Scheduling Tasks

You can use the Task Scheduler feature in SMS Site Properties Manager to set a time when settings will be automatically imported, or when a specified command will be run from the command line. During the pilot project, you can use this feature to test the effect of site configuration changes on your network. In your production environment, you can use the Task Scheduler to automatically import settings that will place a heavy load on your network at the beginning of a period of minimal network load, for example at the beginning of a holiday weekend. A second scheduled task can reinstate the less demanding settings shortly before the holiday is over.

You set SMS Site Properties Manager schedules in a dialog box similar to the one you use to create schedules for generating specific objects in SMS Object Generator.

Procedure Bullet  To schedule a task

  1. In the SMS Site Properties Manager window, right-click Tasks in the SMS Site Properties Manager tree, and then click Add to add a new task.
  2. In the Task Scheduler dialog box, click either Import or Run a command.
  3. If you selected Run a command, type the command in Command line.

    – Or –

    If you selected Import, type the file name of the file you want to import settings from or export settings to in File name.

  4. Select how often you want the schedule to be run.
    • To run the schedule once, click Once. Note, however, that all the settings under Daily Frequency will be applied on the day that you set for object generation, even if you choose Once.
    • For intervals of one or more days, click Daily.
    • For intervals of one or more weeks, click Weekly.
    • For intervals of one or more months, click Monthly.
  5. For a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule, specify the settings you want to use in the area associated with the Run Schedule options. For example, if you choose Weekly, you can specify one or more days of the week, whether the schedule should run every week, every other week, and so on. You can also specify the start and end dates for the schedule to be run.
  6. Specify the Daily Frequency for each day that the schedule is run.
    • Set the Start time, either a clock time or the number of minutes after you click Start in the SMS Site Properties Manager toolbar.
    • Set how the scheduled activity should occur during the day by selecting the Occurs every check box and setting the associated options.
    • Set the Stop time, either a clock time or the number of minutes after the Start time you set.
  7. Click OK to close the Task Scheduler dialog box and return to the main window.

You must explicitly start scheduled tasks. You can run the schedule any time after the schedule has been set by clicking Start Task Scheduler on the Action menu of SMS Site Properties Manager.