You can create scheduled tasks for operations that you want to run automatically once or at a recurring interval.

If the task to schedule is not available in the vSphere Web Client, use the vSphere API. See the vSphere Web Services SDK Programming Guide.

Tip: If you logged in to vCenter Server by using the vSphere Client, to schedule a task see Create a Scheduled Task in the vSphere Client.
Caution: Do not schedule multiple tasks simultaneously on the same object. The results are unpredictable.

Prerequisites

Required privilege: Schedule Task.Create tasks

Procedure

  1. In the vSphere Web Client, navigate to the object for which you want to schedule a task.
  2. Select Monitor, and select Tasks & Events.
  3. Select Scheduled Tasks from the list on the left.
  4. From the Schedule New Task drop-down menu, select the task to schedule.
    A wizard opens for the task with (scheduled) appended next to its name. The wizard contains a Scheduling options page, where you configure the scheduling options for the task. For example, to schedule taking a virtual machine snapshot, the Take a VM Snapshot wizard (scheduled) opens. In Scheduling options, you configure the scheduling options for the task, and in Edit settings, you enter the properties for the snapshot.
  5. In the Scheduling options page, configure the required settings for the task.
    1. Type a name and a description for the task.
    2. To configure the scheduling settings for the task, click Change next to Configured Scheduler.
      Table 1. Scheduler options
      Option Description
      Run this action now Runs the scheduled task immediately.
      Run this action after startup Runs the task after a certain number of minutes.
      Schedule this action to run later Runs the scheduled task at a date and time that you specify.
      Setup a recurring schedule for this action Runs the scheduled task on a recurring pattern.
      Hourly
      1. Type the number of hours after which to run the task.
      2. Type the number of minutes after the hour to run the task.

      For example, to start a task at the half-hour mark of every fifth hour, type 5 hours and 30 minutes.

      Daily
      1. Type the number of days on which to run the task.
      2. Type the start time for the task.
      For example, to run the task at 2:30 pm every four days, type 4 and 2:30.
      Weekly
      1. Type the number of weeks on which the task must run.
      2. Select the day of the week you want the task to run.
      3. Type the start time for the task.

      For example, to run the task at 6 am every Tuesday and Thursday, type 1 week, 6 am, and select Tuesday and Thursday.

      Monthly
      1. Type the start time for the task.
      2. Select the days by using one of the following methods.
        • Type a specific day of the month and the number of months to run the task. For example, the tenth day every five months.
        • Select first, second, third, fourth, or last, and select the day of the week and the number of months to run the task.

          last runs the task on the last week in the month that the day occurs. For example, if you select the last Monday of the month and the month ends on a Sunday, the task runs six days before the end of the month.

    3. Set up email notifications and click OK.