Universal Task allows you to run a platform-specific application on a Linux/Unix or Windows machine. To run a Universal task, you must first complete the following tasks:
In addition to the system-assigned variables in the Universal Template script that a Universal task executes, the following built-in variables can be used in a Universal task to pass data where appropriate:
Step 1 | From the Universal Tasks section of the Automation Center navigation pane, select a Universal Task type. The Universal Tasks list for that Universal Task type displays. |
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Step 2 | Enter / select Details for a new Universal 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 a Save button. The task is added to the database, and all buttons and tabs in the Universal Task Details are enabled. |
To open an existing record on the list, either:
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The following Universal Task Details is for an existing Universal task.
Depending on the values that you enter / select for these fields, and whether or not the Universal 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 Universal Task Details.
The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in the Universal 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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Agent Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the Agent. | |
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Agent Variable | ||
Agent Cluster Variable | ||
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Credentials Variable | ||
Cluster Broadcast | ||
Cluster Broadcast Variable | ||
| For Windows Agents; Execute the task using an elevated privileges token, rather than one subject to User Account Control (UAC) restrictions. An elevated token allows a process to execute with all the privileges available to its specified credentials. For example, a task executed with an administrative account will behave as though it received permission via a UAC dialog to perform a privileged operation.
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If Universal Task Interact with Desktop Permitted system property = true; Specification for whether or not a task that runs an application with a GUI requires some manual actions from a user (for example, clicking buttons or entering values).
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| Create Console | If Interact with Desktop is enabled; Specification for whether or not to allocate a new console for the process, rather than having it inherit one. | |
Universal Task Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the Agent.
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Environment Variables | ||
| Result Processing Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about result processing for this task. | |
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| If Output Type is Extension; Output type that the Result Processing mechanism should assume when evaluating the output. If the expected output is XML or JSON, it is valid to specify Text. However, when specifying XML or JSON, the output must be XML or JSON respectively; otherwise, the parsing will fail and the path expression evaluation will return no matches. | |
| XPath Expression if Content Type is XML, or the JsonPath Expression if Content Type is JSON, to be used when evaluating the Extension output. | |
| If Output Type is Extension; Condition Operator to evaluate in combination with the specified condition Value. | |
| If Output Type is Extension; Condition Value to evaluate in combination with the specified condition Operator. | |
| If Content Type is XML or JSON; Strategy to take when applying the condition Operator and Value against the Path Expression matches when Content Type is XML or JSON. | |
| Enables the auto cleanup of Extension output upon task instance completion or, if the task instance is within a workflow, when the top level workflow instance completes. | |
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Output File (for Exit Code Processing) | ||
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Start Line | ||
Number of Lines | ||
Scan Text | ||
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Retry Options | This section contains specifications for retrying the task. | |
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Retry Indefinitely | ||
Retry Interval (Seconds) | ||
Suppress Intermediate Failures | ||
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. | |
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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 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 Task | ||
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. | |
Triggers | ||
Notes | ||
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When a Universal 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 Universal Task Instance Details contains information on the execution of the task shown in the Universal Task Details.
The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in Universal 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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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 | ||
CPU Time | ||
CPU Time | ||
Process ID | ||
Agent Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the Agent. | |
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Agent Variable | ||
Agent Cluster Variable | ||
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Credentials Variable | ||
Cluster Broadcast | ||
Cluster Broadcast Variable | ||
| For Windows Agents; Execute the task using an elevated privileges token, rather than one subject to User Account Control (UAC) restrictions. An elevated token allows a process to execute with all the privileges available to its specified credentials. For example, a task executed with an administrative account will behave as though it received permission via a UAC dialog to perform a privileged operation.
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If Universal Task Interact with Desktop Permitted system property = true; Specification for whether or not a task that runs an application with a GUI requires some manual actions from a user (for example, clicking buttons or entering values).
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| Create Console | If Interact with Desktop is enabled; Specification for whether or not to allocate a new console for the process, rather than having it inherit one. | |
Universal Task Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the Agent.
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Environment Variables | ||
| Result Processing Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about result processing for this task. | |
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| If Output Type is Extension; Output type that the Result Processing mechanism should assume when evaluating the output. If the expected output is XML or JSON, it is valid to specify Text. However, when specifying XML or JSON, the output must be XML or JSON respectively; otherwise, the parsing will fail and the path expression evaluation will return no matches. | |
| XPath Expression if Content Type is XML, or the JsonPath Expression if Content Type is JSON, to be used when evaluating the Extension output. | |
| If Output Type is Extension; Condition Operator to evaluate in combination with the specified condition Value. | |
| If Output Type is Extension; Condition Value to evaluate in combination with the specified condition Operator. | |
| If Content Type is XML or JSON; Strategy to take when applying the condition Operator and Value against the Path Expression matches when Content Type is XML or JSON. | |
| Enables the auto cleanup of Extension output upon task instance completion or, if the task instance is within a workflow, when the top level workflow instance completes. | |
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Output File (for Exit Code Processing) | ||
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Start Line | ||
Number of Lines | ||
Scan Text | ||
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Retry Options | This section contains specifications for retrying the task. | |
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Retry Indefinitely | ||
Retry Interval (Seconds) | ||
Current Retry Count | ||
Suppress Intermediate Failures | ||
Next Retry Time | ||
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 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 | ||
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Delete | ||
Refresh | Refreshes any dynamic data displayed in the Details. | |
Close | For pop-up view only; closes the pop-up view of this task instance. | |
Tabs | This section identifies the tabs across the top of the Task Instance Details that provide access to additional information about the task instance. | |
Virtual Resources | ||
Exclusive Requests | ||
Output | ||
Notes |
For information on how to access additional details - such as Metadata and complete database Details - for Universal Tasks and Universal Task Instances (or any type of record), see Records.
You can run a Universal Task:
You can monitor all system activity from the Activity Monitor and can view activity history from the History list.
