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Working with task manager

The Task Manager is a Windows service that is used to manage how scheduled tasks - such as report requests, scheduling, attendance exception rule processing, etc.- are processed by the servers that are a part of your particular installation

Services

The Task Manager comprises two services: the Task Manager Service and the Task Manager Monitor.

Task manager service

The Task Manager Service resides on each server and is set to run automatically once installed; however, after installing the service, you should verify that it is active and that the settings are correct. If the Task Manager Service fails for any reason, you can manually restart it.

To verify the Task Manager is running and set it to run automatically:

1

From the Start menu, navigate to Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. The Service dialog opens.

2

Check that the entry in the Status column for PowerSchool SMS Task Manager Service SMS is set to Started.

3

From the list of services, double-click PowerSchool SMS Task Manager Service SMS.

4

From the Startup Type dropdown, select Automatic. Click OK.

5

Restart the service.

To restart the Task Manager manually:

1

From the Start menu, navigate to Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. The Services dialog opens.

2

Right-click the PowerSchool SMS Task Manager.

3

Click Restart .

Task manager monitor

The Task Manager Monitor is an Internet Information Server (IIS) web service that manages the performance of the various Task Manager Services running in an installation.

Whenever a new task is initiated, such as when an import is scheduled or when cTools changes trigger the Data Access View Generator, that information is sent to the Task Manager Monitor. Every five seconds, the Task Manager Services check the Monitor for new activity, rather than checking the database directly. If there is a new task registered with the Monitor, and the Task Manager supports that type of task, the server then picks up the task from the database. If there are no supported tasks, the Task Manager does not need to take any action, thereby conserving system resources.

Key files

When the Task Manager is installed, two key files are created as part of the installation process: the configuration file and the log file.

Configuration file

The configuration file contains the configuration settings used by the Task Manager. When a new version of PowerSchool SMS is installed, the installer displays the current configuration settings. To update the configuration file, you can change these settings, as appropriate. The installer then recreates the configuration file based on the settings you specify.

When you apply a PowerSchool SMS HotFix, the existing configuration settings are automatically retained.

Log files

Whenever there is a problem with the Task Manager or with a task run by the Task Manager, an error is written to the PowerSchool.TaskManager.Service.Log file. This is a cumulative log of issues; errors remain logged until the log itself is replaced or purged.

To locate the Task Manager log file:

1

From the Start menu, navigate to Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. The Services dialog opens.

2

Right-click PowerSchool Task Manager Service and select Properties from the menu. The Properties dialog opens.

3

Note the location of key files in the Path to executable field.

4

Navigate to the appropriate folder.

5

Open the Log folder to access the PowerSchool.TaskManager.Service.Log file.

Database components

The Task Manager is built into PowerSchool SMS, meaning that key components of the tool itself are located in tables in the PowerSchool SMS database. These tables are the source of important information on the configuration of the Task Manager, including Machine Types, tasks, and task status.

All of these tables are accessed using Microsoft SQL Query Analyzer. It is a good idea to create a user account that has read-only access to the database tables for the purpose of checking Task Manager settings. This will ensure that you do not alter the tables themselves accidentally.

Machine type

The machine type for a Task Manager determines what types of tasks it can run. The number for the machine type is converted to binary to signal which tasks are supported:

Table 59: Machine types

These values can be added together to produce combinations of supported task types. For example, the machine type 1020 (1111111100) is the sum of all of the decimal values above. This machine type therefore indicates that all tasks are supported.

To prevent tasks from being skipped or missed, it is critical that each type of task is enabled for at least one server in your installation. Checking the Machine Types for all of the Task Managers is a good way to test this. CSL_SS_TASK_MANAGER is a centralized location where you can review the Machine Type of all of the Task Managers set up on the various servers in your installation.

Old entries are not automatically removed from this table. If there are multiple entries for the same machine, refer to the LAST_RECURRED_ON column to determine which is the most recent entry.

To review Machine Types:

1

From the Start menu, click Programs > Microsoft SQL Server > SQL Server Management Studio. The Connect to SQL Server dialog opens.

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From the Start menu, click Run. Enter isqlw in the Open field and click OK. The Connect to SQL Server dialog opens.

2

Select a SQL Server from the dropdown, enter a Login name and Password, and click OK.

3

In the SQL Query Analyzer dialog, enter "Select * from CSL_SS_TASK_MANAGER". Note: The table name is case-sensitive.

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To open a new query window, click Ctrl+N.

4

Click ! Execute.

Tasks

You can also check the actual tasks that are a part of the Task Manager for a particular server in the CSL_SS_TASK table. This table includes the status of the various tasks in the Task Manager. The statuses are as follows:

To review the tasks in the Task Manager:

1

From the Start menu, click Programs > Microsoft SQL Server > SQL Server Management Studio. The Connect to SQL Server dialog opens.

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From the Start menu, click Run. Enter isqlw in the Open field and click OK. The Connect to SQL Server dialog opens.

2

Select a SQL Server from the dropdown, enter a Login name and Password, and click OK. The SQL Query Analyzer dialog opens.

3

Enter "Select * from CSL_SS_TASK (nolock)". Notes:

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The table name is case-sensitive.

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If you omit (nolock) from the query, the query will run indefinitely without returning any results, unless the Task Manager is not running.

4

Click ! Execute.

5

Check the Status column to determine the status of a particular task.

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