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Monitoring Windows Server Scheduled Tasks

Learn how to monitor Windows Server Scheduled Tasks and share access to only a limited few cherry-picked tasks to end-users.

This page describes what's being monitored for the Scheduled Task Category in Nodinite, using one or more role-based Monitor Views. Nodinite monitors the state based on user-defined thresholds, either global or specific. In addition, for managing the Scheduled Task, remote commands are available as Actions. These help you swiftly manage reported problems. The implemented Remote Actions are further detailed on this page.

Scheduled Task items as Resources
Example with a list of monitored 'Scheduled Tasks' as resources in a Monitor View

Monitoring Features

Scheduled task as Nodinite Resource

The monitored Scheduled Tasks manifests within Nodinite as Resources. For example, if you have 2 Windows Server configurations with 15 and 27 Scheduled Tasks, then in total, you have 42 'Scheduled Task' resources in Nodinite.

  • The name of the Resources is the same as the name for the Scheduled Task in Windows.

  • The 'Scheduled Task' resource belongs to the following Category:

    Category Description
    Windows Scheduled Task Make sure the Scheduled Tasks run on time and with successful execution status

    Categories
    List of the Scheduled Task category as a filter in a Monitor View

  • The Application name is the Display Name from the configuration of the monitored Windows Server:
    ApplicationPathExample

Each item (presents in Nodinite as a Resource) evaluates with a monitoring state. (OK, Warning, Error, Unavailable).

From within Nodinite, you can reconfigure the Resource state evaluation using the Expected State feature.

NOTE: Depending on the user-defined synchronisation interval set for the Windows Server Monitoring Agent, there might be a delay before Nodinite Web Client/Monitor Views reflects upon the change. Click the Sync All button (or on the dropdown for individual agent selection) to force Nodinite to request a resynchronisation request.

Sync
Option to force Nodinite to request a resynchronisation request with the monitoring agent


State evaluation for Scheduled Task based monitoring

For the Scheduled Task category, the monitored state evaluates as described in the table below:

State Status Description Actions
Unavailable Service not available
  • If the server can't be reached and evaluated either due to Network or security-related problems
  • Bad configuration (invalid/non-existing Scheduled Task)
Review prerequisites
Error Error state raised
  • The 'Scheduled Task' failed
  • Failed to run within the expected error time frame
Enable
Disable
Run
Details
Edit
Warning Warning state raised
    Failed to run within the expected warning time frame
Enable
Disable
Run
Details
Edit
OK Online The 'Scheduled Task' executed successfully and within the user-defined time thresholds Enable
Disable
Run
Details
Edit

What Remote Actions exists for Scheduled Tasks?

The following Remote Actions are available for the Scheduled Task Category:

Scheduled task remote Actions

Enable

You can Enable the disabled Scheduled Task. For the selected Scheduled Task resource, click on the Action button and then click on the Enable menu item within the 'Control Center' section.

Enable Menu Action
Enable scheduled task, using the 'Enable' action

You will then be prompted to confirm the intent to proceed with the operation:
Enable intent modal
Example of the 'Enable' prompt

Next, a modal presents, with the result of the operation:
enable Success
Enabled successfully example

Disable

You can Disable the enabled Schedu<led Task. For the selected Scheduled Task resource, click on the Action button and then click on the Disable menu item within the 'Control Center' section.

Disable Menu Action
Disable Scheduled task, using the 'Disable' action

You will then be prompted to confirm the intent to proceed with the operation:
Disable intent modal
Example of the 'Disable' prompt

Next, a modal presents, with the result of the operation:
Disable Success Modal
Disabled successfully example

Run

You can Run the enabled Scheduled Task. For the selected Scheduled Task resource, click on the Action button and then click on the Run menu item within the 'Control Center' section.

Run Menu Action
Invoke the scheduled task, using the 'Run' action

You will then be prompted to confirm the intent to proceed with the operation:
Run intent modal
Example of the 'Run' prompt

Next, a modal presents, with the result of the operation:
Successful invocation
Example of a successful invocation

Details

To view the selected Scheduled Task Resource; Click the Action button and then click on the Details menu item within the 'Control Center' section.

