Windows Scheduled Task MP now supports localized OS

Having thought about enabling the Scheduled Task Management Pack for non English operating system versions for some time, I finally found the time to update it. The new release (Version 1.1.1.0) works with the following OS languages:

OS	Languages	Remarks
Windows Server 2008	any	.
Windows Server 2003	English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish	discovery will not work on other languages

 

The update is available here: Scheduled Task Management Pack understands 7 languages.

The reason why only 7 languages are currently supported on Server 2003 is that in order to discover and manage the tasks, the output of the ‘schtasks.exe’ command needs to be parsed. That output unfortunately varies between different languages. I decided to include support for those languages I have at least a basic knowledge of (very basic for 3 of them). If you need other languages to be added let me know.

Like a little language quiz? Here’s what Scheduled Tasks are called on other OS languages. Can you tell which expression is in what language?

tareas programadas / geplande taken / operazione pianificata / tâche planifiée  / tarefas agendadas / geplante Tasks

On Windows Server 2008 parsing ‘schtasks.exe’ is not required as Microsoft has included COM object with the OS that allows managing the tasks using scripts and that is language independent.

Many thanks to Romain Girot who’s helped a lot by testing the localization support accurately and patiently.

Windows Scheduled Tasks Management Pack now does Windows Server 2008

Some people asked if I could update the Scheduled Task Management Pack for Windows Server 2008. So here it is: Scheduled Task Management Pack now does W2K8 .

Windows Server 2008 Task Scheduler 2.0 brings some exciting new features. From the MP author’s point of view the most significant are:

• Full support for scripting: msdn reference
• Very detailed event logging

So for Windows Server 2008 the MP does no longer have to parse the output of a command which makes it much more reliable. And since I was at it, I attempted to make the MPs less power consuming on the agents and the management servers. So I highly recommend upgrading should you still be using an older version.

Thanks everyone who provided valuable feedback during the testing phase.

Scheduled Task MP refresh (V 1.0.1.69)

Last updated February 16, 2009

This post is no longer up to date. Please follow this link to the Task Scheduler Management Pack for Windows Server 2003 and 2008 post where the current release of the management pack is available for download.

Scheduled Task MP refresh (V 1.0.1.61)

Last updated February 16, 2009

This post is no longer up to date. Please follow this link to the Task Scheduler Management Pack for Windows Server 2003 and 2008 post, where the most recent release of the management pack is available for download.

After having had feedback from Will Hodgkinson, I am posting yet another update to the Windows Server 2003 Scheduled Task management pack. It can be downloaded from here: Original Post

Changes

• Added a monitor which alerts if a task runs past its next scheduled time (an execution is skipped)
• Added a monitor which alerts on long running tasks (must be configured using overrides)
• Added a rule to collect the scheduled tasks’ duration as a performance graph
• Documentation updated

Upgrade notes

Due to a change required, the new MP can not be installed over older versions (V 1.0.1.46 and below). If you have installed an older version and would like to upgrade, you must follow these steps:

1. Try deleting the ‘Custom Windows Scheduled Task Monitoring’ MP. If you receive a ‘Dependent Management Packs’ notification, take a note of their names.
2. Export the dependent MPs to a temporary location
3. Delete the dependent MPs
4. Delete the old ‘Custom Windows Scheduled Task Monitoring’ MP
5. Import the current MP: ‘Custom.Windows.ScheduledTask.Monitoring.mp’
6. Re import the dependent MPs from their temporary location

Update to Scheduled Task Management Pack

Last updated February 16, 2009

This post is no longer up to date. Please follow this link to the Task Scheduler Management Pack for Windows Server 2003 and 2008 post, where the most recent release of the management pack is available for download.

 

The Scheduled Task Management pack has seen an update (Version 1.0.1.40). It can be downloaded it from here:
Original Post

Changes:

• Added Scheduled Task current status monitor (catches ‘Could not start’)
• No warning events 21405 during discovery any longer
• at least OpsMgr 2007 SP1 is required

Windows Scheduled Tasks Management Pack for OpsMgr 2007

Post last updated on July,1st 2009

Summary

For Windows Server 2003 and 2008.

I created a management pack, which discovers scheduled tasks and monitors them for successful execution as well as if they have a working schedule configured. On Windows 2003, the output of the schtasks.exe command is parsed. On Windows 2008 however; the Task Scheduler 2.0 library is used.

The object type ‘Windows Scheduled Task’ can be used in Distibuted Applications or to further categorize scheduled tasks by writing other management packs.

Features

Discovery:

• Scheduled Tasks and AT tasks on Windows 2003 and 2008 Server

• Server 2008 supports any OS language. On Server 2003 the following:

English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish

Monitors:

• Last exit code

• Invalid status (anything not 'Running' or NUL)

• Next run definition available

• Long running task (requires configuration)

• Next scheduled execution skipped (task ran too long)

• No active triggers defined (Windows 2008 only)

Rule:

• Collect Scheduled Task job duration (if task runs > 1 minute)

Tasks:

• Disable Scheduled Task

• Enable Scheduled Task

• Run Scheduled Task

• End Scheduled Task

• List all Scheduled Tasks

View:

• Scheduled Task state

Scheduled Task Screen Shot

 

Download

• Download Windows Task Scheduler Management Pack Guide 1.1.1.1
• Download Windows Scheduled Task Management Pack (sealed) 1.1.1.1 (rename after downloading – it is a zip file)

Upgrade Compatibility

Due to the significant changes required to get Windows 2008 tasks managed and to incorporate language support for Windows 2003, this version of the MP is not upgrade compatible with the previous ones. Should you have been using the Windows 2003 management pack (Version 1.1.0.20 and below), you need to remove the old one before importing the 1.1.1.0 ones. My apologies for that.