Task Monitor Task
- Former user (Deleted)
Overview
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:
- All tasks
- Specific task
- Task type, such as a Windows task
- Group of tasks based on the name, such as all tasks whose name contains the string DEV
You also can monitor for any combination of task statuses.
For example, you can monitor for:
- All tasks with a status of RESOURCE WAIT or UNDELIVERABLE
- All Windows tasks in a FAILED status
- All tasks whose name contains REPORT that have a status of SUCCESS.
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.
Built-In Variables
The following built-in variables can be used in a Task Monitor task to pass data where appropriate:
Processing Flow for Task Monitors
The processing on a Task Monitor may differ depending on which of the following methods was used to launch it:
- Launched by a workflow
- Launched by a Task Monitor trigger
- Launched manually or by another trigger
Each method is described in detail below.
Note
Any changes made to a Task Monitor task are not recognized by its respective Triggers until those Triggers are disabled and re-enabled.
Launching a Task Monitor Task Within a Workflow
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:
- When the conditions specified in the Task Monitor are met, the Task Monitor goes to a status of SUCCESS.
- When the time window specified in the Task Monitor passes and the conditions in the Task Monitor are not met, the Task Monitor goes to a status of FAILED. If the time window is entirely in the past and Universal Controller does not locate the required event in the Activity table when the Task Monitor launches, the Task Monitor goes immediately to a FAILED status.
- If no time window is specified in the Task Monitor and the Task Monitor conditions are not met, the Task Monitor task continues running.
- A user can manually force finish the Task Monitor task.
The following diagram illustrates how a Task Monitor might go to SUCCESS and FAILED status within a workflow.
Launching a Task Monitor Task Using a Task Monitor Trigger
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.
Launching a Task Monitor Task Manually or Via Other 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:
- When the time window specified in the Task Monitor passes and the conditions in the Task Monitor are not met, the Task Monitor goes to a status of FAILED. If the time window is entirely in the past and the Controller does not locate the required event in the Activity table when the Task Monitor launches, the Task Monitor goes immediately to a FAILED status.
- If no time window is specified in the Task Monitor and the Task Monitor conditions are not met, the Task Monitor task continues running.
Creating a Task Monitor Task
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 a Save button. The task is added to the database, and all buttons and tabs in the Task Details are enabled. |
Note
To open an existing record on the list, either:
- Click a record in the list to display its record Details below the list. (To clear record Details below the list, click the New button that displays above and below the Details.)
- Clicking the Details icon next to a record name in the list, or right-click a record in the list and then click Open in the Action menu that displays, to display a pop-up version of the record Details.
- Right-click a record in the a list, or open a record and right-click in the record Details, and then click Open In Tab in the Action menu that displays, to display the record Details under a new tab on the record list page (see Record Details as Tabs).
Task Monitor Task Details
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.
Task Monitor Task Details Field Descriptions
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 | User-defined name of this task (Maximum = 255 alphanumeric characters); variables supported. It is the responsibility of the user to develop a workable naming scheme for tasks. | ||||||||||
Version | System-supplied; version number of the current record, which is incremented by the Controller every time a user updates a record. Click the Versions tab to view previous versions. For details, see Record Versioning. | ||||||||||
Description | Description of this record. Maximum length is 255 characters. | ||||||||||
Member of Business Services | User-defined; Allows you to select one or more Business Services that this record belongs to. (You also can Check All or Uncheck All Business Services for this record.) You can select up to 62 Business Services for any record type, and enter a maximum of 2048 characters for each Business Service. If the Business Service Visibility Restricted Universal Controller system property is set to true, depending on your assigned (or inherited) Permissions or Roles, Business Services available for selection may be restricted. | ||||||||||
Resolve Name Immediately | If enabled, the Instance Name of the task instance will be resolved immediately at trigger/launch time. | ||||||||||
Time Zone Preference | User-defined; Allows you to specify the time zone that will be applied to the task. Options:
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Hold on Start | If enabled, when the task is launched it appears in the Activity Monitor with a status of Held. The task runs when the user releases it. | ||||||||||
Hold Reason |
Information about why the task will be put on hold when it starts. | ||||||||||
Virtual Resource Priority | Priority for acquiring a resource when two or more tasks are waiting for the resource. This priority applies to all resources required by the task. Options: 1 (high) - 100 (low). Default is 10. | ||||||||||
Hold Resources on Failure |
