Overview

The Time trigger, similar to the Cron trigger, allows you to specify dates and times at which a task will be triggered.

With both Time and Cron triggers, you can define:

Simple date and times, such as "every weekday at 12:00 a.m."
Specific dates and times, such as "March 15 at 12:00 a.m."
A series of dates and times, such as "every Friday at every hour."
A mixture of specific dates/times and a series, such as "every Monday at 9 a.m."
Complex dates and times, such as "every 3 hours between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the last business day of the year."

(Read Daylight Saving Time for details about how Universal Controller handles Daylight Saving Time.)

If you want to schedule time intervals for triggering a task on multiple days, use the trigger type (Time or a Cron) that allows you to most accurately select the scheduling parameters (see Time Trigger#Scheduling a Time Interval, below).

Creating a Time Trigger

Step 1	From the Automation Center navigation pane, select Triggers > Time Triggers. The Time Triggers list displays. To the right of the list, Time Trigger Details for a new Time trigger displays.
Step 2	Enter/select Details for a new Time trigger, 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 a button. The trigger is added to the database, and all buttons and tabs in the Trigger Details are enabled.
Step 4	Enable the trigger(s) as desired.

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).

Time Trigger Details

The following Time Trigger Details is for an existing Time trigger. See the field descriptions below for a description of the fields that display in the Time Trigger Details.

Time Trigger Details Field Descriptions

The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in the Time Trigger Details.

