About Background Tasks

Many utilities, reports, and some activities can be scheduled to run daily, weekly, or monthly. After the process is scheduled, it runs automatically in the background at a set time, using your selection criteria and option settings.

Most reports are run as background tasks that are placed on a "queue" to be run in order. You can also set up other tasks to run in the background. The TaskMan service polls the list of active background tasks and executes any new task that is posted to the queue with a status of READY.

Background tasks are set up using the Background Task Definitions form. They can be scheduled to run on a once-only or recurring basis using the Background Queue form.

Background tasks must meet these requirements:

• The task name should match the form name, to make it easier to identify.
• Stored procedures must be written in SQL and reside in your SQL application database. Utility and activity forms generally use the Executable Type: SP (stored procedure).
• Executable programs must reside in a directory available to the directory where TaskMan resides.
• These types of reports are supported as background tasks:
  Note: To enable the Report Type options, you must select RPT (Report) as the Executable Type.
  • SSRS - Reports created using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).

    The report output file must be placed in TaskMan's reports subdirectory on the server. Although the report uses a stored procedure, its Executable Type must be set to RDL, since it requires special handling through SSRS.

  • DATAVIEW - Reports can be created based on DataViews and their layouts.

    When this report type is specified, the Executable Name field must contain the name of the predefined DataView, followed by a dash and the name of the DataView layout to be used for the report.

    For example, you might have a predefined DataView named "Customer Orders" and a layout named "Print" that you use to send the report output to a printer. In this case, you would specify the Executable Name as Customer Orders-Print.

    This report type supports output only to PDF or Excel formats.

  • FORM - Reports can be created using the Report form type. When using this report type, use the form name (not caption) in the Executable Name field.

    This report type supports output only to the PDF format.

• IDO methods specify a method name (in the format IDO.Method - for example, MyProgID.SLSites.MyTestMethod) and use the Executable Type IDOMTH. When processing tasks of this type, TaskMan requires a configuration with the same name as the site name. On the machine where TaskMan is running (typically the utility server), you must create a configuration where the configuration name matches the database site name, if one does not already exist.

You can see which tasks are currently running using the Active Background Tasks form. The task name should be the same as the report form's or utility form's name. If the task status is WAITING, it is waiting for its scheduling requirements to occur. You can delete a WAITING task from the list. If the task is RUNNING, you must use a different procedure.

After the task has run, even if it fails, you can view details about its execution using the Background Task History form. This form displays these details about the task:

• Task description
• Return status
• User who submitted the task
• Messages triggered by the task