If enabled, the task instance will continue to hold Renewable resources if the task instance fails. Renewable resources will be returned only if the task instance status is either Complete, Finished, or Skipped. | ||||||||||
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). | ||||||||||
Monitoring Type | Specifies which task or tasks are being monitored. Options:
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Task to Monitor | If Monitoring Type = Specific Task; specifies the task to monitor. Enter a task name or select a task from the drop-down list. To display details about a task on the list, select it and then click the Task To Monitor icon. | ||||||||||
Task Name Condition | If Monitoring Type = General Task(s); specifies a type of condition for the name of tasks being monitored for. If you select a condition type, a corresponding field displays that allows you to enter a value for that condition. Only tasks meeting the specified condition value will be monitored for. Options:
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Task Type to Monitor | If Monitoring Type = General Tasks; allows you to define specific task types to monitor for. For example, to monitor all SQL tasks, you would select Monitoring Type = General Tasks, then select Task Type to Monitor = SQL Tasks. | ||||||||||
Name Starts With | Required if Task Name Condition = Starts With; Character string at the start of the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. | ||||||||||
Name Contains | Required if Task Name Condition = Contains; Character string in the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. | ||||||||||
Name Ends With | Required if Task Name Condition = Ends With; Character string at the end of the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. | ||||||||||
Name Equals | Required if Task Name Condition = Equals; Character string equaling the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. | ||||||||||
Name Wildcard | Required if Task Name Condition = Wildcard; Character string equaling the name of a wildcard in a task or tasks being monitored for. | ||||||||||
Resolve Task Name Condition | 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. | ||||||||||
Workflow Name Condition | Type of condition for the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. If you select a condition type, a corresponding field displays that allows you to enter a value for that condition. Only tasks in workflows meeting the specified condition value will be monitored for. Options:
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Workflow Name Equals | 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. | ||||||||||
Workflow Name Starts With | 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. | ||||||||||
Workflow Name Contains | Required if Workflow Name Condition = Contains; Character string in the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. | ||||||||||
Workflow Name Ends With | 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. | ||||||||||
Workflow Name Wildcard | 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. | ||||||||||
Time Scope | Used for Task Monitor tasks not associated with a trigger. The Time Scope fields are used to create a window during which the Task Monitor conditions must be met in order for the Task Monitor to be satisfied. Options:
The Time Scope window is always relative to the time that the Task Monitor launched. For example, if you put -01:00 in the From time field and 02:00 in the To time field, the window's begin time is one hour before the Task Monitor is launched and its end time is two hours after it is launched. Use Relative / Last Run if you want to match the most recent prior instance. Note For additional details, see Understanding Relative Time Scope, below. | ||||||||||
Expiration Action | If Time Scope = Relative or Relative / Last Run and the Task Monitor cannot find any matches during the specified criteria and time interval; State to transition to if Relative Time Scope conditions are not met within the specified window. Options:
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From [+/-]hh:mm: | Format is (+/-)hh:mm If Time Scope = Relative or Relative / Last Run; used for Task Monitor tasks not associated with a trigger. hh must be a positive integer. mm must be a positive integer between 0 and 59 inclusive. For example, -124:00, -12:00, -6:00, 00:00, 6:00, 12:00, or 124:00. Together with the Time Scope To field, it allows you to specify a window of time, relative to the time the Task Monitor task launched, during which the conditions of the Task Monitor must be met. If the conditions are not met within the specified window, the Task Monitor task instance will transition to Failed (default) or Finished status determined by the Expiration Action.
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To [+/-]hh:mm: | Format is (+/-)hh:mm If Time Scope = Relative or Relative / Last Run; used for Task Monitor tasks not associated with a trigger. hh must be a positive integer. mm must be a positive integer between 0 and 59 inclusive. For example, -124:00, -12:00, -6:00, 00:00, 6:00, 12:00, or 124:00. Together with the Time Scope From field, it allows you to specify a window of time, relative to the time the Task Monitor task launched, during which the conditions of the Task Monitor must be met. If the conditions are not met within the specified window, the Task Monitor task instance will transition to Failed (default) or Finished status determined by the Expiration Action. | ||||||||||
Wait / Delay Options | This section contains specifications for waiting to start and/or delaying on start the task. | ||||||||||
Wait To Start |
Amount of time to wait before starting a task from the time that it was launched.