Field Name	Description
General	This section contains general information about the trigger.
Name	Name used within the Controller to identify this trigger. It can contain a maximum of 255 alphanumerics. It is the responsibility of the user to develop a workable naming scheme for triggers.
Version	System-supplied; version number of the current record, which is incremented by the system 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.
Calendar	Calendar that defines the business days, holidays, and other special days that determine the run dates for the task(s) specified in the trigger. Select a Calendar from the drop-down list of all existing Calendars. To display detailed information about a selected calendar, click the Details icon next to the Calendar field.
Time Zone	User-defined; allows you to specify the time zone that will be applied to the time(s) specified in the trigger. For example, if you specify 23:00 and a time zone of Canada/Central, the task will run at 11:00 p.m. Central Canada time.
Task(s)	Name of the task(s) being triggered when this trigger is satisfied. When selecting tasks from the Details, click on the lock icon to unlock the field and select tasks.
Simulate	Specifies if the instances generated by this trigger should execute under simulation mode, in which none of the tasks execute. Alternatively, simulation mode can be enabled from the Trigger Now… command (see Triggering with Variables and Triggering by Date and Time).
Purge By Retention Duration	Specification for whether triggered task instances 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
Execution User	Read-only; Execution user that has been selected (via the Assign Execution User action) to override the execution user of task instances being launched by the trigger.
Forecast	If checked, the Controller calculates the date and time when this trigger will be satisfied for the next number of days, as specified in the Forecast Period In Days Universal Controller system property. The Controller writes the forecasting entries to the Forecasts List. Note If this field is checked on a trigger and the trigger is promoted, it will not be checked for that trigger on the target system.
Simulate Forecast	Enables the override of the System Default Trigger Simulate Forecast Universal Controller system property specification for whether or not to simulate forecasting of a trigger. By enabling trigger forecast simulation, it allows you to enable a trigger to generate forecast records without the trigger launching the specified task(s) at the next scheduled time. Options: -- System Default -- Use the system default for enabling / disabling trigger forecast simulation as specified by System Default Trigger Simulate Forecast. True Enable trigger forecast simulation. False Disable trigger forecast simulation. At the next scheduled time the controller will only log a message similar to the following. `Trigger simulation: Trigger [Time] "trigger-name" with id trigger-uuidlaunching task "task-name" with id task-uuid using trigger variables {...}. Next scheduled trigger time "Sat Apr 01 11:02:00 EDT 2023".`
Status	This section contains information about the current status of the trigger.
Status	System-defined; Specification for whether the trigger is Enabled or Disabled. The user enables and disables the trigger by clicking the Enable / Disable buttons. Only enabled triggers are processed by the Controller.
Next Scheduled Time	System-supplied; for time-based triggers. If Status = Enabled, the next date and time this trigger will be satisfied. See Displaying Trigger Forecast Information.
Enabled By	System-supplied. If Status = Enabled, ID of the user who most recently enabled this trigger.
Disabled By	System-supplied; If Status = Disabled, ID of the user who most recently disabled this trigger. (By default, all new triggers are disabled.)
Enabled Time	System-supplied. If Status = Enabled, Date and time that the trigger was enabled.
Disabled Time	System-supplied. If Status = Disabled, Date and time that the trigger was disabled.
Skip Details	This section contains detailed information about skipping the trigger.
Task Launch Skip Condition	User-defined; Controls when launching a task for the trigger will be skipped. Default is the value of the Trigger Task Launch Skip Condition Default Universal Controller system property. Options: -- None -- Do not skip the task launch. Active Skip the task launch if a previous instance is still active. Active By Trigger Skip the task launch if a previous instance launched by the trigger is still active. Task Launch Skip Condition is not applicable when using the Trigger Now... command and will be ignored.
Skip Restriction	User-defined; Specification for when this trigger should skip and not launch the task(s). Options: - - None - - No skip restrictions Before Trigger will skip if the current date and time is before the specified Skip Before Date and Skip Before Time values. After Trigger will skip if the current date and time is after the specified Skip After Date and Skip After Time values. Span Trigger will skip if the date and time qualifies based upon the specified Skip After Date, Skip After Time, Skip Before Date, and Skip After Date values. Note If Skip After Date and Skip After Time are prior to the Skip Before Date and Skip Before Time, the Span is a "between" period. In this case, if the triggered time is after the Skip After Date and Skip After Time as well as before the Skip Before Date and Skip Before Time, the Trigger will skip and not launch the configured Task(s). If the Skip Before Date and Skip Before Time are prior to the Skip After Date and Skip After Time, the Span is a "not between" period. In this case, if the triggered time is either after the Skip After Date and Skip After Time or before the Skip Before Date and Skip Before Time, then the trigger will skip and not launch the configured Task(s). On Trigger will skip on any of the dates specified in the Skip Date LIst. Default is - - None - -.
Skip Count	User-defined; Allows you to specify that the Controller should skip the next N times this task is triggered. Skip Count is not applicable when using the Trigger Now... command and will be ignored.
Skip Before Date	If Skip Restriction is Before or Span; Date before which the Trigger will skip.
Skip Before Time	If Skip Restriction is Before or Span; Time before which the Trigger will skip on the specified Skip Before Date.
