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Recurring Task

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.
 
To the right of the list, Recurring Task Details for a new Recurring task displays.
 

Step 2

Enter/select Details for a new Recurring task, using the field descriptions below as a guide.

  • Required fields display an asterisk ( * ) after the field name.
  • Default values for fields, if available, display automatically.

To display more of the Details fields on the screen, you can either:

  • Use the scroll bar.
  • Temporarily hide the list above the Details.
  • Click the  button above the list to display a pop-up version of the Details.

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

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:

  • – System Default –
    Time zone is based on the value of the Task Time Zone Preference Universal Controller system property: Server or Inherited.
  • Server (xxx)
    Where (xxx) is the time zone ID of the server; time zone is evaluated in the time zone of the server.
  • Inherited
    Time zone is evaluated in the time zone of the Parent Workflow or Trigger / Launch specification in the case there is no Parent Workflow.

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: 

  • No

    Behavior determined by the parent workflow configuration.
  • Yes / -- None --

    Regardless of the parent workflow configuration, the task instance will never wait for a previous instance to complete.
  • Yes / Wait for Last

    Regardless of the parent workflow configuration, the task instance will remain in Instance Wait until the most recent prior instance of the same task has completed.
  • Yes / Wait for Last / Same Workflow

    Regardless of the parent workflow configuration, the task instance will remain in Instance Wait until the most recent prior instance of the same task, within an instance of the same workflow, have completed.
  • Yes / Wait for All

    Regardless of the parent workflow configuration, the task instance will remain in Instance Wait until all prior instances of the same task has completed.
  • Yes / Wait for All / Same Workflow

    Regardless of the parent workflow configuration, the task instance will remain in Instance Wait until all prior instances of the same task, within an instance of the same workflow, have completed.

Recurring Details

This section contains assorted detailed information about the task.

Recurrence Type

Type of recurrence.

Valid values:

Recurrence Time List

If Recurrence Type = On; List of Times and Days on which runs of the Target Task will recur.

Recurrence Interval

Amount of time to wait - based on the time unit specified in Recurrence Interval Unit - between runs of the specified Target Task.

The default value, as specified in the Recurring Task Minimum Frequency In Seconds Universal Controller system property, is 5 (seconds).  The minimum value is 0.

Recurrence Interval Unit

Units of time to wait - based on the time specified in Recurrence Interval - between runs of the specified Target Task.

Options:

  • Seconds
  • Minutes
  • Hours

Indefinite Recurrences

Indication that the recurrence of runs for the specified Target Task will occur indefinitely.

Number of Recurrences

If Indefinite Occurrences is not selected; Number of times that runs of the specified Target Task will occur.

Time Window

If Indefinite Occurrences is not selected; Indication that the Target Task will run within a specified time frame.

Purge By Retention Duration

Specification for whether task instances launched by the Recurring Task instance can be purged by retention duration.

Exclude Backup

If Purge By Retention Duration is selected; Specification for whether qualifying task instances can be excluded from the backup when being purged by retention duration.

Retention Duration

If Purge By Retention Duration is selected; Minimum retention duration for the selected Retention Duration Unit before triggered task instances can qualify for purge.

If Retention Duration Unit = Days, valid values are 1 to 366.

If Retention Duration Unit = Hours, valid values are 1 to 24.

Retention Duration Unit

If Purge By Retention Duration is selected; Retention duration unit.
 
Options:

  • Hours
  • Days

Interval Start Time (HH:MM)

If Time Window is selected; Starting time of day that runs of the specified Target Task will occur.

Interval End Time (HH:MM)

If Time Window is selected; Ending time of day that runs of the specified Target Task will recur.

Interval Start Day Constraint

If Time Window is selected; Specification for whether or not to advance the start day of the recurrence to another day.
 
Valid values:

  • -- None --
    Advance to the next day if the Interval Start Time is after the time of the current day.
  • Same Day
    Do not advance day.
  • Next Day
    Advance to the next day.
  • Next Business Day
    Advance to the next business day.
  • Sunday
    If today is not Sunday, advance to next Sunday.
  • Monday
    If today is not Monday, advance to next Monday.
  • Tuesday
    If today is not Tuesday, advance to next Tuesday.
  • Wednesday
    If today is not Wednesday, advance to next Wednesday.
  • Thursday
    If today is not Thursday, advance to next Thursday.
  • Friday
    If today is not Friday, advance to next Friday.
  • Saturday
    If today is not Saturday, advance to next Saturday.