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Wait Time | If Wait To Start = Time or Relative Time; Time of day (in 24-hour time) to wait until before starting the task. | ||||||||||
Wait Day Constraint | If Wait To Start = Time or Relative Time; Specification for whether or not to advance the wait time to another day. Valid values:
Default is – None --. | ||||||||||
Wait Duration | If Wait To Start = Duration; Number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds to wait before starting the task. | ||||||||||
Wait Duration In Seconds | If Wait To Start = Seconds; Number of seconds to wait before starting the task. | ||||||||||
Delay On Start |
Amount of time to delay the start of a task, after it has been launched, from the time that it is eligible to start; that is, all dependencies have been met. For example: it is not being held, it is not waiting on any predecessors, or there is no wait time specified.
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Delay Duration | If Delay On Start = Duration; Number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds to delay after starting the task. | ||||||||||
Delay Duration In Seconds | If Delay On Start = Seconds; Number of seconds to delay after starting the task. | ||||||||||
Workflow Only | Specification for whether or not to apply the Wait To Start and Delay On Start specifications only if the task is in a Workflow.
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Time Options | This section contains time-related specifications for task instances of the task. | ||||||||||
Late Start | If enabled, and if the task instance starts after the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as late. You can specify a time or duration to determine a late start (see Late Start Type). To determine whether a task instance started late, open the task instance and locate the Started Late field; the field is checked if the instance started after the specified time. The Started Late field displays in the task instance Details only if the user specified a Late Start in the task Details. | ||||||||||
Late Start Type | Required if Late Start is enabled. Options:
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Late Start Time | If Late Start Type = Time; Time after which the task start time is considered late. Use HH:MM, 24-hour time. | ||||||||||
Late Start Day Constraint | If Late Start Type = Time; Specification for whether or not to advance the late start time to another day.
Default is – None --. | ||||||||||
Late Start Nth Amount | If Late Start Day Constraint = Nth Day; Number of days to advance. | ||||||||||
Late Start Duration | If Late Start Type = Duration; Duration (amount of relative time) after which the task is considered to have started late. For a task within a workflow, the duration is the period between the time the workflow starts and the time the task itself starts. For example, a task might have a Late Start Duration of 60 minutes. If the workflow starts at 9:00 a.m. but the task itself does not start until 10:30, the task has started late. For a task that is not within a workflow, Late Start Duration has meaning only if the task has been held upon starting. For example, if a task has a Late Start Duration of 60 minutes and the Hold on Start field is enabled, if the task is not released from hold within the amount of time specified in the Late Start Duration field, the task has started late. | ||||||||||
Late Finish | If enabled, and if the task instance finishes after the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as late. You can specify a time or duration to determine a late finish (see Late Finish Type). To determine whether a task instance finished late, open the task instance and locate the Finished Late field; the field is checked if the instance finished after the specified time or lasted longer than expected. This field only appears on the task instance if the user specified a Late Finish in the task definition. | ||||||||||
Late Finish Type | Required if Late Finish is enabled. Options:
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Late Finish Offset Type | |||||||||||
Late Finish Percentage Offset ( + ) | Required if Late Finish Offset Type = Percentage; Percentage of Average Duration to use as an offset. The late finish time is calculated by adding the offset to the Average Duration. | ||||||||||
Late Finish Duration Offset ( + ) | Required if Late Finish Offset Type = Duration; Duration to use as an offset. The late finish time is calculated by adding the offset to the Average Duration. | ||||||||||
Late Finish Duration Offset Unit | |||||||||||
Late Finish Time | If Late Finish Type = Time; Time after which the task finish time is considered late. Use HH:MM, 24-hour time. | ||||||||||
Late Finish Day Constraint | If Late Finish Type = Time; Specification for whether or not to advance the late finish time to another day.
Default is – None --. | ||||||||||
Late Finish Nth Amount | If Late Finish Day Constraint = Nth Day; Number of days to advance. | ||||||||||
Late Finish Duration | If Late Finish Type = Duration; Longest amount of time this task instance should take to run. | ||||||||||
Early Finish | If enabled, and if the task instance finishes before the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as early. You can specify a time or duration to determine an early finish (see Early Finish Type). To determine whether a task instance finished early, open the task instance and locate the Finished Early field; the field is checked if the instance finished before the specified time or did not last as long as expected. This field only appears on the task instance if the user added Early Finish specifications to the task definition. | ||||||||||
Early Finish Type | Required if Early Finish is enabled. Options:
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Early Finish Offset Type | |||||||||||
Early Finish Percentage Offset ( - ) | Required if Early Finish Offset Type = Percentage; Percentage of Average Duration to use as an offset. The early finish time is calculated by subtracting the offset from the Average Duration. | ||||||||||
Early Finish Duration Offset ( - ) | Required if Early Finish Offset Type = Duration; Duration to use as an offset. The early finish time is calculated by subtracting the offset from the Average Duration. | ||||||||||
Early Finish Duration Offset Unit | |||||||||||
Early Finish Time | If Early Finish Type = Time; Time before which the task finish time is considered early. That is, enter a time at which the task should still be running. Use HH:MM, 24-hour time. | ||||||||||
Early Finish Day Constraint | If Early Finish Type = Time; Specification for whether or not to advance the early finish time to another day.
