Recurring Task
Overview
The Recurring Task allows you to specify a target task, of any task type, along with recurrence options, to control when and how many times the target task is launched by that Recurring task.
Built-In Variables
The following built-in variables can be used in a Recurring task to pass data where appropriate:
Creating a Recurring Task
Step 1 | From the Automation Center navigation pane, select Tasks > Recurring Tasks. The Recurring Tasks list displays a list of all currently defined Recurring tasks. |
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Step 2 | Enter/select Details for a new Recurring 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 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).
Recurring Task Details
The following Recurring Task Details is for an existing Recurring task.
Depending on the values that you enter / select for these fields, and whether or not the Recurring 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 Recurring Task Details.
Recurring Task Details Field Descriptions
The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in the Recurring 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 | |
Hold Resources on Failure | |
Mutually Exclusive With Self | |
Simulate | |
Override Previous Instance Wait | |
Recurring Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the task. |
Recurrence Type | |
Recurrence Time List | |
Recurrence Interval | |
Recurrence Interval Unit | |
Indefinite Recurrences | |
Number of Recurrences | |
Time Window | |
Purge By Retention Duration | |
Exclude Backup | |
Retention Duration | |
Retention Duration Unit | |
Interval Start Time (HH:MM) | |
Interval End Time (HH:MM) | |
Interval Start Day Constraint | |
Interval End Day Constraint | |
Launch Details | This section contains information about the target task being launched. |
Target Task | |
Task Launch Skip Condition | |
Override Variables | |
Monitor Details | This section contains specifications for monitoring the target task. |
Target Task Monitor Condition | |
Status To Monitor | |
Wait / Delay Options | This section contains specifications for waiting to start and/or delaying on start the task. |
Wait To Start | |
Wait Time | |
Wait Day Constraint | |
Wait Duration | |
Wait Duration In Seconds | |
Delay On Start | |
Delay Duration | |
Delay Duration In Seconds | |
Workflow Only | |
Time Options | This section contains time-related specifications for task instances of the task. |
Late Start | |
Late Start Type | |
Late Start Time | |
Late Start Day Constraint | |
Late Start Nth Amount | |
Late Start Duration | |
Late Finish | |
Late Finish Type | |
Late Finish Offset Type | |
Late Finish Percentage Offset ( + ) | |
Late Finish Duration Offset ( + ) | |
Late Finish Duration Offset Unit | |
Late Finish Time | |
Late Finish Day Constraint | |
Late Finish Nth Amount | |
Late Finish Duration | |
Early Finish | |
Early Finish Type | |
Early Finish Offset Type | |
Early Finish Percentage Offset ( - ) | |
Early Finish Duration Offset ( - ) | |
Early Finish Duration Offset Unit | |
Early Finish Time | |
Early Finish Day Constraint | |
Early Finish Nth Amount | |
Early Finish Duration | |
User Estimated Duration | |
Workflow Execution Options | This section contains Execution Restriction specifications for the task if it is within a Workflow. |
Execution Restriction | |
Restriction Period | |
Before Date | |
Before Time | |
After Date | |
After Time | |
Date List | |
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 | 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 | |
Actions | |
Virtual Resources | |
Mutually Exclusive | |
Instances | Lists all instances of the task. |
Triggers | |
Notes | |
Versions |
Viewing a Recurring Task Instance
When a Recurring 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 Recurring Task Details for that task
Recurring Task Instance Details
The following Recurring Task Instance Details contains information on the execution of the task shown in the Recurring Task Details.