Details Menu Action
Use the 'Details' action menu item to open the details modal for the selected 'Scheduled Task'.

Next, click the option to present the modal.
Scheduled Task Details
Image from 5.2.0.17, later versions may have improved the details

Edit thresholds

You can Edit the monitoring thresholds, click on the Action button and then click on the Edit menu item within the 'Control Center' section.

Action to Edit thresholds
Example: Edit thresholds Action button menu item.

Next, click the option to present the modal.
Edit thresholds modal
Example of editing monitoring thresholds for selected 'Scheduled Task'.

You can manage the following monitoring properties:

  • Warning - Number of days before Certificate expires to trigger the Warning alert
  • Error- Number of days before Certificate expires to trigger the Error alert
  • Error Codes - The user-friendly description of this specific Certificate monitoring configuration

By default; The Agent evaluates the following values as the state OK*:

#
0
267009
-2147023840
-2147479295

You can provide other values for state OK:

  1. Add the Scheduled Task as a Specific scheduled task (or use the Edit action from a Monitor View)
  2. Add Expected exit code(s) for this job

    NOTE: Only the provide values in the list will now be used; Any other value returned, will set the resource in the Error state

Click the Save button to persist changes.
Save
Save button.

View History

To view the history for the selected Scheduled Task Resource; Click the Action button and then click on the View History menu item within the 'Control Center' section.

View History Menu Action
Use the 'View History' action menu item to open the history modal for the selected 'Scheduled Task'.

Next, click the option to present the modal.
Scheduled Task History
History for a Scheduled Task as presented in a paged table.


Configuration

Use the Remote Configuration to manage the Scheduled Task configuration.

Scheduled Tasks tab

Click the Scheduled Task General tab to manage the Scheduled Tasks Monitoring options.
Scheduled Tasks Tab
Example of the 'Scheduled Tasks' tab

  • Enable Windows Scheduled Tasks Monitoring - When checked, Windows Scheduled Tasks are monitored for this Windows Server

Scheduled Task General Tab

Click the Scheduled Task General tab to manage Monitoring options.
Scheduled Task General Tab
Example of the 'Scheduled Task General' tab

  • Polling Interval of scheduled tasks - Polling Interval in number of seconds
  • Warning Time Span - The longest allowed timespan since the last run (days.hours:minutes:seconds e.g. 7.12:30:59)
  • Error Time Span - The longest allowed timespan since the last run (days.hours:minutes:seconds e.g. 7.12:30:59)

Scheduled Task Source Tab

Click the Source tab to manage include options.
Scheduled Tasks Source Tab
Example of the 'Scheduled Task Source' tab

  • Include Disabled Scheduled Tasks - When checked, disabled scheduled tasks are monitored
  • Include Scheduled Tasks in folder '\Microsoft\Windows' - When checked, internal Windows scheduled tasks are monitored
Specific scheduled tasks

You can opt to configure named scheduled tasks with specific settings that override the global ones:
Specific Scheduled Tasks Source
Example of specific 'Scheduled Task' configuration

  • Name - Name of the task for this specific configuration, e.g. \Folder\Task Name
  • Warning time span - The longest allowed timespan since the last run (days.hours:minutes:seconds e.g. 7.12:30:59)
  • Error time span - The longest allowed timespan since the last run (days.hours:minutes:seconds e.g. 7.12:30:59)
Exit Codes

You can specify further the expected exit codes for the scheduled task.
Scheduled Tasks Exit Codes
Example of exit codes for specific 'Scheduled Task' configuration

  • Exit code - HEX or decimal exit code for the task (default OK values are 0, -2147479295, 267009 or -2147023840)

Scheduled Task Options Tab

Click the Options tab to manage the exclude options.

Scheduled Tasks Options Tab
Example of the 'Scheduled Task Options' tab

You can add multiple RegEx expressions to exclude scheduled tasks from Monitoring.

  • RegEx filter expression - RegEx will match with 'Folder\Task Name' of the scheduled task

Next Step

Add or manage Monitor View

Windows Server Monitoring Agent
Resources
Monitoring
Monitor Views