Thought this would be a doddle.
I have a number of Scheduled Tasks which are managed by the Task Scheduler. They have been configured to run on a schedule, but can also be run "on demand".
We want to funnel everything around these particular jobs through the Task Scheduler. As part of that, we want the ability to run the scheduled task from a Winforms App, a Console app etc. etc.
I can't seem to find a .NET 5 API for interacting with the Task Scehduler.
I realize .NET is cross-platform now and this is very Windows-centric, but it would be nice if we could interact with something so fundamental to many systems out there.
For running from commandline / console this should help:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/schtasks
try
var processStartInfo = new ProcessStartInfo
{
Arguments = Arguments(),
CreateNoWindow = true,
FileName = Executable,
...
};
var process = System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(processStartInfo);
to run
schtasks.exe /run /TN TaskName
Related
I'm provisioning a Windows VM that needs to run some PowerShell code when it boots. It also needs to run some different code when it shuts down.
To do the former, I can use New-JobTrigger and Register-ScheduledJob in my initial provisioning script like so:
$StartupTrigger = New-JobTrigger -AtStartup
Register-ScheduledJob -Name "Startup Job" -Trigger $StartupTrigger -Credential $DesiredCredentials -ScriptBlock {
Do-InterestingThings $using:ExternalResource
}
Doesn't even have to be a separate script file, it can just be a script block. Any variables from an outer scope will be serialized and used when the job runs. Pretty neat.
The real problem I'm solving involves creating an external resource whose lifetime is tied to the VM's uptime. When the VM is created, this resource will be created. When the VM is shut down, this resource needs to be cleaned up. How can I use PowerShell to run some code just before the VM is scheduled to shut down (regardless of how it got the order)? It doesn't need to be a script block, it can be a separate script file.
There are two reasonable ways to do this:
Local Group Policy:
This can be done in the local group policy editor: gpedit.msc. Navigate to Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Scripts (Startup/Shutdown)/Shutdown. You can add 'Scripts' and/or 'PowerShell Scripts' here which get executed before other shutdown processes.
Event-Based Scheduled Task:
From this answer:
scheduled task as follows:
Type : On Event (Basic)
Log : System
Source : User32
EventID : 1074
When a user or command initiates a shutdown or restart as a logged on
user or on a user's behalf, event ID 1074 will fire. By creating a
task to use this to trigger a script, it will start the script and
allow it to finish
Note that this does not delay the shutdown (so has to be quick) and can sometimes fail to trigger before the task scheduler service stops.
Final Note:
Always make sure that your code can handle a dirty shutdown. After all, the fastest way to call a reboot is the power button...
we are using AWX/Ansible Tower to launch playbooks on hosts. In our case we are always running the playbook targeting one host each time a job is launched (actually launching the job using the API)
Our problem:
- When a job fails, we'd like to offer as an option to our users the possibility to re-launch the job with ability to change the extra_variables used to execute the job. At the moment on the UI the extra variable seems to be read-only. Is there a way to change that or another way to re-launch a job using the UI and changing the variables (we obviously know that using the API we can relaunch a new instance of the job using a new set of extra_variables...) ?
Thx
I am working on CakePHP 3.4 project.
I have to execute some command to scan through the files and directories of a particular directory.
This might take long time depending on the size of the directory, therefore I want to run it in background and mark running label in view until it executed successfully.
How can I run a Shell Task in the background from Controller and update database on execution?
I'm new to Shell tasks.
Your thinking along good lines about running this in the background if it is a time consuming task. You will need to use some form of queuing system that allows you to add jobs to a queue that can then get run in the background by running the queue from a cronjob. Take a look at the Queue plugin for doing this.
You'll basically need to create a queue task that contains the functionality that you need running in the background and then add a job to the queue that will run that task in the background. The Queue plugin's documentation shows how to do this and there are a load of example queue tasks included with the plugin.
If you need to indicate the status of the queued job you could save the job's ID in a session and check if it is complete when loading a page.
You can dispatch a Shell task from the controller. If you want to run this in the background you could, for example, run this controller action via JavaScript/Ajax.
// maybe this task runs looooong
set_time_limit(0);
$shell = new ShellDispatcher();
$output = $shell->run(['cake', 'bake', 'model', 'Products']);
if ($output === 0) {
$this->Flash->success('Yep!');
} else {
$this->Flash->error('Nope!');
}
But you could indeed have googled this at least. ;-)
EDIT Forget this one, go for drmonkeyninja’s answer.
While using the Windows Task Scheduler API 2.0, how does one set or unset the option: "run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed". I have already create multiple types of tasks using the API in c++, but I can't seem to find where you set this option...
I guess I found it: StartWhenAvailable .
I also would like to be able to run the task on demand within the api code.
I think I allow on demand running using: put_AllowDemandStart but how do I run it from withing the code?
I guess this is it : IRegisteredTask::Run
But... How do you make a task miss its next scheduled time?
I'm using an AutoIt script to start and automate a GUI application. I need to activate the script each hour.
Will AutoIt scripts (which perform actions on a GUI) work when used as a service? The script will be run as a service (not scheduled task).
You can easily make an autoit script run as a service using service.au3 written by archer of the autoit forums. Unfortunately or fortunately since it is a security measure. A service needs to start independent of the current user session (before login). It cant access send APIs for input manipulation of the current user session from there. It does sound much more like you need a scheduled task and not a service.
As mentioned above, a scheduled task is what you're looking for. To run a script as a service read this:
Q4. How can I run my script as a service?
This is also a question with multiple answers, and none of them are the only way to do it. The first question to ask yourself is whether or not you wish to install the service on other computers besides your own.
A1. If you only wish to install the service on your own computer, The easiest way to do this is to use Pirmasoft RunAsSvc. This program makes services easy to install and easy to remove when necessary.
A2. If you wish to make the service available to anyone running your script, you can use SRVANY.EXE and ServiceControl.au3. You can then use this code to install your script as a service:
#include "ServiceControl.au3"
$servicename = "MyServiceName"
_CreateService("", $servicename, "My AutoIt Script", "C:\Path_to_srvany.exe", "LocalSystem", "", 0x110)
RegWrite("HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\" & $servicename & "\Parameters", "Application", "REG_SZ", #ScriptFullPath)
or use the following code to delete this service:
#include "ServiceControl.au3"
$servicename = "MyServiceName"
_DeleteService("", $servicename)
There is one caveat to setting up AutoIt as a service. If the service is not installed using the above code, it must have the "allow service to interact with the desktop" setting or else automation functions such as Control* or Win* functions will not function. To assure the service does indeed have this setting, use the following code:
RegWrite("HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services[ServiceName]", "Type", "REG_DWORD", 0x110)
Taken from the FAQ topic on the AutoIt Forums. www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=37289)
It sounds like you're want to use a scheduled task instead of a service. Scheduled tasks can execute every hour, while you're logged in, and should also be able to interact with your desktop. Just remember that a task run as a normal user can not interact (send input) to a elevated program if you're using Vista/Windows Server 2008 with User Account Control enabled.