Default is – None --. | ||||||||||
Early Finish Nth Amount | If Early Finish Day Constraint = Nth Day; Number of days to advance. | ||||||||||
Early Finish Duration | If Early Finish Type = Duration; Shortest amount of time this task instance should take to run. | ||||||||||
User Estimated Duration | Required if Early Finish Type or Late Finish Type = Average Duration; Estimated amount of time it should normally take to run this task. The Controller uses this information to calculate the User Estimated End Time on a task instance record. User Estimated Duration is used when the Average Duration is not available; for example, on the first launch of a task. | ||||||||||
Critical Path Options | This section contains Critical Path-related specifications for the task. | ||||||||||
CP Duration | Optional; Allows you to override the estimated Critical Path Duration of the task when running in a Workflow; used in conjunction with the CP Duration Unit field. In most cases, this field should be left blank, which implies that the Controller will estimate the Critical Path Duration based on historical executions. Valid values are any integer equal to or greater than 0. Variables and Functions are supported. | ||||||||||
CP Duration (Resolved) | Displays the current resolved value of the CP Duration field, which may contain variables or functions that will be displayed as unresolved until the task instance starts. The CP Duration (Resolved) field can continue to change value until the task instance starts, at which time CP Duration will display as resolved and CP Duration (Resolved) will no longer be visible unless there was an issue resolving the variables and/or functions contained within CP Duration. If the Controller is unable to resolve CP Duration or it resolves to an invalid value, CP Duration will be ignored and the Controller will estimate the Critical Path Duration based on historical executions. | ||||||||||
CP Duration Unit | Type of CP Duration; used in conjunction with the CP Duration field. For example, for a CP Duration of two minutes, specify 2 in the CP Duration field and select Minutes in this field. Options:
Default is Minutes. | ||||||||||
Workflow Execution Options | This section contains Execution Restriction specifications for the task if it is within a Workflow. | ||||||||||
Execution Restriction | Specification for whether or not there is a restriction for this task to be run, skipped, or held. Options are:
If Execution Restriction on a task is Run or Skip, then when it is part of a Workflow that is being launched, the Restriction Period is evaluated. The task instance will be skipped if Execution Restriction is Skip and the date is within the Restriction Period or Execution Restriction is Run and the date is not within the Restriction Period. Execution Restriction can be set to Skip with a Restriction Period of - None -, meaning the restriction is always active and the task will be skipped when it is part of a Workflow. | ||||||||||
Restriction Period | If Execution Restriction = Run, Skip, or Hold; Period of time when the task is restricted. Options are:
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Before Date | If Restriction Period = Before or Span; Date before which the restriction is valid. | ||||||||||
Before Time | If Restriction Period = Before or Span; Time on the selected date before which the restriction is valid. | ||||||||||
After Date | If Restriction Period = After or Span; Date after which the restriction is valid. | ||||||||||
After Time | If Restriction Period = After or Span; Time on the selected date after which the restriction is valid. | ||||||||||
Date List | If Restriction Period = On; Date(s) on which the restriction is valid. | ||||||||||
Statistics | This section contains time-related statistics for task instances of the task. | ||||||||||
| First Execution | System-supplied; End Time of the first instance of this task to complete. | ||||||||||
Last Execution | System-supplied; End Time of the last instance of this task to complete. | ||||||||||
Last Instance Duration |
System-supplied; Amount of time the task took to run the last time it ran. | ||||||||||
Lowest Instance Time |
System-supplied; Lowest amount of time this task has taken to run. | ||||||||||
Average Instance Time |
System-supplied; Average amount of time this task takes to run. | ||||||||||
Highest Instance Time |
System-supplied; Highest amount of time this task has taken to run. | ||||||||||
Number of Instances |
System-supplied; Number of instances in the database for this task. | ||||||||||
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 |
Saves updates to the record. | ||||||||||
Launch Task |
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View Parents |
Displays a list of any parent Workflow tasks for this task. | ||||||||||
Copy | Creates a copy of this task, which you are prompted to rename. | ||||||||||
Delete |
Deletes the current record. Note You cannot delete a task if it is either:
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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 |
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Actions | Allows you to specify actions that the Controller will take automatically based on events that occur during the execution of this task. Events are:
Actions are:
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Virtual Resources |
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Mutually Exclusive |
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Instances | Lists all instances of the task. | ||||||||||
Task Monitor Triggers |
Lists all Task Monitor triggers that reference this task in the Task Monitor field of the trigger Details; that is, a list of all Task Monitor triggers that execute this task. For instructions on creating triggers, see Triggers. | ||||||||||
Triggers | List of all triggers that reference this task in the Task(s) field of the trigger Details; that is, a list of all triggers that have been defined to launch this task. Also allows you to add new triggers. If you add a new trigger from this location, the Controller automatically constructs a default trigger name as follows: <current task name>#TRIGGER#. You can change the default name if desired. For instructions on creating triggers, see Triggers. | ||||||||||
Notes |
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Versions |
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Viewing a Task Monitor Task Instance
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:
- Instances tab on the Task Monitor Task Details for that task
- Activity Monitor
- Task Instances list
Task Monitor Task Instance Details
The following Task Monitor Task Instance Details contains information on the execution of the task shown in the Task Monitor Task Details.