Default is – None --.

Interval End Day Constraint

If Time Window is selected; Specification for whether or not to advance the end day of the recurrence to another day.
 
Valid values:

  • -- None --
    Advance to the next day if the Interval Start Time is after the time of the current day.
  • Same Day
    Do not advance day.
  • Next Day
    Advance to the next day.
  • Next Business Day
    Advance to the next business day.
  • Sunday
    If today is not Sunday, advance to next Sunday.
  • Monday
    If today is not Monday, advance to next Monday.
  • Tuesday
    If today is not Tuesday, advance to next Tuesday.
  • Wednesday
    If today is not Wednesday, advance to next Wednesday.
  • Thursday
    If today is not Thursday, advance to next Thursday.
  • Friday
    If today is not Friday, advance to next Friday.
  • Saturday
    If today is not Saturday, advance to next Saturday.

Default is – None --.

Launch Details

This section contains information about the target task being launched.

Target Task

Name of the task for which you want to specify recurrence details. Click the icon to display Task Details for the task.

Task Launch Skip Condition

User-defined; Controls when launching a target task for recurrence will be skipped.

The Recurring Task Launch Skip Condition Default Universal Controller system property value is used as the default value for this field. 

Options:

  • None
    Do not skip the target task launch.
  • Active
    Skip the target task launch if there are any target task instances running.
  • Active By Recurring Task Instance
    Skips the target task launch if there are any target task instances running for the same Recurring task.

Override Variables

List of task variables to override.

  • Name
    Name of the variable to override.
  • Value
    Value of the variable to override.
  • Resolution
    Type of resolution for the override:
    • Disabled
      Variable is passed to the launched Target Task unresolved and will remain unresolved in the Recurring Task Instance Details.

    • Enabled
      Variable is resolved when the Recurring Task Instance is started (running); therefore, it is passed to the launched Target Task resolved and will remain resolved in the Recurring Task Instance Details. If an Enabled variable cannot be resolved when the Recurring Task Instance is being started, the Recurring Task Instance will transition to a Start Failure with the following Status Description: Override Variable "variable-name" with Resolution "variable-resolution" is unresolved.

    • Enabled Every Recurrence
      Variable is resolved and passed each time the Target Task is being launched and will remain unresolved in the Recurring Task Instance Details.

Monitor Details

This section contains specifications for monitoring the target task.

Target Task Monitor Condition

Specification for which target task instance(s) will be monitored.

Options:

  • --None--
  • First Recurrence
  • Last Recurrence
  • All Recurrences

Status To Monitor

If Target Task Monitor Condition is not --None--; Status being monitored for. When the target task instance(s) being monitored go to the status specified here, the Recurring Task Instance will complete successfully.

Options:

  • Finished
  • Success
  • Skipped

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.
 
Options are:

  • – None –
  • Time
  • Relative Time
  • Duration
  • Seconds

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:

  • -- None --
    • If Wait To Start = Time; Advance to the next day if the specified wait time is before the time that the task instance is eligible to start; that is, all dependencies have been met. For example: it is not being held, and it is not waiting on any predecessors.
    • If Wait To Start = Relative Time; Advance to the next day if the specified wait time is before the task instance Trigger Time or, if there is no Trigger Time, before the task instance Launch Time. In the latter case, when a task instance is within a workflow, it will inherit the Launch Time of the top-level parent workflow task instance.
  • Same Day
    Do not advance day.
  • Next Day
    Advance to the next day.
  • Next Business Day
    Advance to the next business day.
  • Sunday
    If today is not Sunday, advance to next Sunday.
  • Monday
    If today is not Monday, advance to next Monday.
  • Tuesday
    If today is not Tuesday, advance to next Tuesday.
  • Wednesday
    If today is not Wednesday, advance to next Wednesday.
  • Thursday
    If today is not Thursday, advance to next Thursday.
  • Friday
    If today is not Friday, advance to next Friday.
  • Saturday
    If today is not Saturday, advance to next Saturday.

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.
 
Options are:

  • – None –
  • Duration
  • Seconds

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.
 
Options are:

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:

  • Time - Flag the task if it starts after the specified time.
  • Duration - Flag the task if it starts a certain amount of time after the programmed start time. The task must have a specific start time.

Late Start Time

If Late Start Type = Time; Time after which the task start time is considered late. Use HH:MM, 24-hour time.