We keep getting production files into an input directory.

These files will be processed three times a day.



8:00AM
1:30PM
5:30PM


file1.20041005_05303423.dat
File2.200041005_14232313.dat

Once the files are processed, they are archived immediately to prod/archive directory

Apart from these there is a script that runs early morning at 5.30am that copies all the files which are one day old or less that reside in prod/archive directory to QA input directory.

Eg

The first file above get processed by 8:00AM job and it archived to prod/archive directory.
Similarly the second file,gets processed by 1.30PM job

Now since the file that comes in production input directory after 5.30pm , don’t get processed until 8am job in the next morning.The QA night job would not pick up this file because it is still in input directory of prod at that time(5.30am qa copy ).

This file copy from prod archive directory will only take place the following morning ie 1007 and since it is already two days old by then, QA doesn’t pickup this file from prod/archive directory.

How do i solve this problem.What logic should I implement to inorder for QA job to pick post 5.30 PM files in prod directory.
If I increase the time from 1 day to 2 days then , the QA job will pickup the same files again.
I am not sure if I was clear in explaining , if you have
any specific doubts please mention and I shall respond to immediatley.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

z