Task Administrator Quick Reference Guide

Task Administrator is the primary interface used to manage most aspects of Automate. It can be accessed from the Windows Start menu by navigating to Programs > Automate 11 folder and selecting Automate 11 Task Administrator, or by right-clicking the Automate "A" icon in the Windows system tray.  

 

What the Task Administrator Accomplishes

The Task Administrator is used to manage and implement almost all aspects of Automate with the exception of task creation and examination. Using the Task Administrator, you can perform the following:

What the Task Administrator Does Not Accomplish

Although nearly all aspects of Automate's operation are controlled from the Task Administrator, there is one important element that is not. That is, the actions that the task should perform once it executes (either manually or by being triggered). For this, there is a specialized task design and testing tool called the Task Builder. The Task Builder is displayed when the Edit Steps button is selected from the Task Properties of the Task Administrator.

Remote Administration

The Task Administrator console is capable of Remote Administration. That is, the capability to connect to other machines running Automate across a TCP/IP network (such as a LAN or the Internet). When connected to a remote machine, the tasks and settings displayed are those of the connected machine, not the local system. To use remote administration, select File> Connect and enter the machine name or IP address of the remote Automate installation. For more information, see About Remote Administration.

Similarly, Automate Premium Edition is capable of Runtime Support. This allows for tasks to be developed within the Premium Edition, and then deployed to Runtime Licenses (sold separately) for remote execution. This offers an extremely cost effective means of automating multiple machines with the power of Automate.

Task Administrator Quick Reference Guide

ClosedCreating a Managed Task

  1. From Task Administrator’s Managed Tasks section, do one of the following:

    • Click the New button on the top panel.

    • Press Insert on your keyboard.

    • Right-click anywhere inside the main panel, and then select New > Managed Task.

  1. Follow the instructions provided by the Add Managed Task Wizard, which will guide you through the necessary steps required to create a task.

ClosedAdding, Editing, or Deleting Triggers

  1. Right-click the desired task and select Edit Triggers from the context menu.

  1. The Triggers page of the task appears. Here, you can perform the following:

  • To edit an existing trigger, select it from the list, and then click Edit.

  • To delete an existing trigger, select it from the list, and then click Delete.

  • To add a new trigger, click Add, and then enter the desired settings in the trigger’s properties.

ClosedEditing a Managed Task

  1. To edit steps of a managed task, do one of the following:

  • Select the managed task, and then click Edit from the top panel

  • Right-click the managed task, and then select Edit Steps from the context menu.

  1. Task Builder opens, allowing you to view/edit task steps.

ClosedEditing Managed Task Properties

  1. To edit properties of a managed task, select the task, and then click the Edit button on the top panel. This opens the Managed Task Properties page of the task.

  2. Double-click the managed task property you wish to edit, or right-click the task and select Go to > [Property Name] from the context menu, where Property Name is the name of the task property you wish to edit.

ClosedRunning Tasks Manually

To run one or more tasks from Task Administrator, do one of the following:

  • Select the desired tasks, and then click Run from the top panel. To select more than one task, hold down CTRL during selection.

  • Right-click the tasks, and then select Run from the context menu.