Automation Center Documentation

Task Monitor

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Contents

Overview

The Task Monitor task monitors another task or tasks for one or more specific statuses. This task is used in conjunction with a Task Monitor trigger. The Task Monitor task specifies the name of the task or tasks being monitored and the conditions being monitored for. The associated Task Monitor trigger specifies what task or tasks will launch when the conditions are met.

When setting up a Task Monitor task, you can monitor all tasks; a specific task; a task type, such as Windows tasks; or a group of tasks based on the name, such as all tasks whose name contains the string "DEV". You can also monitor for any combination of tasks statuses. For example, you can monitor for all tasks with a status of Resource Wait or Undeliverable, all Windows tasks in a Failed status, or all tasks whose name contains "REPORT" that have a status of Success.

The following diagram shows an example of how you might set up a task monitoring scheme using the Task Monitor task and Task Monitor trigger.

image:task monitor diagram.gif

Creating a New Task Monitor Task

  1. From the Navigation Pane, select Task Monitors.
  2. From the trigger wizard, select New. OpsWise Automation Center displays the Task Monitor screen.
  3. Using the field descriptions provided below as a guide, complete the fields as needed.
  4. Click the Submit button to save the record and return to the menu, or, right-click on the title bar and select Save to save the record and remain on the current display.
  5. If appropriate, repeat these steps for any additional tasks you want to add.

Shown below is a Task Monitor task screen. Task run statistics appear after the first time this task has been launched.

image:ops_Task Monitor task.gif

Task Monitor Field Descriptions

The table below describes the fields, buttons, and tabs on the Task Monitor task definition and task instance screens. Most fields appear on both screens; however they do not always appear at the same spot. In the latter case, the table provides a field description at the location found on the task definition screen. Some fields appear only on one of the screens. Field labels shown in bold appear only on the task instance screen and are labelled as such.

Field Name Description
Task Name Required. Name used within OpsWise Automation Center to identify this task. Up to 40 alphanumerics; variables supported. It is the user’s responsibility to develop a workable naming scheme for tasks.
Invoked by Task instance only; system-supplied. How the task instance was launched. Options:

Trigger: [Trigger Name] - The instance was launched by the named trigger. Workflow: [Workflow Name] - The instance was launched by the named workflow.

