[Index]

scheduling:timer


Provides a simple timer for periodic or once only execution of the child job.

Schedules

Once only execution: Recurring executions: Holidays:

Missed Executions

If Oddjob is running with a persister missed executions fire immediately one after the other until all missed executions have run.

This can be overridden with the skipMissedRuns property.

If a timer is started after the initial execution time but within the interval of the schedule - execution will happen immediately. Extended intervals are created using the from properties instead of the at/in/on properties of schedules.

Changing The Next Due Time

There are two ways to change the next due date of a timer. They both require that the timer has been started but is not yet executing, and they both involve dynamically setting properties of the job which can be done via the 'Job' -> 'Set Property' menu item in Oddjob Explorer or via the set job within Oddjob.

The first method is to set the next due date directly with the nextDue property. The existing timer is cancelled and the job rescheduled to run at this time. If the time is in the past, the job will run immediately.

The second method is to set the the reschedule property with a date and time. The next due date is calculated by applying the date and time the schedule. This is particularly useful for advancing a timer.

Retrying Failed Jobs

Nest a scheduling:retry job.

Recording the Outcome of Runs

Nest an archive.

Distributed Scheduling

Nest a grab.

For More Information

For more information see the Scheduling section of the User Guide.

Property Summary

clock The clock to use.
current This is the current/next result from the schedule.
haltOn The state of the Child Job from the nextDue property when the job begins to execute.
haltOnFailure Don't reschedule if the scheduled job doesn't complete.
job The job to run when it's due.
lastDue The time the schedule was lastDue.
name A name, can be any text.
reset  
schedule The Schedule used to provide execution times.
skipMissedRuns Use the current time, not the last completed time to calculate when the job is next due.
timeZone The time zone the schedule is to run in.

Example Summary

Example 1 A Timer that runs at 10am each day, Monday to Friday.
Example 2 Run once at 10am or any time after.
Example 3 Use a timer to stop a long running job.
Example 4 Manually setting the next due date of the timer.
Example 5 Manually rescheduling the timer.

Property Detail

clock

Configured ByELEMENT
AccessREAD_WRITE
RequiredSet automatically.

The clock to use. Tells the current time.

current

AccessREAD_ONLY
RequiredSet automatically.

This is the current/next result from the schedule. This properties fromDate is used to set the nextDue date for the schedule and it's useNext (normally the same as toDate) property is used to calculate the following new current property after execution. This property is most useful for the Timer to pass limits to the Retry, but is also useful for diagnostics.

haltOn

Configured ByATTRIBUTE
AccessREAD_WRITE
RequiredRead only.

The state of the Child Job from the nextDue property when the job begins to execute.

haltOnFailure

Configured ByATTRIBUTE
AccessREAD_WRITE
RequiredNo.

Don't reschedule if the scheduled job doesn't complete.

job

Configured ByELEMENT
AccessWRITE_ONLY
RequiredYes.

The job to run when it's due.

lastDue

AccessREAD_ONLY
RequiredRead only.

The time the schedule was lastDue. This is set from the nextDue property when the job begins to execute.

name

Configured ByATTRIBUTE
AccessREAD_WRITE
RequiredNo.

A name, can be any text.

reset

Configured ByATTRIBUTE
AccessREAD_WRITE

schedule

Configured ByELEMENT
AccessREAD_WRITE
RequiredYes.

The Schedule used to provide execution times.

skipMissedRuns

Configured ByATTRIBUTE
AccessREAD_WRITE
RequiredNo.

Use the current time, not the last completed time to calculate when the job is next due.

timeZone

Configured ByATTRIBUTE
AccessREAD_WRITE
RequiredSet automatically.

The time zone the schedule is to run in. This is the text id of the time zone, such as "Europe/London". More information can be found at TimeZone.


Examples

Example 1

A Timer that runs at 10am each day, Monday to Friday.