Task Monitor Task Instance Details Field Descriptions
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. |
Instance Name | Name of this task instance. |
Instance Number |
System-supplied; Sequentially assigned number, maintained per task, representing the creation order of the instance. |
Description | Description of this record. Maximum length is 255 characters. |
Member of Business Services | User-defined; Allows you to select one or more Business Services that this record belongs to. (You also can Check All or Uncheck All Business Services for this record.) You can select up to 62 Business Services for any record type, and enter a maximum of 2048 characters for each Business Service. If the Business Service Visibility Restricted Universal Controller system property is set to true, depending on your assigned (or inherited) Permissions or Roles, Business Services available for selection may be restricted. |
Task |
Name of the task that was run to create this task instance. Click the icon to display Task Details for the task. |
| Source Version | Version of the task that was run to create this task instance. |
Launch Source | System-supplied; Source from which this task was launched. Options:
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Source Instance | System-supplied; UUID of the source instance.
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Invoked by | System-supplied; how the task instance was launched. Options:
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Execution User |
System-supplied; If the task was launched manually; ID of the user who launched it. |
Calendar |
Calendar associated with the task instance. |
Time Zone Preference | User-defined; Allows you to specify the time zone that will be applied to the task. Options:
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Virtual Resource Priority | Priority for acquiring a resource when two or more tasks are waiting for the resource. This priority applies to all resources required by the task. Options: 1 (high) - 100 (low). Default is 10. |
Hold Resources on Failure |
If enabled, the task instance will continue to hold Renewable resources if the task instance fails. Renewable resources will be returned only if the task instance status is either Complete, Finished, or Skipped. |
Status | This section contains information about the current status of the task instance. |
Status | |
Exit Code |
System-supplied; the exit code captured by the Agent when executing the task (for example, a command or script). |
Status Description |
System-supplied; additional information, if any, about the status of the task instance. |
Operational Memo |
User-defined operational memo. |
Evaluation Time |
If time zone of user is different than time zone of task instance; Time at which Execution Restrictions and Run Criteria were evaluated based upon the requested time zone. (Time zone of task instance displays in parentheses.) |
Critical |
Indicates that this task is in the Critical Path of a workflow. |
Wait Until Time |
Amount of time calculated to wait before the task was started, based on Wait To Start and Delay On Start times. |
Queued Time |
System-supplied; Date and time the task was queued for processing. |
Trigger Time |
System-supplied; Date and time the task instance was triggered. |
Launch Time |
System-supplied; Date and time the task instance was launched. |
Start Time |
System-supplied; Date and time the task instance started. |
End Time |
System-supplied; Date and time the task instance completed. |
Duration |
System-supplied; amount of time the task instance took to run. |
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). |
Monitoring Type | Specifies which task or tasks are being monitored. Options:
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Task to Monitor | If Monitoring Type = Specific Task; specifies the task to monitor. Enter a task name or select a task from the drop-down list. To display details about a task on the list, select it and then click the Task To Monitor icon. |
Task Name Condition | If Monitoring Type = General Task(s); specifies a type of condition for the name of tasks being monitored for. If you select a condition type, a corresponding field displays that allows you to enter a value for that condition. Only tasks meeting the specified condition value will be monitored for. Options:
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Task Type to Monitor | If Monitoring Type = General Tasks; allows you to define specific task types to monitor for. For example, to monitor all SQL tasks, you would select Monitoring Type = General Tasks, then select Task Type to Monitor = SQL Tasks. |
Name Starts With | Required if Task Name Condition = Starts With; Character string at the start of the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. |
Name Contains | Required if Task Name Condition = Contains; Character string in the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. |
Name Ends With | Required if Task Name Condition = Ends With; Character string at the end of the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. |
Name Equals | Required if Task Name Condition = Equals; Character string equaling the name of a task or tasks being monitored for. |
Name Wildcard | Required if Task Name Condition = Wildcard; Character string equaling the name of a wildcard in a task or tasks being monitored for. |
Resolve Task Name Condition | 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. |
