The Task Monitor task monitors another task or tasks for one or more specific statuses.
When setting up a Task Monitor task, you can monitor:
You also can monitor for any combination of task statuses.
For example, you can monitor for:
For Task Monitors within a workflow, you can also specify a Time Scope, or window of time, during which the event being monitored for must be satisfied.
The following built-in variables can be used in a Task Monitor task to pass data where appropriate:
The processing on a Task Monitor may differ depending on which of the following methods was used to launch it:
Each method is described in detail below.
Any changes made to a Task Monitor task are not recognized by its respective Triggers until those Triggers are disabled and re-enabled. |
Within a Workflow, the Task Monitor task launches like any other task in the Workflow; that is, whenever the Workflow conditions warrant it. The Task Monitor runs until one of the conditions described below occurs:
The following diagram illustrates how a Task Monitor might go to SUCCESS and FAILED status within a workflow.
The Task Monitor task launches when the user enables the Task Monitor trigger. Each time the conditions in the Task Monitor task are satisfied, the tasks specified in the trigger are launched. This process continues until a user disables the associated Task Monitor trigger.
The following diagram shows an example of how you might set up a task monitoring scheme using the Task Monitor task and Task Monitor trigger.
If you manually launch a Task Monitor task or launch it using a trigger other than a Task Monitor trigger, such as a Time trigger, the task continues running until its specified conditions are met. When that occurs, the Task Monitor goes to SUCCESS. No other processing occurs unless you have configured notifications with the task or set up some other task(s) to launch based on the status of this task.
The Task Monitor runs until one of the conditions described below occurs:
Step 1 | From the Automation Center navigation pane, select Tasks > Task Monitor Tasks. The Task Monitor Tasks list displays a list of all currently defined Task Monitor tasks. |
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Step 2 | Enter/select Details for a new Task Monitor task, using the field descriptions below as a guide.
To display more of the Details fields on the screen, you can either:
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Step 3 | Click the |
To open an existing record on the list, either:
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The following Task Monitor Task Details is for an existing Task Monitor task.
Depending on the values that you enter / select for these fields, and whether or not the Task Monitor task has ever been launched, more (or less) fields may display. See the field descriptions, below, for a description of all fields that may display in the Task Monitor Task Details.
The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in the Task Monitor Task Details.
Field Name | Description | |
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General | This section contains general information about the task. | |
Name | ||
Version | ||
Description | ||
Member of Business Services | ||
Resolve Name Immediately | ||
Time Zone Preference | ||
Hold on Start | ||
Hold Reason | ||
Virtual Resource Priority | ||
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| Mutually Exclusive With Self | ||
| Simulate | ||
Monitor Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the task. | |
Status To Monitor | Status being monitored for. When the task being monitored goes to a status specified in this field, the associated trigger is satisfied and the tasks specified in the trigger launch. You can specify as many statuses as needed (see Task Statuses). | |
| Monitor Late Start | Specifies to monitor for an instance or instances that started late. When specifying a Time Scope, the instance Created Time must fall within the time window. | |
| Monitor Late Finish | Specifies to monitor for an instance or instances that finished late. When specifying a Time Scope, the instance Created Time must fall within the time window. | |
| Monitor Early Finish | Specifies to monitor for an instance or instances that finished early. When specifying a Time Scope, the instance Created Time must fall within the time window. | |
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| Required if Task Name Condition = Starts With; Character string at the start of the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. | |
| Required if Task Name Condition = Contains; Character string in the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. | |
| Required if Task Name Condition = Ends With; Character string at the end of the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. | |
| Required if Task Name Condition = Equals; Character string equaling the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. | |
| Required if Task Name Condition = Wildcard; Character string equaling the name of a wildcard in a task or tasks being monitored for. | |
| If Monitoring Type = Generals Task(s) and Task Name Condition = Starts With, Contains, Ends With, or Equals; Specification (true or false) for whether or not to resolve at run time any variables in the task name of the task(s) being monitored. | |
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| Optional if Workflow Name Condition = Equals; Exact name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. If the field is blank, the Task Monitor will consider a Task Instance for a match only if the Task Instance is not contained within a workflow. | |
| Required if Workflow Name Condition = Starts With; Character string at the start of the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. | |
| Required if Workflow Name Condition = Contains; Character string in the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. | |
| Required if Workflow Name Condition = Ends With; Character string at the end of the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. | |