Skip After Date	If Skip Restriction is After or Span; Date after which the Trigger will Skip.
Skip After Time	If Skip Restriction is After or Span; Time after which the Trigger will skip on the specified Skip After Date.
Skip Date List	If Skip Restriction is On; List of dates on which the trigger will skip.
Time Details	This section contains assorted detailed information about the trigger.
Time Style	Specifies whether this trigger is for a specific time or a series of times. Options: Time - Triggers the task at a specific time. Required field: Time. Time Interval - Triggers the task at specific intervals of times. Required fields: Time Interval, Time Interval Units. Optional fields: Enable Offset, Restrict Times.
Time	Required if Time Style = Time; time of the trigger in hours and minutes, using 24-hour time. For example, 01:45 means trigger the task at 1:45 a.m.; 13:45 means trigger the task at 1:45 p.m. (See also Daylight Saving Time.)
Time Interval	Required if Time Style = Time Interval; number of Time Interval Units. For example, for a Time Interval of every three hours, specify 3 in this field and select Hours in the Time Interval Units field. Note See Time Trigger#Scheduling a Time Interval, below, for information on using a Time Trigger to schedule a time interval for triggering a task. Also see Time Trigger Minimum Frequency In Seconds Universal Controller system property to the define the minimum time interval that must be used.
Time Interval Units	Required if Time Style = Time Interval; Type of time interval. Used in conjunction with the Time Interval field. For example, for a Time Interval of every three hours, specify 3 in the Time Interval field and select Hours in this field. Options: Seconds Minutes Hours
Enable Offset	If Time Style = Time Interval, allows you to define (in the Initial Time Offset field) a starting time, in minutes offset from the hour, for the trigger to run.
Initial Time Offset (hh:mm)	If Enable Offset is selected, allows you to define a starting time, in minutes offset from the hour. The default value ( * ) lets you select a starting hour (0 to 23) other than the next hour. For example: If you want the task to run every 30 minutes at the :15 and :45 minute mark, you would select Time Interval = 30, Time Interval Units = minutes, and Initial Time Offset = *:15. If you want the task to run every 30 minutes at the :15 and :45 minute mark starting at 6:15 p.m., you would select Time Interval = 30, Time Interval Units = minutes, and Initial Time Offset = 18:15.
Day Details	This section contains assorted detailed information about the trigger day.
Day Style	Allows you to indicate when this trigger will be run: Options: Simple Trigger is run every day, on business days, or on one or more specific days, depending on what you select in the Daily, Business Days, and Specific Day(s) fields (see below). Complex Trigger is run on one or more days selected by a formula specified using the Date Adjective, Date Noun(s), and Date Qualifier(s) fields (see below). Every Trigger is run at an interval of a specified number of days (see Day Interval, below) starting on a specified date (see Interval Start, below).
Daily	If Day Style = Simple, allows you to specify that the trigger is active every day of the week.
Business Days	If Day Style = Simple, allows you to specify that the trigger is active on the business days specified in the calendar selected in the Calendar field.
Specific Day(s)	If Day Style = Simple, allows you to specify one or more specific days of the week that the trigger is active in the calendar selected in the Calendar field.
Date Adjective	If Day Style = Complex, allows you to specify which in a series of days you want to select. Used in conjunction with the Date Noun(s) and the Date Qualifier(s) fields. For example, to specify "the 2nd Monday and Friday of January and December," select Date Adjective = Nth, Nth Amount = 2, Date Noun(s) = Monday, Friday, Date Qualifier(s) = Jan, Dec. Options: Every 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Last Nth
Nth Amount	If Day Adjective = Nth, allows you to specify the value of N.
Date Noun(s)	If Day Style = Complex, allows you to specify the type of days that you want to select. Used in conjunction with the Date Adjective and the Date Qualifier(s) fields. For example, to specify "the 2nd Monday and Friday of January and December," select Date Adjective = Nth, Nth Amount = 2, Date Noun(s) = Monday, Friday, Date Qualifier(s) = Jan, Dec. This drop-down menu is populated as follows: Sunday through Saturday Day = any day Business Day = The business days specified in the calendar selected in the Calendar field. Any Custom Days specified in the calendar selected in the Calendar field.
Date Qualifier(s)	If Day Style = Complex, allows you to specify the period for your selection formula. Used in conjunction with the Date Noun(s) and Date Adjective fields. For example, to specify "the 2nd Monday and Friday of January and December," select Date Adjective = Nth, Nth Amount = 2, Date Noun(s) = Monday, Friday, Date Qualifier(s) = Jan, Dec. Options: January through December Month Year Week Quarter Custom Period (see Creating Custom Days)
Date Adjustment	If Day Style = Complex, allows you to adjust your date setting by a less or plus number of Days or Business Days. For example, to specify the 2nd to last day of the month (last day of the month less one day), select Date Adjective = Last, Date Noun(s) = Day, Date Qualifier(s) = Month, Data Adjustment = Less, Adjustment Amount = 1, and Adjustment Type = Day. Options: None Less Plus Default is None.
Adjustment Amount	Required if Day Adjustment = Less or Plus; Allows you to specify the number of Days or Business Days to adjust your date setting. Maximum is 366. Default is 1.
Adjustment Type	If Day Adjustment = Less or Plus, allows you to specify the type of day by which to adjust your date setting. Options: Day Business Day
Day Interval	If Day Style = Every, allows you to specify the interval (in days) at which this trigger will run.
Interval Start	If Day Style = Every, allows you to specify the first day of the interval on which this trigger will run.
Restrictions	This section specifies any restrictions that apply to the trigger.