Workflow Name Condition | Type of condition for the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. If you select a condition type, a corresponding field displays that allows you to enter a value for that condition. Only tasks in workflows meeting the specified condition value will be monitored for. Options:
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Workflow Name Equals | 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. |
Workflow Name Starts With | 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. |
Workflow Name Contains | Required if Workflow Name Condition = Contains; Character string in the name of a workflow or workflows containing the task being monitored for. |
Workflow Name Ends With | 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. |
Workflow Name Wildcard | 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. |
Time Scope | Used for Task Monitor tasks not associated with a trigger. The Time Scope fields are used to create a window during which the Task Monitor conditions must be met in order for the Task Monitor to be satisfied. Options:
The Time Scope window is always relative to the time that the Task Monitor launched. For example, if you put -01:00 in the From time field and 02:00 in the To time field, the window's begin time is one hour before the Task Monitor is launched and its end time is two hours after it is launched. Use Relative / Last Run if you want to match the most recent prior instance. Note For additional details, see Understanding Relative Time Scope, below. |
Expiration Action | If Time Scope = Relative or Relative / Last Run and the Task Monitor cannot find any matches during the specified criteria and time interval; State to transition to if Relative Time Scope conditions are not met within the specified window. Options:
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From [+/-]hh:mm: | Format is (+/-)hh:mm If Time Scope = Relative or Relative / Last Run; used for Task Monitor tasks not associated with a trigger. hh must be a positive integer. mm must be a positive integer between 0 and 59 inclusive. For example, -124:00, -12:00, -6:00, 00:00, 6:00, 12:00, or 124:00. Together with the Time Scope To field, it allows you to specify a window of time, relative to the time the Task Monitor task launched, during which the conditions of the Task Monitor must be met. If the conditions are not met within the specified window, the Task Monitor task instance will transition to Failed (default) or Finished status determined by the Expiration Action.
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To [+/-]hh:mm: | Format is (+/-)hh:mm If Time Scope = Relative or Relative / Last Run; used for Task Monitor tasks not associated with a trigger. hh must be a positive integer. mm must be a positive integer between 0 and 59 inclusive. For example, -124:00, -12:00, -6:00, 00:00, 6:00, 12:00, or 124:00. Together with the Time Scope From field, it allows you to specify a window of time, relative to the time the Task Monitor task launched, during which the conditions of the Task Monitor must be met. If the conditions are not met within the specified window, the Task Monitor task instance will transition to Failed (default) or Finished status determined by the Expiration Action. |
Wait / Delay Options | This section contains specifications for waiting to start and/or delaying on start the task. |
Wait To Start |
Amount of time to wait before starting a task from the time that it was launched.
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Wait Time | If Wait To Start = Time or Relative Time; Time of day (in 24-hour time) to wait until before starting the task. |
Wait Day Constraint | If Wait To Start = Time or Relative Time; Specification for whether or not to advance the wait time to another day. Valid values:
Default is – None --. |
Wait Duration | If Wait To Start = Duration; Number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds to wait before starting the task. |
Wait Duration In Seconds | If Wait To Start = Seconds; Number of seconds to wait before starting the task. |
Delay On Start |
Amount of time to delay the start of a task, after it has been launched, from the time that it is eligible to start; that is, all dependencies have been met. For example: it is not being held, it is not waiting on any predecessors, or there is no wait time specified.
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Delay Duration | If Delay On Start = Duration; Number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds to delay after starting the task. |
Delay Duration In Seconds | If Delay On Start = Seconds; Number of seconds to delay after starting the task. |
Time Options | This section contains time-related specifications for the task instance. |
Late Start | If enabled, and if the task instance starts after the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as late. You can specify a time or duration to determine a late start (see Late Start Type). To determine whether a task instance started late, open the task instance and locate the Started Late field; the field is checked if the instance started after the specified time. The Started Late field displays in the task instance Details only if the user specified a Late Start in the task Details. |
Started Late | System-supplied; this field is flagged if the task started later than the time specified in the Late Start fields. |
Late Start Type | Required if Late Start is enabled. Options:
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Late Start Time | If Late Start Type = Time; Time after which the task start time is considered late. Use HH:MM, 24-hour time. |
Late Start Day Constraint | If Late Start Type = Time; Specification for whether or not to advance the late start time to another day.