| Required if Workflow Name Condition = Ends With; Character string of a wildcard in the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. | |
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Wait / Delay Options | This section contains specifications for waiting to start and/or delaying on start the task. | |
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Time Options | This section contains time-related specifications for task instances of the task. | |
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Critical Path Options | This section contains Critical Path-related specifications for the task. | |
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Workflow Execution Options | This section contains Execution Restriction specifications for the task if it is within a Workflow. | |
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| Self-Service Options | This section contains Self-Service specifications for the task. | |
| Enforce Variables | ||
| Lock Variables | ||
Statistics | This section contains time-related statistics for task instances of the task. | |
| First Execution | ||
Last Execution | ||
Last Instance Duration | ||
Lowest Instance Time | ||
Average Instance Time | ||
Highest Instance Time | ||
Number of Instances | ||
Metadata | This section contains Metadata information about this record. | |
UUID | Universally Unique Identifier of this record. | |
Updated By | Name of the user that last updated this record. | |
Updated | Date and time that this record was last updated. | |
Created By | Name of the user that created this record. | |
Created | Date and time that this record was created. | |
Buttons | This section identifies the buttons displayed above and below the Task Details that let you perform various actions. | |
Save | Saves a new task record in the Controller database. | |
Save & New | Saves a new record in the Controller database and redisplays empty Details so that you can create another new record. | |
Save & View | Saves a new record in the Controller database and continues to display that record. | |
New | Displays empty (except for default values) Details for creating a new task. | |
Update | ||
Launch | ||
View Parents | ||
Copy | Creates a copy of this task, which you are prompted to rename. | |
Delete |
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Refresh | Refreshes any dynamic data displayed in the Details. | |
Close | For pop-up view only; closes the pop-up view of this task. | |
Tabs | This section identifies the tabs across the top of the Task Details that provide access to additional information about the task. | |
Variables | ||
Actions | ||
Virtual Resources | ||
Mutually Exclusive | ||
| Lists all instances of the task. | |
Task Monitor Triggers | ||
Triggers | ||
Notes | ||
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When a Task Monitor task is launched, the Controller creates a task instance record of that task.
A task instance contains detailed information about a single execution of that task.
You can access a task instance from:
The following Task Monitor Task Instance Details contains information on the execution of the task shown in the Task Monitor Task Details.
The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in Task Monitor Task Instance Details.
Field Name | Description |
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General | This section contains general information about the task instance. |
| Name of this task instance. |
Instance Number | |
Description | |
Member of Business Services | |
Task | |
| Source Version | |
Launch Source | |
Source Instance | |
Invoked by | |
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Calendar | |
Time Zone Preference | |
Virtual Resource Priority | |
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| Mutually Exclusive With Self | |
| Simulate | |
| Previous Instance Wait Resolved | |
Status | This section contains information about the current status of the task instance. |
Status | |
Exit Code | |
Status Description | |
Operational Memo | |
Evaluation Time | |
Critical | |
| Critical Endpoint | |
Wait Until Time | |
Queued Time | |
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End Time | |
Duration | |
Trigger | Trigger, if any, on whose behalf the Task Monitor task is monitoring other tasks. |
Task Instance Matched | Last task that matched the specifications of the task(s) being monitored. |
Monitor Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the task instance. |
Status To Monitor | Status being monitored for. When the task being monitored goes to a status specified in this field, the associated trigger is satisfied and the tasks specified in the trigger launch. You can specify as many statuses as needed (see Task Statuses). |
| Monitor Late Start | Specifies to monitor for an instance or instances that started late. When specifying a Time Scope, the instance Created Time must fall within the time window. |
| Monitor Late Finish | Specifies to monitor for an instance or instances that finished late. When specifying a Time Scope, the instance Created Time must fall within the time window. |
| Monitor Early Finish | Specifies to monitor for an instance or instances that finished early. When specifying a Time Scope, the instance Created Time must fall within the time window. |
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| Required if Task Name Condition = Starts With; Character string at the start of the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. |
| Required if Task Name Condition = Contains; Character string in the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. |
| Required if Task Name Condition = Ends With; Character string at the end of the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. |
| Required if Task Name Condition = Equals; Character string equaling the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. |
| Required if Task Name Condition = Wildcard; Character string equaling the name of a wildcard in a task or tasks being monitored for. |
| If Monitoring Type = Generals Task(s) and Task Name Condition = Starts With, Contains, Ends With, or Equals; Specification (true or false) for whether or not to resolve at run time any variables in the task name of the task(s) being monitored. |
