You can schedule tasks, such as adding networks, for a future date and time. The scheduling feature is useful when you want to add or modify an object at a desired date and time. Using this feature, you can streamline your day-to-day operations. For example, you can schedule the deletion of records that you use for testing when the test time is up.
Only superusers can view, reschedule, and delete all scheduled tasks. Limited-access admins can reschedule and delete only their scheduled tasks. The appliance sends email notifications to local admins, except for those who do not have email addresses, when email notification is enabled for the admins and any of the following happens:

• A superuser schedules a task, and another superuser reschedules or deletes the task.
• A limited-access admin schedules a task, and a superuser reschedules or deletes the task.
• A superuser or a limited-access admin schedules a task, and the task fails.

Scheduling Additions and Modifications

You can schedule the addition and modification of an object. For example, you can schedule the delegation of a network to a managed Grid. After you schedule a task, administrators cannot modify the object associated with the scheduled task until after the appliance executes the task.
To schedule an addition or a modification:

1. Add or modify a record following the instructions described in this guide.
2. Click the Schedule icon at the top of the corresponding wizard or editor.
3. In the Schedule Change panel, complete the following:
   • Now: Select this to have the appliance perform the task when you save the entry. This is selected by default when there is no scheduled task associated with the object.
   • Later: Select this to schedule the task for a later date and time. Complete the following:
     • Date: Enter a date in YYYY-MM-DD (year-month-day) format. The appliance displays today's date. You can also click the calendar icon to select a date from the calendar widget.
     • Time: Enter a time in hh:mm:ss AM/PM (hours:minutes:seconds AM or PM) format. You can also select a time from the drop-down list by clicking the time icon.
     • Time Zone: Select a time zone for the scheduled date and time from the drop-down list. This field displays the time zone of the browser that the admin uses to log in to Multi-Grid Manager.
4. Save the configuration.

Viewing Scheduled Tasks

After you schedule a task, you can view the pending task in the Scheduled Tasks viewer. Multi-Grid Manager also displays a Schedule icon next to the associated object, except for the addition of an object. You can click the icon to view the configuration and schedule. You can also reschedule the task if you are the owner of the task or if you are a superuser. In the corresponding editor, the Schedule icon is green when there is a pending scheduled task. For information, see 19282751.
The appliance logs the scheduled tasks in the audit log and displays the pending tasks in the Scheduled Tasks viewer. By default, Multi-Grid Manager sorts the pending tasks with the earliest scheduled start times. The Scheduled Tasks viewer displays the pending scheduled tasks that the admin is allowed to view. Superusers can view all scheduled tasks, and limited-access admins can view their own scheduled tasks. For information, see 19282751 19282751.

Scheduled Tasks Viewer

To view pending scheduled tasks:

1. From the Administration tab, select the Scheduling tab.
2. Multi-Grid Manager displays the following information for each task:

• Scheduled Time: The date, time, and time zone when the appliance executes the task.
• Submitted Time: The data, time, and time zone when the task was submitted.
• Submitter: The admin who scheduled the task.
• Affected Object: The name of the object that is associated with the task. For example, if the task involves a network, it displays the network address.
• Object Type: The object type, such as Delegated Task.
• Action: The operation the appliance performs in this task. The value can be one of the following:
  • Add: Addition
  • Modify: Modification
  • Delete: Deletion
• Task Details: The message that appears in the audit log.

By default, the appliance sorts the tasks by Scheduled Time starting with the earliest scheduled start time. You can also select Task ID for display. The appliance assigns a task ID to a scheduled task in chronological order.
You can do the following in this viewer:

• Sort the tasks in ascending or descending order by column, except for Task Details.
• Use the filters or the Search function to locate a specific scheduled task.
• Export and print the information in the table.
• Control the display of information in the panel by toggling between a single-line view and a multi-line view.
• Reschedule the task, cancel the scheduling of task, or execute the task immediately.

Icons for Scheduled Tasks

Multi-Grid Manager displays a scheduled task icon next to an object that is associated with a scheduled task (except for the addition of an object), as shown in 19282751. When you mouse over the icon, an informational dialog box appears displaying the type of action, the date and time of the scheduled task, and the person who scheduled the task.
You can click the icon and Multi-Grid Manager displays the corresponding editor (for modification) or the Scheduled Deletion dialog box (for deletion) in the read-only mode. If you are viewing a task that you scheduled, you can modify and save the schedule, but you cannot modify the configuration of the object. If you are not the owner of a scheduled modification or a superuser, you can only view the information. You cannot reschedule the task. If you are not the owner of a scheduled deletion or a superuser, Multi-Grid Manager does not display the Scheduled Deletion dialog box when you click the icon.

Figure 8.3 Icon for a Scheduled Task

In an editor, Multi-Grid Manager displays the Schedule icon in green to indicate a pending scheduled task associated with the corresponding object, as shown in 19282751. You can click the Schedule icon to view the date and time of the scheduled task. You can also reschedule the task if you have the applicable permissions. For information, see 19282751.

Figure 8.4 Scheduling Icon Indicating a Pending Task

Rescheduling Tasks

Superusers can reschedule any scheduled task. Limited-access admins can reschedule only the tasks that they scheduled, depending on their permissions. When you reschedule a task, Multi-Grid Manager displays the object or operation configuration in the read-only mode. You can modify the date and time to reschedule the task. However, you cannot modify the configuration of the object or operation.

Rescheduling Tasks Associated With Objects

You can reschedule a task associated with an object from the Scheduled Tasks viewer or in an editor if you have the applicable permissions.
To reschedule a task from the Scheduled Tasks viewer:

1. From the Administration tab, select the Scheduling tab -> scheduled_task checkbox, and then click the Reschedule icon.
2. In the Reschedule dialog box, modify the date and time when you want the appliance to execute the task. You can select Now to execute the task when you save the entry.
3. Save the configuration.

To reschedule a task in an editor:

1. Navigate to the object with a scheduled task that you want to reschedule.
2. Click the scheduled task icon next to the object.
3. For modification: In the editor, click the Schedule icon at the top of the editor. In the Schedule Change panel, modify the date, time, and time zone. You can also select Now to execute the task upon saving the entry.
   For deletion: In the Schedule Deletion dialog box, modify the date, time, and time zone. You can also select Delete Now to delete the object upon clicking Delete Now. The appliance puts the deleted object in the Recycle Bin, if enabled.
4. Save the configuration.

Canceling Scheduled Tasks

To cancel a scheduled task:

1. From the Administration tab, select the Scheduling tab -> scheduled_task checkbox, and then click the Delete icon.
2. In the Confirm Delete Request dialog box, click Yes.

The appliance deletes the scheduled task and does not perform the scheduled operation. Therefore, no change is made to any record after you delete a scheduled task.

Guidelines for Upgrading, Backing Up, and Restoring the Database

You should take into consideration the impact on scheduled tasks when you perform any of the following:

• Upgrade the NIOS software: In a full upgrade, all scheduled tasks are deleted. In a lite upgrade, scheduled tasks are not deleted.
• Back up the database: All scheduled tasks are backed up for troubleshooting purpose.
• Restore the database: The scheduled tasks are not restored.
• Promote a member to a Multi-Grid Master: After the promotion, all scheduled tasks that are past due are executed immediately.
• Revert the NIOS software image: After the revert, all scheduled tasks that are past due are executed immediately.