Scheduling tasks [Web console]
The Scheduled tasks tool lists distribution tasks you have run from both the Ivanti Management console and the Web console. Tasks can include Agent configuration, Patch Manager, Software distribution, Provisioning, Scripts, and Device discovery.
In the Web console, you can schedule packages and scripts, policies, and alert rulesets. The tasks are displayed in the action pane for each feature. For example, if you open the Distribution tool, you'll see a Scheduled tasks tab in the action pane that lists your package distribution tasks. Tasks for all these tools are also listed in the Scheduled tasks tool window.
NOTE: While you can run inventory, patch, and compliance scans from the My devices tool, these tasks are not listed in the Scheduled tasks tool. Status messages for these scans are displayed in the action pane only.
The Scheduled tasks tool window shows these task groups:
- My tasks: Tasks that you have scheduled. Only you and administrative users can see these tasks.
- Public tasks: Tasks that users have marked as public. Anyone who edits or schedules a task from this group will become the owner of that task. The task remains in the Public tasks group and will also be visible in the User tasks group for that user.
- All tasks: Both your tasks and tasks marked as public.
- All policies: Your policy-based tasks and those marked as public.
- User tasks: (Administrator users only) List of all tasks sorted by owner/creator (not including public tasks).
When you click My tasks, Public tasks, or All tasks, the task list shows information in these columns:
- Task: The task names.
- Start on: When the task is scheduled to run. Click a task name and click Edit to edit the start time or to reschedule it.
- Status: The overall task status, which can be Working, All Completed, None Completed, Not Scheduled, Available for Download, or Failed.
- Distribution package: The package name the task distributes. This field applies only to distribution packages.
- Delivery method: The delivery method the task uses. This field applies only to distribution packages.
- Owner: The name of the person who scheduled the task.
- Task ID: A sequential number assigned to tasks in the database.
When you double-click a scheduled task, the tool pane shows this progress information:
- Name: The task state name.
- Quantity: The number of devices in each task state.
- Percentage: The percentage of devices in each task state.
Before you can schedule a task for a device, it must have the appropriate agent and be in the inventory database. Server configurations are an exception. They can target a device that doesn't have the standard management agent.
Tasks can be rescheduled, edited, or deleted either from the Scheduled tasks tool or from the action pane for the specific tool. To edit any task, select it and click the Edit button on the toolbar.
Creating custom task groups
You can create custom groups for the task types My tasks and Public tasks. With custom groups, you can group related tasks such as scanning for vulnerabilities and running a script
To create a custom task group
- In the Web console toolbox, click Distribution > Scheduled tasks.
- Select the task group in which you want to create a custom group.
- Click the New group button on the toolbar.
- Type a name for the group and click OK.
- To move tasks or other groups into the group, select them from a list and click the Move button on the toolbar. Select your custom group and click OK.
Moving tasks
Use the Move toolbar button to move a task from one task group to another, thus making the task visible to users who can view the task group you are moving the task to.
- In the Scheduled tasks tool or the tasks tab for a Web console tool, select a task from one of the groups (My tasks, Public tasks, All tasks, All policies, or User tasks.
- Click the Move button on the toolbar.
- Select the task group you want to move the task to, then click OK.
Task scheduler help
The Scheduled task - properties dialog box contains these pages:
About the Overview page
- Owner: lists the current owner of the task. You can select another user as the owner, or select Public or Public user to save the task in the Public tasks group.
- Currently selected item: displays the name of the item being scheduled. Click Change to open the Custom page and select a different item.
- Currently selected targets: displays the devices that are targeted for the task. Click Change to open the Target devices page and change the targets.
- Scheduled time: displays when the task is scheduled. Click Change to open the Schedule task page and change the time.
About the Custom scripts page
- Currently selected custom script: Select the script you want to schedule.
About the Target devices page
Use this page to add device targets for the task you're configuring. You can also see the targeted devices, queries, and device groups for the task on this tab.
Three drop-down lists contain queries, LDAP queries, and groups that you have created in the Endpoint Manager network view.
- Add target list: Add the devices you added to the target list from My devices. (See Targeting devices for instructions.)
- Add LDAP list: Select an LDAP object that you added to the target list from the Directory manager tree.
- Add query: Select a query from the first list and click this button to add the results of the query to the target list.
- Add LDAP query: Select an LDAP query from the second list and click this button to add the results of an LDAP query to the target list.
- Add group: Select a group from the third list and click this button to add the contents of the group to the target list.
- Wake up devices: Select this check box if you want to wake up targeted devices (that are powered down or in a sleep or hibernate state) when the task is started.
- Remove: Select a target item and click this button to remove those targeted devices.
NOTE: In the Web console, device groups are not targeted as groups. Instead, if you select a group and target it, the individual devices in the group are added to the targeted devices list.
About the Schedule task page
- Leave unscheduled: (default) Leaves the task in the Task list for future scheduling.
- Start now: Runs the task as soon as possible. It may take up to a minute for the task to start, depending on other settings.
- Start at scheduled time: Starts the task at the time you specify. Specify the following options:
- Date: The date you want the task to start.
- Time: The time you want the task to start.
- Repeat every: If you want the task to repeat, select the period (Hour, Day, Week, or Month). If you pick Month and the date doesn't exist in all months (for example, 31) , the task will only run in months that have that date.
- Schedule these devices: The first time a task runs, leave the default of All. For subsequent runs, choose from one of the following.
- Devices that did not succeed: Select this if you want the task to run only on devices that didn't complete the task the first time. This excludes devices that have a Successful state. The task will run on devices in all other states, including Waiting or Active. Consider using this option if you need the task to run on as many unsuccessful devices as possible, but you only need the task to complete successfully once per device.
- Waiting or currently working: Select this if you want the task to run on devices that are waiting to be processed or are currently being processed.
- All: Select this if you want the task to run on all devices, regardless of state. Consider using this option if you have a task, especially a repeating one, that needs to run on as many devices as possible.
- Devices that did not try to run the task: Select this if you want the task to run only on devices that didn't complete the task and didn't fail the task. This excludes devices that were in an Off, Busy, Failed, or Canceled state. Consider using this option if there were a lot of target devices that failed the task that aren't important as targets.
- Retry task on failed devices: If a task fails on a device, allows the task to be retried. Specify the number of retries allowed on a device.
About the Distribution package
For information on the options in the Distribution package - properties dialog box, see Software Distribution help.