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| Optional if Workflow Name Condition = Equals; Exact name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. If the field is blank, the Task Monitor will consider a Task Instance for a match only if the Task Instance is not contained within a workflow. |
| Required if Workflow Name Condition = Starts With; Character string at the start of the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. |
| Required if Workflow Name Condition = Contains; Character string in the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. |
| Required if Workflow Name Condition = Ends With; Character string at the end of the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. |
| Required if Workflow Name Condition = Ends With; Character string of a wildcard in the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. |
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Wait / Delay Options | This section contains specifications for waiting to start and/or delaying on start the task. |
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Time Options | This section contains time-related specifications for the task instance. |
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Critical Path Options | This section contains Critical Path-related specifications for the task. |
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Workflow Execution Options | This section contains Execution Restriction specifications for the task if it is within a Workflow. |
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Statistics | This section contains time-related statistics for the task instance. |
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Lowest Estimated End Time | |
Average Estimated End Time | |
Highest Estimated End Time | |
| Projected Start Time | |
Projected End Time | System-supplied; projected end time of the task instance, calculated by the Controller based on the projected end time of its predecessor (or the maximum projected end time of all its predecessors, if more than one path exists to that task instance) plus its estimated critical path duration. |
Metadata | This section contains Metadata information about this record. |
UUID | Universally Unique Identifier of this record. |
Updated By | Name of the user that last updated this record. |
Updated | Date and time that this record was last updated. |
Created By | Name of the user that created this record. |
Created | Date and time that this record was created. |
Status History | History of all statuses that the task instance has gone through. |
Buttons | This section identifies the buttons displayed above and below the Task Instance Details that let you perform various actions. |
Update | |
Force Finish | |
Hold | |
Skip | |
Re-run | |
View Parent | |
Delete | |
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Refresh | Refreshes any dynamic data displayed in the Details. |
Close | For pop-up view only; closes the pop-up view of this task instance. |
Delete | |
Tabs | This section identifies the tabs across the top of the Task Instance Details that provide access to additional information about the task instance. |
| Actions | |
Virtual Resources | |
Exclusive Requests | |
Notes |
To view a list of running task instances that have the potential to match the specifications for tasks being monitored by the running Task Monitor task instance:
Step 1 | Either:
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Step 2 | On the View Potential Matches pop-up dialog, select a date and click Submit. |
Step 3 | A list of all potential matches displays in a new tab. |
Step 4 | Click Print to print a hard copy of the list or Refresh to refresh the task instances on the list. |
You can monitor all system activity from the Activity Monitor and can view activity history from the History list.
For any relative Time Scope conditions within the past, a Task Monitor will analyze only the current content of the database; specifically, by using the Status (ops_exec."status_code") and the State Changed Time (ops_exec."state_changed_time") to determine potential matches from the time window in the past.
Consider a Task Monitor instance monitoring for a Failed status within a time window in the past. If a potential task instance has a current status of Failed, the current State Changed Time will indicate when that task instance transitioned to the Failed status. When the Task Monitor instance runs, any task instance with a matching Status, and a State Changed Time within the time window in the past, can be considered for a match.
The Task Monitor instance will consider only the current content (that is, current Status and current State Changed Time) of the All Task Instances (ops_exec) table when searching for qualifying task instances that match within a time window in the past. |
Revisiting the example above, if you had a task instance with a status of Failed within the time window in the past, but prior to the Task Monitor instance running, the task instance was Finished, it would no longer be considered for a match.
Be aware that when specified, the Time Scope is relative to the time that the Task Monitor instance runs.
For example, consider the following Task Monitor instance:
Field | Value |
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Start Time | 2017-11-02 15:05:00 -0400 |
From | -6:00 |
To | -2:00 |
Status To Monitor | Success |
Task To Monitor | Sleep 0 |
For the relative Time Scope specified above, with a time window in the past, this would translate into the following query, paying particular attention to how the relative times are computed.
SELECT * FROM ops_exec WHERE "state_changed_time" >= '2017-11-02 09:05:00 -0400' AND "state_changed_time" <= '2017-11-02 13:05:00 -0400' AND "status_code" = '200' AND "task_id" = '410d6c0bc0a801c901838d8ac43b3279' |
button above the list to display a pop-up version of the Details.
button. The task is added to the database, and all buttons and tabs in the Task Details are enabled.
