin BwPostman TimeControl.
Tab Curl Settings
While establishing the connection curl checks the certificate of the peer. To get this work curl have to know about the certification authority of this certificate. If the website doesn't run with HTTPS but only HTTP, then there is no certificate. If You use a self-signed certificate, curl does not Know about the certification authority. Both cases actually should occur, if You use a local installation of Joomla. And at both cases it helps to switch the option Verify peer? to no.
This setting is only meant for testing purpose and should be switched to Yes at productive websites!
Normally the certificate and the certification authority are installed system wide. If You have Your own certification authority, which signed the certificate, and this certificate is not installed system wide, i.e. at a local installation, You can enter the path to the certificate of the certification authority at Certificate path. i.e. this could be /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/my-cert.pem for linux or C://certs/ca-certificates/my-cert.pem for windows.
This setting takes no effect, if Verify peer? Is set to no.
Activate the automation
The automated sending runs by a sort of cron server by the above-mentioned user.
This cron server has to be started explicitly at the maintenance. At the maintenance You are also able to stop the cron server. To do so there are two further buttons at the maintenance, if the plugin is activated.
Der state of the cron server (started or stopped) is displayed at the maintenance as info box.
Set sending time
Is the plugin activated, there are two new input fields at editing a newsletter:
The first one is a calendar field, with which You set sending date and time.
The second one is a selection of yes/no. Here You set, if the newsletter is ready to send. This field is set to no by default. As long as this field is set to no, the automation doesn't regards this newsletter. With this You are able to set the sending date without having finished editing this newsletter. With this no unfinished newsletter will be sent, if the editing takes more time than then expected.
Advanced Information
Also the sending by automation considers the settings of the component for
- Number of newsletters per step
- Time Delay While Sending
- Unit Of Time Delay
These values are read at start of the cron server and holds until the cron server is stopped and started anew, even if these values have changed meanwhile.
If You stop the cron server while it is busy by sending, the current sending will be finished, only then the cron server stops. It is not possible to interrupt the automated sending that is currently processed!
While manual sending a newsletter the one, which starts sending, cannot do something else at Joomla!® until the newsletter is sent completely. This is no more a problem with the plugin BwPostman TimeControl! Because the timed sending is handed over to the cron server immediately, which runs under the user, that is specified at the options, this is the user, which sends the newsletter and this is another one than the currently logged in user. You are able to work along immediately, You can log out and close the browser also, the newsletter will be sent nevertheless.
If You have some guidelines by Your mail provider concerning maximum number of mails per time unit, You should prevent to send another newsletter manually, while the automated newsletter is sending. While the automated newsletter isn't due, manual sending should not be a problem.