Universal Command Task
Before You Begin
The Universal Command task allows you to run a platform-specific application on a machine where Universal Agent is running. Universal Command is functionality provided by the Agent that serves as an agent process. Universal Command runs on any supported platform: z/OS, Linux/Unix, and Windows.
To run a Universal Command task, you must first complete the following:
- Install an Agent on the target machine.
- Launch the Agent. When the Agent connects with the Controller, it automatically creates an Agent resource definition in the Controller database.
Note
If you are running multiple ubroker started tasks and want to run a Universal Command task on a specific ubroker, you must specify the service port number associated with that ubroker in the Universal Command Options field on the Universal Command Task Details. The syntax is -port nnnn
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Built-In Variables
The following built-in variables can be used in a Universal Command task to pass data where appropriate:
Creating a Universal Command Task
Step 1 | From the Automation Center navigation pane, select Tasks > Universal Command Tasks. The Universal Command Tasks list displays a list of all currently defined Universal Command tasks. |
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Step 2 | Enter/select Details for a new Universal Command 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 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).
Universal Command Task Details
The following Universal Command Task Details is for an existing Universal Command task.
Depending on the values that you enter / select for these fields, and whether or not the Universal Command 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 Command Task Details.
Universal Command Task Details Field Descriptions
The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in the Universal Command 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. |
Mutually Exclusive With Self | If enabled, the task will not be allowed to run concurrently with itself. Task will not start until the instance that is running finishes. An instance will transition to Exclusive Wait status if it cannot start due to another instance already running. |
Simulate | Specifies if the instance should execute under simulation mode. |
Override Previous Instance Wait | Specifies whether or not to override the parent workflow's Previous Instance Wait configuration. This option only applies for an instance running within a workflow. Options:
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Agent Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the Agent / Agent Cluster selected for this task. |
Cluster | Indication that selecting a Utility Agent Cluster is required. If Cluster is selected, selecting a Utility Agent is not required unless Utility Agent Variable is selected. |
Utility Agent | Name of the Agent resource that identifies the machine where the operation will run. If you do not specify a Utility Agent, you must specify a Utility Agent Cluster or Utility Cluster Broadcast. |
Utility Agent Variable | If enabled, the Utility Agent field converts from a reference field (where you browse and select a record) into a text field that allows you to enter a variable. Use the format:
The variable must be a supported type as described in Variables and Functions. Note When updating multiple Tasks, to change from using a Utility Agent reference to using a Utility Agent variable, you must change the Utility Agent Variable field to Yes and specify the Utility Agent variable in the Utility Agent Unresolved field. Conversely, to change from using a Utility Agent variable to using a Utility Agent reference, you must change the Utility Agent Variable field to No and specify the Utility Agent reference in the Utility Agent field. |
Utility Agent Cluster | If Cluster is selected; Group of Agents, one of which the Controller will choose to run this task. You can specify a Utility Agent Cluster in addition to or in place of a specific Utility Agent. If you specify a Utility Agent and a Utility Agent Cluster, the Controller first tries to run the task on the specific Utility Agent. If the Utility Agent is not available, the Controller reverts to the Utility Agent Cluster. See Agent Clusters for more information. |
Utility Agent Cluster Variable | Indication of whether the Utility Agent Cluster field is a reference field for selecting a specific Agent Cluster (unchecked) or a text field for specifying the Utility Agent Cluster as a variable (checked). Use the format:
The variable must be a supported type as described in Variables and Functions. Note When updating multiple Tasks, to change from using a Utility Agent Cluster reference to using a Utility Agent Cluster variable, you must change the Utility Agent Cluster Variable field to Yes and specify the Utility Agent Cluster variable in the Utility Agent Cluster Unresolved field. Conversely, to change from using a Utility Agent Cluster variable to using a Utility Agent Cluster reference, you must change the Utility Agent Cluster Variable field to No and specify the Utility Agent Cluster reference in the Utility Agent Cluster field. |
Utility Credentials |
Required if the Agent Credentials Required Universal Controller system property is true. |
Utility Credentials Variable | Indication of whether the Utility Credentials field is a reference field for selecting a specific Credential (unchecked) or a text field for specifying the Utility Credentials as a variable (checked). Use the format: Note When updating multiple Tasks, to change from using a Utility Credentials reference to using a Utility Credentials variable, you must change the Utility Credentials Variable field to Yes and specify the Utility Credentials variable in the Utility Credentials Unresolved field. Conversely, to change from using a Utility Credentials variable to using a Utility Credentials reference, you must change the Utility Credentials Variable field to No and specify the Utility Credentials reference in the Utility Credentials field. |
Universal Command Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the task. |
UCMD Agent | Depending on the value in the UCMD Agent Option field, this field contains either:
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UCMD Agent Option | Specifies how the name of the UCMD Agent is being supplied in the UCMD Agent field. Options:
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UCMD Credentials |
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UCMD Credentials Variable | Indication of whether the UCMD Credentials field is a reference field for selecting a specific Credential (unchecked) or a text field for specifying the UCMD Credentials as a variable (checked). Use the format: |