Restrict Times	If Time Style = Time Interval, period during which the trigger is active. Enable this field and specify the start and end times in the Enabled Start and Enabled End fields.
Enabled Start	If Restrict Times is enabled, allows you to specify the start time of the period during which the trigger should be active. Use 24-hour time.
Enabled End	If Restrict Times is enabled, allows you to specify the end time of the period during which the trigger should be active. Use 24-hour time.
Adjust Interval To Enabled Start	If Restrict Times is enabled; Specification for whether to always begin at the Enabled Start, regardless of the time interval, or to begin based on the actual interval. If Adjust Interval To Enabled Start is not selected, the start time and end time specify only the time frame/window during which the trigger is active; they do not modify the actual time interval (see Restrict Times).
Special Restriction	Enable this field in order to specify additional parameters that tell the Controller how to handle exceptions, such as when the trigger is satisfied on a holiday or non-business day. You can specify simple and/or complex restrictions. For example, you can specify a Simple Restriction that disables the trigger if it is satisfied on a holiday identified in the calendar and/or a Complex Restriction that disables the trigger on the last business day of every month.
Simple Restriction	If enabled, allows you to specify an action (see Action field) such as Do Not Trigger on a non-business day or holiday (see Situation field). For example, do not trigger on a non-business day.
Situation	If Simple Restriction is enabled, allows you to select the situation that causes the system to initiate the action specified in the Action field. Options: On Non Business Day On Holiday
Action	If Special Restriction is enabled, allows you to select an action to take on a non-business day or holiday (see Situation field). Options: Do Not Trigger Next Day (run on the next day) Next Business Day (run on the next business day, as defined in the calendar) Previous Day (run on the previous day) Previous Business Day (run on the previous business day, as defined in the calendar)
Complex Restriction	If enabled, allows you to specify a set of parameters that determine one or more situations when this trigger should not be satisfied. Used in conjunction with the following fields: Restriction Mode, Restriction Adjective, Restriction Noun, Restriction Qualifier. For example, you may specify that you do not want to satisfy this trigger on the last business day of the year or the first day of each month.
Restriction Mode	If both Simple Restriction and Complex Restriction are enabled, specifies whether you want to use both restriction types (AND) or one or the other (OR). Options: And Or
Restriction Adjective	If Complex Restriction is enabled, the type of selection. Options: Every 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Last Nth Example: The last business day of the month.
Restriction Noun(s)	If Complex Restriction is enabled, the day(s) you want to select. Options: Sunday through Saturday Day Business Day Custom Day Example: The last Business Day and Sunday of the month.
Restriction Qualifier(s)	If Complex Restriction is enabled, the period(s) you are selecting from. Options: Jan - Dec Month Year Week Quarter Custom period Example: The last Day of Quarter, Year, and January.
Restriction Nth Amount	If Restriction Adjective is Nth, allows you to specify the value of N. If Restriction Qualifier is Week, Restriction Nth Amount must be <= 7.
Self-Service Options	This section contains Self-Service specifications for the trigger.
Enforce Variables	Specifies whether or not to enforce Override Trigger Variables when using Trigger Now... from the User Interface.
Lock Variables	Specifies whether or not to prevent editing variables when using Trigger Now... from the User Interface.
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 Trigger 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 record.
Update	Saves updates to the record.
Enable	Activates this trigger and writes your User ID to the Enabled By field.
Disable	Deactivates this trigger.
Trigger Now...	Opens a Trigger Now... dialog to immediately trigger all tasks specified in this trigger. Optionally, you also can select to: Launch the task(s) specified in the trigger under simulation mode; you can only enable simulation mode from the Trigger Now... command, you cannot disable it when it is already enabled in the Trigger Details. Launch the task(s) specified in the trigger with one or more variables. Launch the task(s) specified in the trigger by a specified date and time. Launch the task(s) specified in the trigger but place them in Held status; they will not run until they are released. For Triggers that launch a single Workflow, specify if Workflow should run with only specific path(s) and/or specific vertices included. See Launching/Triggering a Workflow to Run on Specific Paths/Vertices. Note If you click Trigger Now... for an Enabled trigger that does not have an assigned Execution User, the trigger will launch its task(s) under the context of the Enabled By user. If you click Trigger Now... for a Disabled trigger that does not have an assigned Execution User, the trigger will launch its task(s) under the context of your user name and ID. If you click Trigger Now... for an Enabled or Disabled trigger that has an assigned Execution User, the trigger will launch its task(s) under the context of the assigned Execution User.
List Qualifying Times	Lets you generate a list of future dates and times that the trigger will trigger the specified task (see Generating a List of Qualifying Times, below).
Copy	Creates a copy of this trigger, which you are prompted to rename.
Delete	Deletes the current record.
Refresh	Refreshes any dynamic data displayed in the Details.
Close	For pop-up view only; closes the pop-up view of this trigger.
Tabs	This section identifies the tabs across the top of the Trigger Details that provide access to additional information about the trigger.
Variables	Lists all user-defined variables associated with this record; that is, variables that have been defined for this specific record.
Instances	Lists all task instances that were triggered directly by this trigger.
Notes	Lists all notes associated with this record.
Versions	Stores copies of all previous versions of the current record. See Record Versioning.