Default is – None --. |
Late Start Nth Amount | If Late Start Day Constraint = Nth Day; Number of days to advance. |
Late Start Duration | If Late Start Type = Duration; Duration (amount of relative time) after which the task is considered to have started late. For a task within a workflow, the duration is the period between the time the workflow starts and the time the task itself starts. For example, a task might have a Late Start Duration of 60 minutes. If the workflow starts at 9:00 a.m. but the task itself does not start until 10:30, the task has started late. For a task that is not within a workflow, Late Start Duration has meaning only if the task has been held upon starting. For example, if a task has a Late Start Duration of 60 minutes and the Hold on Start field is enabled, if the task is not released from hold within the amount of time specified in the Late Start Duration field, the task has started late. |
Computed Late Start Time | If Late Start is enabled, the computed Date/Time for when the task instance will be Late Started. |
Late Finish | If enabled, and if the task instance finishes after the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as late. You can specify a time or duration to determine a late finish (see Late Finish Type). To determine whether a task instance finished late, open the task instance and locate the Finished Late field; the field is checked if the instance finished after the specified time or lasted longer than expected. This field only appears on the task instance if the user specified a Late Finish in the task definition. |
Finished Late | System-supplied; this field is flagged if the task finished later than the time or duration specified in the Late Finish fields. |
Late Finish Type | Required if Late Finish is enabled. Options:
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Late Finish Offset Type | |
Late Finish Percentage Offset ( + ) | Required if Late Finish Offset Type = Percentage; Percentage of Average Duration to use as an offset. The late finish time is calculated by adding the offset to the Average Duration. |
Late Finish Duration Offset ( + ) | Required if Late Finish Offset Type = Duration; Duration to use as an offset. The late finish time is calculated by adding the offset to the Average Duration. |
Late Finish Duration Offset Unit | |
Late Finish Time | If Late Finish Type = Time; Time after which the task finish time is considered late. Use HH:MM, 24-hour time. |
Late Finish Day Constraint | If Late Finish Type = Time; Specification for whether or not to advance the late finish time to another day.
Default is – None --. |
Late Finish Nth Amount | If Late Finish Day Constraint = Nth Day; Number of days to advance. |
Late Finish Duration | If Late Finish Type = Duration; Longest amount of time this task instance should take to run. |
Computed Late Finish Time | If Late Finish is enabled, the computed Date/Time for when the task instance will be Late Finished. |
Early Finish | If enabled, and if the task instance finishes before the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as early. You can specify a time or duration to determine an early finish (see Early Finish Type). To determine whether a task instance finished early, open the task instance and locate the Finished Early field; the field is checked if the instance finished before the specified time or did not last as long as expected. This field only appears on the task instance if the user added Early Finish specifications to the task definition. |
Finished Early | System-supplied; this field is flagged if the task finished earlier than the time specified in the Early Finish fields. |
Early Finish Type | Required if Early Finish is enabled. Options:
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Early Finish Offset Type | |
Early Finish Percentage Offset ( - ) | Required if Early Finish Offset Type = Percentage; Percentage of Average Duration to use as an offset. The early finish time is calculated by subtracting the offset from the Average Duration. |
Early Finish Duration Offset ( - ) | Required if Early Finish Offset Type = Duration; Duration to use as an offset. The early finish time is calculated by subtracting the offset from the Average Duration. |
Early Finish Duration Offset Unit | |
Early Finish Time | If Early Finish Type = Time; Time before which the task finish time is considered early. That is, enter a time at which the task should still be running. Use HH:MM, 24-hour time. |
Early Finish Day Constraint | If Early Finish Type = Time; Specification for whether or not to advance the early finish time to another day.
