Scheduler Task

Use this form to schedule a task to run automatically. The Task pick list shows you the types of tasks that may be scheduled.

Scheduler Task

Task

Select a Task from the pick list.

If you select a task that requires further configuration, the Configuration field will be displayed. Select the CONFIGURE button to set the task.

CAREFUL: You cannot change the Task type after you have attached a configuration to it. If an error is made, delete the task entry and restart.

ID

Give your task a unique ID. This ID can be used to help identify your tasks in the scheduler log as well as in the scheduler task list.

Priority

Set a priority here. Collect! will sort the list of tasks based on priority before processing the tasks.

Configuration

This field is visible for certain tasks that require additional settings. It displays "Not Ready" if you have not entered the settings appropriate for this task.

If this field appears and shows "Not Ready," click the CONFIGURE button to enter the necessary details for scheduling the task that you selected.

An additional field labeled DATA becomes visible when you have set a configuration for your task.

Scheduler Task With Configuration

Data

This field is visible only when you have selected a task that requires configuration. After you configure the task, certain details are displayed in this field, for instance, the name of a report that is scheduled to print or the name of an import routine that you have scheduled to run.

Interval

Choose an interval for running this task. Additional fields become visible depending on the interval you select.

Intervals you may choose are:

- One Time Only
- Daily
- Weekly
- Biweekly
- Monthly
- Minutes

Date

This field is visible only if you have chosen the One Time Only interval. Select the Date icon to bring a calendar or type in a Date as 07/21/2006.

Day Of Week

This field is visible only if you have chosen the Weekly interval. Select the field's pick list to choose a Day of Week to run this task.

Day Of Month

This field is visible only if you have chosen the Monthly interval. Enter the number for the Day of Month to run this task.

Time

Enter the Time that you want this task to start. This field uses the 24 hour clock.

For example, 19:30:00 starts the task at 7:30 PM.

For repeating tasks, when you stop the Scheduler, this Time value will update to display the next Start Time.

Minutes

Enter the number of minutes you want to use as the repeating interval for this task.

If your task takes longer that the interval you set, Collect! will use the original scheduled time to begin the next interval. This means that if you have set a task to repeat every 20 minutes, starting at 06:00, and it takes 25, Collect! will immediately run the task again to process the missed interval for 06:20. If the task normally takes 25 minutes to run, then this could cause Collect! to cycle endlessly. You should ensure that the interval for each task is set to an amount longer than the normal time is takes to complete the task.

Collect! starts processing tasks as soon as the scheduler launches. In other words, if the Collect! scheduler starts at 06:00 and has Minute tasks for every 15 minutes, the first task will be processed at 06:00, then the next one at 06:15, and so on.

Last Start Time

This is the date and time the task was last started. This is useful to let you know how long the task actually runs.

This field is visible only when a task has already run at least once.

Scheduler Task Last Start Time

Last Finish Time

This is the date and time the task was last completed. This is useful to let you know how long the task actually runs.

This field is visible only when a task has already run at least once.

Scheduler Task Last Finish Time

Task Completed

This field shows is visible only if Collect! was able to complete the scheduled task. A check mark in the box indicates that the task completed as scheduled.

Scheduler Task Completed

You can remove the check mark if you would like to reschedule the task to run again.

Configure

Select the CONFIGURE button to enter the additional settings required by your task. You will be presented with the necessary lists and screens to properly complete the configuration for your chosen type of task.

The screens that you see while configuring are the same screens you would see if you were manually scheduling the task, so you should proceed with setting up just as if you were running the task manually.

You are sometimes prompted to enter a file name if the Task needs to read a file. By default, Collect! looks in the Collect\bin folder, or you can specify a complete path when prompted.

You should never automatically schedule a task that prompts for an ID, a Date or any other user input.

Please be aware that you cannot change the Task type after you have attached a configuration to it. If an entry error occurs, delete the record and re-enter it.

If you are editing an existing task, selecting the CONFIGURE button will show you the current settings for the task. If the task is a Print Report task, you will be asked if you want to select a new report. Select 'No' to view the current settings. If you select 'Yes', Collect! will clear the configuration and display the Report Options for the newly selected report.

Configuration Details For Various Tasks

Almost all Scheduler Tasks require configuration and display the CONFIGURE button when selected. Tips and details for configuring these tasks can be found in Help topic, Scheduler Task Configuration.

You may have tasks scheduled for a certain time that cannot run at that exact time because another task is already running. This means that the time the task actually runs may be different than the scheduled time. The Task Scheduler is able to evaluate date values dynamically to take this into consideration. Collect! determines the date range based on the configuration settings, not the computer clock.

Help

Select the HELP button for Help on the Scheduler Task form and links to related help topics.

Cancel

Select the CANCEL button to ignore any changes you have made and return to the previous form.

OK

Select the OK button to save any changes you have made and return to the previous form.