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 Client, use the vSphere API. See the vSphere SDK Programming Guide.

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 Client, navigate to the object for which you want to schedule a task.
  2. Select Configure > Scheduled Tasks > New Scheduled Task.
  3. From the New Scheduled Task drop-down menu, select the task to schedule.
    The Schedule New Task wizard opens for the task with the task name appended next to the name of the wizard. The wizard contains a page where you configure the scheduling options for the task.
  4. Enter the required scheduling options for the task.
    1. Enter a name and description of the task.
    2. Choose a frequency for the task.
      Option Description
      Once Runs the scheduled task at the time selected.
      After vCenter startup Runs the task a specified number of minutes after vCenter Server startup.
      Hourly
      1. Enter the repeat frequency.
      2. Enter the start date and time.
      3. Enter the end date and time.

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

      Daily
      1. Enter the repeat frequency.
      2. Enter the start date and time.
      3. Enter the end date and time.
      For example, to run the task at 2:30 pm every four days, enter 4 and 14:30.
      Weekly
      1. Enter the repeat frequency.
      2. Select the day of the week.
      3. Enter the start date and time.
      4. Enter the end date and time.

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

      Monthly
      1. Enter the repeat frequency.
      2. Select the days by using one of the following methods.
        • Enter a specific day of the month and the number of months. 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.

          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. (Optional) Enter one or more email addresses to receive an email notification when the task is complete.
    To schedule some tasks, you must enter additional details for the task. For example, to schedule taking a virtual machine snapshot, the Schedule New Task (Take Snapshot) wizard opens. In the Scheduling Options page, you set the scheduling options for the task, and in the Snapshot Settings page, you enter the properties for the snapshot.
  5. Click Finish.