Managing schedule of an assigned object

Objects which are in relation to other objects can also be scheduled to be assigned at a specific moment and they can be assigned a schedule at which their content is executed. When creating a relation between two objects it might not always be useful or possible to immediately apply this relation, that is, the assignment/execution must be postponed to another moment in time.

The schedule of an assigned object is defined in the Scheduler window by selecting options to answer the questions. Depending on the answer more options can become available. When the scheduler is first opened it displays in the top part the default schedule that is defined for execution. As you go along with your schedule specifications this line changes to show the execution schedule you define in verbal form. The Scheduler is accessed by clicking the Properties of a selected assigned object.

The Scheduler window provides you with the following possibilities:

1. First the assignment needs to be defined, make the necessary selections for the following parameters:
   • Assignment Date Define when a job or a rule is to be assigned. Possible options are:
     • Assign Immediately : the assignment is carried out immediately after defining the assignment.
     • Specific Date : the assignment of the job or rule will be carried out at a specific date and time.
       • Optional:Wake-up Devices Check this box if the agent is to wake up any devices which are currently switched off, to immediately execute the assignment instead of waiting for the next startup to do so.
       • Optional:Run as Current User Check this box if the distribution is to be executed and installed on the local device as the logged user and not as LocalSystem. If you are using environment variables in any of the step parameters you must check this box to make sure the variables of the local user are used and not the default values.
       • Optional:Advanced Click this link if you require more assignment options:
       • Optional:Bypass Transfer Window Check this box, if the distribution assignment is to be sent directly, ignoring any transfer window specifications which exist for the targets.
       • Optional:Upload Intermediary Status Values Define if only the final status values, that is, Executed or Failed are to be uploaded (unchecked), or if each and every status that the operational rule execution is passing through is uploaded (checked). This option is only available if the corresponding system variable is activated.
       • Optional:Run while the execution fails Defines if the operational rule/package is to be executed until its execution finally succeeds, that is, the final status Executed is uploaded.
       • Optional:Upload status after every execution Defines that the status value is uploaded after every execution of the rule, even if it has not changed.
       • Optional:Assignment Activation Defines the overall status of the software distribution rule for the respective device group. You can deactivate a group by unchecking the Assignment Activation box of the scheduler. By default this box is checked and the status is either Activated or Paused , if the default schedule was not selected during the assignment.
       • Optional:Back to Previous Click this link to return to the main assignment options and continue with the schedule definition.
2. Select one of the following options for the question When do you want this rule to be run on devices? to define when the actual execution is to be launched:
   Depending on the choice you make in this list box, additional options become available: 
   • Right now Select this option to start the execution immediately.
   • At Startup Select this option if the object is to be executed every time the device is started.
   • At Session Startup Select this option if the object is to be executed every time the agent is started
   • At Session Close Select this option if the object is to be executed every time a session is closed.
   • Run repeatedly on a schedule Check this option if if the execution is to be scheduled repeatedly.
   • Use Cronspec to Schedule Select this option if the execution schedule is to be created via a cronspec.
3. (Optional) If you selected the Run repeatedly on a schedule option fill in the newly appeared boxes to create the execution schedule:

   1. Select if the schedule is to run every day, week or month.

      Notes

      • Be aware, that the weekly option is not available for agents of version 11.5.0 or earlier. If in your target groups there are agents of these versions, the final status is always Sending impossible .
      • If you already used previous versions of CM , be aware that it is not possible any longer to define a schedule that executes on the nth day of the month.
   2. If you select the weekly schedule you also need to select on which days of the week the schedule is to run by clicking the respective days represented by their initials in the table that appears. You can select more than one weekday.
   3. If you selected a monthly schedule you also need to select in which week of the month by selecting the respective number and on which days of the week the schedule is to run by clicking the respective days represented by their initials in the table that appears. You can select more than one week and one weekday.
   4. Select the Once daily radio button to only execute the object once per day. Then, in the list box next to it specify the time at which it is to be run.
   5. Select the Multiple times radio button to execute the object more than once per day. Then, in the boxes appearing below, specify the frequency and the unit for the frequency. Check the between box if in addition these multiple times are to occur within a specific timeframe and define the start and end time of this interval in the newly list that appears boxes.

4. (Optional) If you selected the Use Cronspec to Schedule option fill in the values that appeared for the cronspec definition:

   • Minute Enter the minute value, it can vary from 0-59.
   • Hour Enter the hour value, it can vary from 0-23
   • Day Enter the day value, it can vary from 1-31.
   • Month Enter the month value, it can vary from 1-12 (1 is January)
   • Week Day Enter the week day value, it can vary from 0-6 (0 is Sunday).

   • Weeks of the Month Enter the weeks of the month value, it can vary from 1-5.

     Note

     Each set of ranges can be preceded by a % sign which changes the meaning from absolute to relative number. For instance if minutes equals 29 the timer gets fired each time the absolute time ends with a number of minutes equal to 29 (for example, 11:29) whereas %20 means every 20 minutes every hour, that is, at 13:00, 13:20, 13:40, 14:00, and so on.

     • Ranges are comma-separated lists. A range is made of a number eventually followed by a '-' sign and another number
     • The wildcard character asterisks (*) can be used to indicate any value.
5. (Optional) If the schedule is not to start immediately you need to select its starting moment from the Do you want to configure a window in which this object can run? box.
   • Prevent this object from running on a schedule Select this option if you want to disable a schedule.
   • Start the schedule immediately Select this option if you want to start the schedule immediately.
   • Start the schedule at next startup Select this option if you want to activate the schedule only after the next startup of the device.
   • Start the schedule window on Select this option if you want to start the schedule at a specific date and time.
6. (Optional) If you selected the Start the schedule window on option you now need to select the date and time at which the schedule is to start in the boxes that appear.
7. (Optional) Select after how many executions the schedule is to stop. To run it without any limits select the option Unlimited from the list box.
8. (Optional) If the execution is to stop at a specific date and time check the End on box and select the desired values from the list boxes next to it.