<oddjob>
    <job>
        <scheduling:timer id="timer" xmlns:scheduling="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/scheduling" xmlns:schedules="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/schedules">
            <schedule>
                <schedules:weekly from="Monday" to="Friday">
                    <refinement>
                        <schedules:daily at="10:00"/>
                    </refinement>
                </schedules:weekly>
            </schedule>
            <job>
                <echo id="work">Doing some work at ${timer.current.fromDate}</echo>
            </job>
        </scheduling:timer>
    </job>
</oddjob>

Example 2

Run once at 10am or any time after.

<oddjob>
    <job>
        <sequential>
            <jobs>
                <echo id="big-report" name="Pretend this is a Long Running Report">Meaning of Life: 42</echo>
                <scheduling:timer id="timer" xmlns:scheduling="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/scheduling">
                    <schedule>
                        <schedules:time from="10:00" xmlns:schedules="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/schedules"/>
                    </schedule>
                    <job>
                        <echo name="Pretend this Forwards the Long Running Report">Emailing: ${big-report.text}</echo>
                    </job>
                </scheduling:timer>
            </jobs>
        </sequential>
    </job>
</oddjob>
If the report completes before 10am the timer will schedule it to be e-mailed at 10am. If the report completes after 10am it is e-mailed immediately.

Example 3

Use a timer to stop a long running job.

<oddjob>
    <job>
        <sequential id="main" name="Stop Overdue Job">
            <jobs>
                <scheduling:timer id="timer" xmlns:scheduling="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/scheduling">
                    <schedule>
                        <schedules:count count="1" xmlns:schedules="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/schedules">
                            <refinement>
                                <schedules:after>
                                    <schedule>
                                        <schedules:interval interval="00:00:10"/>
                                    </schedule>
                                </schedules:after>
                            </refinement>
                        </schedules:count>
                    </schedule>
                    <job>
                         <stop job="${long-job}" name="Stop Long Running Job"/>
                    </job>
                </scheduling:timer>
                <wait id="long-job" name="A Long Running Job"/>
            </jobs>
        </sequential>
    </job>
</oddjob>
The job will be stopped after 10 seconds. If the job has already completed the stop will have no affect.

Example 4

Manually setting the next due date of the timer. When the set job is run manually the job will be schedule to run at the new time.

<oddjob>
    <job>
        <sequential>
            <jobs>
                <scheduling:timer id="timer" xmlns:scheduling="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/scheduling">
                    <schedule>
                        <schedules:date on="9999-12-31" xmlns:schedules="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/schedules"/>
                    </schedule>
                    <clock>
                        <value value="${clock}"/>
                    </clock>
                    <job>
                        <echo id="echo">Running at ${timer.current.fromDate}</echo>
                    </job>
                </scheduling:timer>
                <folder>
                    <jobs>
                        <set id="set">
                            <values>
                                <date date="2012-12-27 08:02" key="timer.nextDue"/>
                            </values>
                        </set>
                    </jobs>
                </folder>
            </jobs>
        </sequential>
    </job>
</oddjob>
Note that the current interval property is not changed, so the echo job shows 'Running at 9999-12-31 00:00:00.000'.

Example 5

Manually rescheduling the timer. When the set job is run manually, the timer will advance to it's next scheduled slot.

<oddjob>
    <job>
        <sequential>
            <jobs>
                <scheduling:timer id="timer" xmlns:scheduling="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/scheduling">
                    <schedule>
                        <schedules:daily at="23:00" xmlns:schedules="http://rgordon.co.uk/oddjob/schedules"/>
                    </schedule>
                    <clock>
                        <value value="${clock}"/>
                    </clock>
                    <job>
                        <echo id="echo">Running at ${timer.current.fromDate}</echo>
                    </job>
                </scheduling:timer>
                <folder>
                    <jobs>
                        <set id="set">
                            <values>
                                <date date="TOMORROW" key="timer.reschedule">
                                    <clock>
                                        <value value="${clock}"/>
                                    </clock>
                                </date>
                            </values>
                        </set>
                    </jobs>
                </folder>
            </jobs>
        </sequential>
    </job>
</oddjob>
Note that the unlike above, current interval property changes when the time is rescheduled.


(c) R Gordon Ltd 2005 - Present