Scheduling a Time Interval

A Time trigger time interval lets you specify how often a task will be triggered, but for triggering a task on multiple days, you may not be able to specify the same time every day that the task will be triggered. This could produce unexpected results.

By default, a time interval count begins at 12 a.m.. If you schedule a time interval for a task to be triggered on multiple days, the task will be triggered at the first specified time interval, and then again whenever the time interval is reached. When the 24-hour clock expires, the time interval count does not reset to 12 a.m.; it continues into the next day. If the time interval is not one by which the 24-hour clock is even divisible (2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12), the task will be triggered at different times than on the first day.

Note

See Daylight Saving Time for information on how it impacts time intervals.

For example, if you want a task to be triggered at the same time every 4 hours from Monday to Friday, a Time trigger will trigger the task on Monday at 4 a.m., 8 a.m., 12 p.m., 4 p.m., 8 p.m., and Tuesday at 12 a.m.. 4 hours later, at 4 a.m. - it will again start triggering the task every 4 hours. Since the time interval (4) divides evenly into 24, the task is triggered at the same time every day, and results will be as expected.

However, if you want a task to be triggered every 7 hours from Monday to Friday, a Time trigger will trigger the task on Monday at 7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 9 p.m., and then - 7 hours later - Tuesday at 4 a.m. The time interval "rolls over" to the next day. It does not restart at 12:00 a.m. when the 24-hour clock expires, and so the task will not be triggered at the same time every day. The same results will occur if you use Restrict Times, below, for the time interval.

Therefore, for scheduling time intervals by which the 24-hour clock is not evenly divisible, it is recommended that instead you use a Cron trigger.

For example:

Restrict Times

If you are triggering a task on a time interval, the Time Trigger#Restrict Times field lets you select a time frame during which the trigger is active. The task will be triggered at the specified time interval only when the time interval occurs during the specified Restrict Times.

For example, if you want a task to be triggered every 4 hours from Monday to Friday and only between the hours of 8 a.m. (Enabled Start) and 7 p.m. (Enabled End), a Time trigger will check the time on Monday at 4 a.m., 8 a.m., 12 p.m., 4 p.m., 8 p.m., and Tuesday at 12 a.m., but only will trigger the task at 8:00 a.m., 12 p.m., and 4 p.m. (the only three 4-hour interval times between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.). On Tuesday at 12 a.m., it will continue checking the time every 4 hours and will trigger the task at the same times it did on Monday.

However, if you want a task to be triggered every 7 hours from Monday to Friday and only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., a Time trigger will check the time on Monday at 12 a.m., 7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 9 p.m., but only will trigger the task at 2 p.m. (the only 7-hour interval time between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.). On Monday at 9 p.m., it will continue checking the time every 7 hours, beginning on Tuesday at 4 a.m., and will trigger the task on Tuesday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. (both of which are 7-hour interval times between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.).

For example:

Generating a List of Qualifying Times

The Controller allows you to generate a list of future dates and times that a trigger will trigger the specified task.

Step 1	Click the Time Trigger#List Qualifying Times button in the Time Trigger Details. The List Qualifying Times Input dialog displays.
Step 2	Select a Number of Dates/Times (1 - 1000) that you want to list. The default is 30.
Step 3	Select a Start Date from when you want the list to begin.
Step 4	Click the Submit button to generate the list. For example: