Scheduling a Script

When you initiate a script operation the Agentless Operation dialog is displayed. This dialog enables you to specify if the operation should run now or be scheduled for a future time or date.

Make sure you assign credentials for all machines involved in the operation.

Field

Description

Name this operation (optional)

Enables you to provide a unique name for the operation. By default, the name of the machine group used to initiate the operation and the current date/time will be used. The name is displayed in the Results pane.

Select/confirm targets

This list is a reminder of the machines and machine groups that will be affected by the operation. If the wrong machines or groups are listed, clickCanceland re-initiate the operation using the correct targets.

Select a script or template

Enables you to select the ITScript or ITScript template you want to use when performing the operation.

  • If you choose to run a script using a template you will execute the script using predefined parameter values. The template also defines the maximum number of machines the script may run on simultaneously (concurrency).
  • If you choose to run the script directly without a template you have the ability to modify the values of any input parameters associated with the script. All approved scripts of type Any or ESXi Hypervisor are available for selection. The Script Catalog Manager will also provide detailed information about each script.

    • To run a script of type Console see Using the Run console ITScripts dialog.

  • Any input parameters used by the script will be displayed. To modify a parameter value, double-click the parameter or select the parameter and click Edit. The Edit Script Parameter dialog is displayed.

    • String values must be contained within quotes (for example, "*"); numeric values do not require quotes.

Schedule

There are three scheduling options:

  • Now runs the operation as soon as the Run button is clicked.
  • Once indicates that the operation will be run once at the day and time selected.
  • Recurring allows an administrator to regularly schedule operations at a specific time and using a specified recurrence pattern. For example, using this option, an operation could be run every night at midnight, or every Saturday at 9 PM, every weekday at 11 PM, or at any other user selected time and interval.

You can also use the Recurring option to schedule an operation in conjunction with a regular monthly event such as Microsoft's Patch Tuesday. For example, you might schedule a script operation to occur the day after Patch Tuesday by specifying The Second Tuesday and then using the Add delay (days) option to delay the operation by one day.

When the desired options are selected, click Run (if Now is selected) or Schedule (if Once or Recurring is selected).

  • Run: The operation is initiated immediately and the Operations Monitor is displayed.
  • Schedule: The operation is scheduled on the console machine. See Monitoring a Scheduled Script for details.

    • If scheduled credentials are not currently assigned the Scheduled Console Scans/Operations Credential dialog is displayed. You must assign a shared credential to perform a schedule action. You can use the Set scheduler credential button on the Scheduled Console Tasks dialog to view and modify which credential is being used as the scheduler credential.

    The scheduled credentials are only used to schedule the operation on the console machine. The scheduled credentials are (typically) different from the machine-level credentials that are used to perform the actual operations on the target machines.