Runbook Scheduling page

Click Runbook Scheduling in the Navigation pane to open the Runbook Scheduling page. You can schedule up to 200 on-demand runbooks to execute at times that you configure.

Although on-demand runbooksClosed An automated workflow that executes a series of steps or tasks in response to a triggered event, such as the detection of anomalous behavior generating an incident, a lifecycle event, or a manually executed runbook. are named for their ability to be executed arbitrarily at your discretion (distinct from incidentClosed A collection of one or more related triggers. Relationships that cause triggers to be combined into incidents include application, location, operating system, or a trigger by itself. runbooks and lifecycle runbooks that Riverbed IQ Ops executes in response to built-in logicClosed A runbook node category that adds conditions to branch the runbook, enabling conditional execution paths based on data and context.), it is possible to execute on-demand runbooks on user-configured schedules. To clarify, "on-demand", when referring to runbooks, means that they are not dependent on IQ Ops's built-in logic for executing runbooks in response to specific incident or lifecycle criteria. Rather, "on-demand" means user-initiated, whether that is interactively and opportunistically for recently observed situations, or on a configured regular schedule that is independent of incident and lifecycle occurrences.

The Runbook Scheduling page shows this information:

  • Runbook: The on-demand runbook to be executed by the schedule.

  • Schedule Description: A brief explanation of the schedule.

  • Schedule: The name of the schedule associated with the runbook.

  • Inputs: A summary of the inputs used by the runbook for the schedule.

  • Next Run: The date and time of the runbook's next scheduled execution, shown in the timezone in which the schedule was configured. The timezone (e.g. America/Chicago) is displayed so you can read the time correctly regardless of your own location.

  • Enabled: Toggle the schedule to be enabled or disabled.

  • Actions: Click the ... to show a menu of actions for the scheduled runbook: Edit or Remove.

The list of runbooks on the Runbook Scheduling page can be filtered and searched.

Creating a Schedule

To create a schedule for executing an on-demand runbook:

  1. Click Schedule Runbook near the top right corner of the Runbook Scheduling page to open the Schedule Runbook wizard.

  2. Choose an existing on-demand runbook to schedule and click Next.

  3. Specify the inputs for the runbook. These inputs are populated from the Riverbed API. Make sure to specify the primary entityClosed Things deployed in the customer environment that are needed to run the business, such as applications, devices, interfaces, and locations. for which the runbook will execute, as well as any other inputs that the runbook requires. Click Next when you have done this.

  4. Specify the schedule to use. This can be an existing saved schedule, or you can define a new one. Specify a date and time to begin and define the interval at which the schedule will repeat. For a new schedule, choose the timezone for the schedule (the default is your browser timezone). The selected timezone is shown below the start date and time. Click Next when you have done this.

  5. Review the schedule definition and click Submit to finalize it and add it to the list on the Runbook Scheduling page. The scheduled execution will also be visible on the Runbook Analyses page.

Schedule Configuration Details

When configuring a schedule, consider these requirements and options:

  • Start Time: The start date must be at least five minutes in the future. By default, the start time is set to ten minutes in the future.

  • Timezone: When creating a new schedule, a timezone selector appears below the start date and time. The default is your browser timezone. Choose a different timezone (e.g. America/Chicago) so the schedule runs at the intended local time (for example, 8:00 AM in that timezone). When you edit an existing schedule, the timezone the schedule was created in is shown read-only.

  • Repeat Options: Choose from the following:

    • Never: One-time execution (default)

    • Repeat: Set a recurring schedule

  • One-Time Schedules: Execute once and are automatically deleted after completion. Cannot be disabled or edited after creation.

  • Monthly Schedules: Select the day of the month (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or last) and choose the day type (day of week, day of month, or business day). Set frequency up to every 12 months (one year maximum).

Schedule timezone

Schedules are stored in a specific timezone so that teams in different locations can set run times (for example, 8:00 AM Eastern) without converting from their local time. When you create a new schedule, the default timezone is your browser timezone. You can change it using the timezone selector on the Schedule step. The Runbook Scheduling list shows the next run date and time in the schedule's configured timezone and displays that timezone. When you edit a schedule, the timezone the schedule was set in is shown so you can see exactly when it will run.

Usage Considerations

Be mindful of these considerations when working with scheduled runbooks:

  • You cannot delete a schedule that is used by one or more runbooks.

  • You cannot delete a runbook that is scheduled.

  • When you edit a runbook with an active schedule, the Save dialog will inform you of the potential effects of the change and notify you that the change will affect only future executions of that runbook.

  • Changing a runbook's input definition will cause its scheduled executions to have unset or missing inputs (remember, inputs are saved with the schedule). You need to update the schedule explicitly, or the scheduled executions will continue erroneously without the new correct inputs.

  • One-time schedules cannot be disabled or edited after creation. They execute once and are automatically deleted along with the job.