Windows Task Scheduler Import

Windows scheduled tasks can be imported into Dollar Universe (on the local Node). Not only Dollar Universe supplements the scheduling functions offered by Windows Task Scheduler (WTS), but production can be monitored across many machines via Univiewer. Dollar Universe can import jobs from Windows Task Scheduler v1.0 and v2.0.

This import cannot be used to import jobs created with the "at" command (or with the WinAT console).

Task Selection

The list displayed shows the Windows Scheduled tasks sorted by submission account.

• To reduce a user list, click the “-” next to the user name.
• To expand a user list, click the “+” next to the user name.

The Trigger column gives a summary of the triggers found on the job. Some triggers cannot be converted in Dollar Universe; for example: on startup, User logging in… The value of the trigger column displays nothing when the job status is misconfigured.

Status codes:

• Not imported: the user can select the job to be imported into Dollar Universe.
• Already imported: the job has already been imported into Dollar Universe, therefore it is disabled in the Windows scheduled tasks.
• Not importable: a job can be imported if there is at least one compatible trigger (a time– based trigger). Otherwise it's not importable. Refer to section "Compatibility with Windows Task Scheduler Features" for details.
• Misconfigured: the configuration of the job is in error.

In the compatibility column, move the mouse over the warnings to display their contents.

In the Job column, check one or more boxes to select jobs to be imported (the Select All or Unselect All buttons can be used).

Click Next at the bottom of the window. Double-click on the title bar if you do not see the buttons.

Task List Preview

This window lists all the scheduled tasks selected from the previous window.

At this point, the jobs have not yet been created in Dollar Universe nor disabled in the Windows Scheduled tasks.

WTS Tasks Preview – Toolbar:

• Update

  Select a line and click Update. Univiewer opens the job definition window:

  From a Uproc (if an uproc is selected): Refer to section: "Uproc Details".

  From a Task: (if a task is selected): Refer to section "Task Details".

  For all WTS jobs with the WTS property "Run only when user is logged on", the UniJob associated property "Interactive Job" is activated.

  For all WTS jobs with the property WTS "Run whether user is logged on or not," the property of the associated Uproc "Interactive Job" is activated.

  The following name is automatically assigned to the target: <SUBMISSION ACCOUNT>_<DUAS NODE NAME>. The name of the Submission account is the same as the user in WTS.

  Example: "AUTOMIC\user1" remains "AUTOMIC\user1"

  A user service is automatically created and started for this submission account. The user and its password are taken from the conversion wizard and saved in the Windows service.

• Select All / Unselect All

  Select or unselect all Tasks from the list.

• Rename

  Rename all the selected jobs (box checked) using the Name pattern value. By default the name pattern is: !CONVINDEX!– !CMD!

  • !XX!: means that XX is a specific Dollar Universe variable
  • CONVINDEX: is an index, automatically incremented during the job conversion
  • CMD: is the job command line

  To modify the Task name:

  • Select the Task from the list (check its box).
  • Enter its new name in the Name pattern field or
    Click the arrow and select a name in the list or
    Click the arrow and select New to open the "Windows Wizard Rename Pattern" window.

• Windows Task Scheduler Wizard Rename Pattern

  Dollar Universe specific variables (between: ! !) can be used in the "Name" value:

  • !#!: insert a global index.
  • !YYYY!: insert the current year.
  • !MM!: insert the current month number (01 to 12).
  • !MMM! : insert the month name on 3 characters.
  • !DD!: insert the day of the month.
  • !OWNER!: insert the Windows owner (user name of the job).
  • !CONVINDEX!: insert the index automatically generated during the import.

  Click OK to apply the pattern to the selected job(s) and close the window (no Undo available).

  Click Apply to apply the pattern to the selected job(s) but not close the window (no Undo available).

  Click Cancel to close the window.

Click Next at the bottom of the window to start job conversion (no Undo available).

User Service

If the submission account already exists in Dollar Universe, the window does not appear.

The import will create a user service for each submission account (one user service per submission account). The password is necessary to create the user service in Windows.

If the user services do not exist on the system, the wizard displays the list of submission accounts to be created.

The name of the submission account is DOMAIN\USER, DOMAIN and USER being the system info for the WTS job user, or LocalSystem if the WTS job runs for LocalSystem (it is listed only if it does not exist yet on UniJob).

Select the submission account from the list and click Update. Refer to section "V6 Submission Account Details".

• For users who have no credentials:

  No effect on the converted job (such as the "Interactive job" flag in the Uproc)

  If the password has not been provided, the User Service will be not created.

• For users who have credentials:

  If the password is provided, the User Service will be created.

  If part of the user information is wrong (domain/user/password), User Service will be created but will not start.

Task Import

A job with a condition of infinite repeat cannot be imported into Dollar Universe as the infinite repeat property is not supported by Dollar Universe.

Jobs must be located in the task library root folder, not in subfolders.

When disabled Windows Task Scheduler jobs are imported into Dollar Universe they become simulated. They must be disabled in Dollar Universe manually.

After importing enabled Windows Task Scheduler jobs into Dollar Universe, the tasks are automatically disabled in Windows Scheduled tasks.

Each job selected from the task list will be imported:

• The job will be disabled in Windows Scheduled tasks.
• The user account will be created in the V6 Accounts.
• The Management Unit <USER>_<nodename> will be created in the Dollar Universe Management Units.
• The general calendar will be used.

Click Close to close the Wizard.

If the user service creation or startup failed, the submission account will not be created nor will the related job be created.

Messages:

• If the User Service creation or startup failed: "User Service creation failed"
• If the job was successfully imported: "Job import successful"

Compatibility with Windows Task Scheduler Features

Windows Task Scheduler 2.0 features are listed below. In some cases, features are not fully supported with UniJob. The following notation is used:

Supported feature:

: Fully supported

: Unsupported

Action during import:

: An action is needed

: A message is displayed

: Can be imported

If several Program type actions are defined in the WTS task, they are included in the script that was created during the import of the task and carries the name of the task.