Default is – None --. |
Early Finish Nth Amount | If Early Finish Day Constraint = Nth Day; Number of days to advance. |
Early Finish Duration | If Early Finish Type = Duration; Shortest amount of time this task instance should take to run. |
User Estimated Duration | Required if Early Finish Type or Late Finish Type = Average Duration; Estimated amount of time it should normally take to run this task. The Controller uses this information to calculate the User Estimated End Time on a task instance record. User Estimated Duration is used when the Average Duration is not available; for example, on the first launch of a task. |
Projected Late | System-provided if Late Start Time, Late Start Duration, or Late Finish Time is specified; This field is flagged if the task instance is projected to be late based on critical path projected end times (see Critical Path Projected Late Action Maximum and Critical Path Projected Late Threshold In Minutes Universal Controller system properties). . |
Critical Path Options | This section contains Critical Path-related specifications for the task. |
CP Duration | Optional; Allows you to override the estimated Critical Path Duration of the task when running in a Workflow; used in conjunction with the CP Duration Unit field. In most cases, this field should be left blank, which implies that the Controller will estimate the Critical Path Duration based on historical executions. Valid values are any integer equal to or greater than 0. Variables and Functions are supported. |
CP Duration (Resolved) | Displays the current resolved value of the CP Duration field, which may contain variables or functions that will be displayed as unresolved until the task instance starts. The CP Duration (Resolved) field can continue to change value until the task instance starts, at which time CP Duration will display as resolved and CP Duration (Resolved) will no longer be visible unless there was an issue resolving the variables and/or functions contained within CP Duration. If the Controller is unable to resolve CP Duration or it resolves to an invalid value, CP Duration will be ignored and the Controller will estimate the Critical Path Duration based on historical executions. |
CP Duration Unit | Type of CP Duration; used in conjunction with the CP Duration field. For example, for a CP Duration of two minutes, specify 2 in the CP Duration field and select Minutes in this field. Options:
Default is Minutes. |
Workflow Execution Options | This section contains Execution Restriction specifications for the task if it is within a Workflow. |
Execution Restriction | Specification for whether or not there is a restriction for this task to be run, skipped, or held. Options are:
If Execution Restriction on a task is Run or Skip, then when it is part of a Workflow that is being launched, the Restriction Period is evaluated. The task instance will be skipped if Execution Restriction is Skip and the date is within the Restriction Period or Execution Restriction is Run and the date is not within the Restriction Period. Execution Restriction can be set to Skip with a Restriction Period of - None -, meaning the restriction is always active and the task will be skipped when it is part of a Workflow. |
Restriction Period | If Execution Restriction = Run, Skip, or Hold; Period of time when the task is restricted. Options are:
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Before Date | If Restriction Period = Before or Span; Date before which the restriction is valid. |
Before Time | If Restriction Period = Before or Span; Time on the selected date before which the restriction is valid. |
After Date | If Restriction Period = After or Span; Date after which the restriction is valid. |
After Time | If Restriction Period = After or Span; Time on the selected date after which the restriction is valid. |
Date List | If Restriction Period = On; Date(s) on which the restriction is valid. |
Statistics | This section contains time-related statistics for the task instance. |
User Estimated End Time | System-supplied; If the user entered information into the User Estimated Duration field in the task Details, the Controller uses this information to calculate an end time for the task instance, based on the date/time the task instance started. |
Lowest Estimated End Time |
System-supplied; Lowest estimated end time of the task instance, calculated by the Controller based on the date/time the task instance started. |
Average Estimated End Time |
System-supplied; Average estimated end time of the task instance, calculated by the Controller based on the date/time the task instance started. |
Highest Estimated End Time |
System-supplied; Highest estimated end time of the task instance, calculated by the Controller based on the date/time the task instance started. |
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 |
Saves updates to the record. |
Force Finish | |
Hold |
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Skip |
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Re-run | See Re-running a Task Instance. Note If the Re-run (Suppress Intermediate Failures) Permitted Universal Controller system property is set to true, the Re-run button is a drop-down list containing the following options:
The Re-run button does not display if the task instance does not qualify for Re-run. If the task instance qualifies for Re-run, but already has Retry Options enabled, Re-run (Suppress Intermediate Failures) displays as disabled in the drop-down list. |
View Parent |
Displays the task instance Details for the parent Workflow of this task instance. |
Delete |
Deletes the current record. |
View Potential Matches |
For Task Monitor task instances in Running status; Allows you 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 instance (see Viewing Potential Matches for a Running Task Monitor Task Instance, below). |
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 |
Deletes the current record. |
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 |
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Exclusive Requests |
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Notes |
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Viewing Potential Matches for a Running Task Monitor Task Instance
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. |
Monitoring Task Execution
You can monitor all system activity from the Activity Monitor and can view activity history from the History list.
Understanding Relative Time Scope
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.
Note
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 [+/-]hh:mm | -6:00 |
To [+/-]hh:mm | -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'