Manually Launched - The instance was launched by a user. To identify the user who launched the instance:
Task Task instance only; system-supplied.
Instance Reference Id Task instance only; system-supplied.
Member of Groups User-defined. Allows you to select one or more Opswise groups that this task definition belongs to. Click on the lock icon to unlock the field and select groups.
Status The status being monitored for. When the task being monitored goes to a status specified in this field, the associated trigger is satisfied and the tasks specified in the trigger launch. You can specify status only, or status and exit code. You can specify as many statuses as needed. Options:
  • Defined - All task types. The new task instance has been created (the task has been launched). Not yet implemented.
  • Waiting - All task types. The task has been loaded by a workflow and is waiting to run.
  • Held - All task types. The task has been put on hold by a user.
  • Resource Wait - The task with a virtual resource defined is waiting for enough units to become available on the virtual resource.
  • Undeliverable - Agent-based tasks. The agent is unavailable.
  • Queued - Agent-based tasks only. The task has been queued on a resource.
  • Submitted - z/OS only. The task has been submitted to the z/OS Job Entry subsystem and scheduled by the z/OS Job Scheduler.
  • Action Required - Manual tasks only. When a manual task launches, it goes into Action Required status, meaning a user must perform some manual activity. For details, see Manual task.
  • Started - Agent-based and Manual tasks only. The task has started. For agent-based tasks, this means the agent has received the task.
  • Running - All task types. The task is running. For agent-based tasks, the agent has started running the program.
  • Running Problems - Workflows only. One or more tasks within the workflow has one of the following statuses:
    • Held
    • Undeliverable
    • Running Problems (for sub-workflows)
    • Cancel Pending
    • In Doubt
    • Start Failure
    • Cancelled
  • In Doubt - Agent-based tasks only. The agent is "in doubt" about the current status of the task instance. This may occur if an agent or agent connection goes down. In this case, the agent restarts and reviews its data about tasks in progress. If the agent finds a task still running, it resumes normal monitoring. If the agent cannot find the task, this usually indicates that the task completed, but the agent considers the task status to be "in doubt."
  • Start Failure - All task types. The task was unable to start.
  • Cancelled - All task types. The task was cancelled by a user.
  • Failed - All task types. The task ran to a failure status.
  • Skipped - All task types. The task was skipped by a user.
  • Finished - All task types. The task was forced by the user to finish. The user may do this in cases where the task had "Cancelled" or "Failed" status, and the user needed to release other task instances depending on the successful completion of this task instance in a workflow. For more information, see Force Finishing a Task.
  • Success - All task types. The task has completed successfully
Monitoring Type Required. Specifies which task or tasks are being monitored. Options:
  • Specific Task - One or more specific tasks are being monitored. Use the Task to Monitor field to specify the task names.
  • General Tasks - Allows you to specify selection parameters that determine which task or tasks to be monitored. Use the Task Name To Monitor Condition and Task Type To Monitor field to create your selection parameters.
Task To Monitor If Monitoring Type = Specific Task, this field specifies one or more tasks to monitor. Type in a task name or click the magnifying glass to browse for an existing task or to add a new task. To display details about the task specified in this field, hover over the paper icon.
Task Name To Monitor Condition If Monitoring Type = General Task(s), this field allows you to specify selection parameters for which tasks to monitor. Options:
  • ALL TASKS - Specifies that the Task Monitor should monitor all tasks.
  • Starts With - Allows you to specify a string that one or more task names start with. Use the Task Name To Monitor Value field to enter the string.
  • Contains - Allows you to specify a string that one or more task names contain. Use the Task Name To Monitor Value field to enter the string.
  • Ends With - Allows you to specify a string that one or more task names end with. Use the Task Name To Monitor Value field to enter the string.
Task Name To Monitor Value If the Task Name To Monitor Condition field = Starts With, Contains, or Ends With, use this field to specify the selection string. Up to 40 alphanumerics.
Task Type To Monitor If Monitoring Type = General Task(s), this field allows you to select one or more task types that you want to monitor. You can select as many task types as you want. When you select a task type, all tasks of that type are monitored by default. However, if you also specify a Task Name To Monitor Condition and Value, the system monitors all tasks of the type specified whose names match the selection string.
Summary User-supplied description of this task.
Status Task instance only; system-supplied. Status of the Task Monitor instance. See Task Status.
Status Description Task instance only; system-supplied. Provides additional information, if any, about the status of the task.
Start Time Task instance only; system-supplied. The time the task started.
End Time Task instance only; system-supplied. The time the task completed.
Hold on Start If enabled, when the task is launched it appears in the Activity display with a status of Held. The task runs when the user releases it. .
Late Start If enabled, and if the task instance starts after the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as late. You can specify a time or duration to determine a late start (see Late Start Type below). To determine whether a task instance started late, open the task instance and locate the Started Late field; the field is checked if the instance started after the specified time or lasted longer than expected.
Late Start Type If Late Start is enabled, use this field to specify whether you want to use time (see Late Start Time below) or duration (see Late Start Duration below) to determine whether the task instance started late.
Late Start Time (hh:mm) If Late Start Type is Time, the time after which the task start time is considered late. Use hh:mm, 24-hour time.
Late Start Duration If Late Start Type is Duration, use this to specify .... You can specify any combination of days, hours, minutes, and seconds.
Late Finish If enabled, and if the task instance finishes after the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as late. You can specify a time or duration to determine a late finish (see Late Finish Type below). To determine whether a task instance finished late, open the task instance and locate the Finished Late field; the field is checked if the instance finished after the specified time or lasted longer than expected.
Late Finish Type If Late Finish is enabled, use this field to specify whether you want to use time (see Late Finish Time below) or duration (see Late Finish Duration below) to determine whether the task instance finished late.
Late Finish Time (hh:mm) If Late Finish Type is Time, use this to specify the time after which the task finish time is considered late. Use hh:mm, 24-hour time.
Late Finish Duration If Late Finish Type is Duration, use this to specify the longest amount of time this task instance should take to run. You can specify any combination of days, hours, minutes, and seconds.
Early Finish If enabled, and if the task instance finishes before the time or period specified, the task instance is flagged as early. You can specify a time or duration to determine an early finish (see Early Finish Type below). To determine whether a task instance finished early, open the task instance and locate the Finished Early field; the field is checked if the instance finished before the specified time or did not last as long as expected.
Early Finish Type If Early Finish is enabled, use this field to specify whether you want to use time (see Early Finish Time below) or duration (see Early Finish Duration below) to determine whether the task instance finished early.
Early Finish Time (hh:mm) If Early Finish Type is Time, use this to specify the time before which the task finish time is considered early. Use hh:mm, 24-hour time.
Early Finish Duration If Early Finish Type is Duration, use this to specify the shortest amount of time this task instance should take to run. You can specify any combination of days, hours, minutes, and seconds.
First Time Ran System-supplied. Displays after task has been run. The date and time this task first ran.
Lowest Instance Time System-supplied. Displays after task has been run. The shortest amount of time this task has taken to run.
Last Time Ran System-supplied. Displays after task has been run. The last date and time the task ran.
Average Instance Time System-supplied. Displays after task has been run. The average amount of time this task takes to run.
Number of Instances System-supplied. Displays after task has been run. The number of times this task has run.
Highest Instance Time System-supplied. Displays after task has been run. The longest amount of time this task has taken to run.
Last Instance Duration System-supplied. Displays after task has been run. The amount of time the task took to run the last time it ran.
Submit button Submits the new record to the database.
Update button Saves updates to the record.
Launch Task button Manually launches the task.
Delete button Deletes the current record.
Task Virtual Resources tab Allows you to create virtual resource definitions for controlling access to resources by multiple tasks. See Creating Virtual Resources.
Variables tab Displays all variables associated with this task.
Actions tab Allows you to specify actions that the system will take automatically based on events that occur during the execution of this task. Events supported are task instance status, exit codes, late start, late finish, and early finish. Actions include:
Task Instances tab System-supplied. Displays a list of all instances generated by this task.
Triggers tab Displays a list of triggers that launch this Task Monitor task. Also allows you to add new triggers. For instructions, see Triggers.
Notes tab Displays all notes associated with this task. See Runbook Notes.

Specifying When the Task Monitor Runs

The Task Monitor task launches as follows:

  • When you enable its associated Task Monitor trigger, and/or
  • When you set up another Trigger, such as a Time Trigger, to launch it.

The Task Monitor task runs perpetually until one of the following occurs:

  • You disable its associated Task Monitor trigger, or
  • You manually cancel the task.

Monitoring Task Execution

You can monitor all system activity from the Activity screen and can view activity history from the Activity History screen.

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