The scheduled task feature simplifies cloud desktop management, improves the end user experience, and reduces costs. This topic describes how to configure scheduled tasks.
Background
Task types
The following table describes the types of scheduled tasks and their primary use cases.
Task type | Primary use case |
Scheduled startup, shutdown, and restart | Automates power management for cloud desktops that have predictable usage patterns. For pay-as-you-go cloud desktops, scheduled shutdowns can also help reduce costs. |
Scheduled reset | Periodically restores the system disk of a cloud desktop to its initial state. This is often used in education and training environments. |
Scheduled task upon inactivity | If an end user is connected to a cloud desktop but inactive, you can configure this task to automatically shut down or hibernate it after a specified period. This helps reduce costs for pay-as-you-go cloud desktops. |
Scheduled task upon disconnection | Pay-as-you-go cloud desktops are billed as long as they are running, regardless of whether an end user is connected. To prevent unnecessary charges, you can configure this task to automatically shut down or hibernate a desktop after it has been disconnected for a specified duration. |
Supported scope
Scheduled tasks upon inactivity are supported only on cloud desktops that meet one of the following conditions:
Windows cloud desktops that use ASP, with image version 1.0.4 or later.
Linux cloud desktops that use ASP, with image version 2.0.0 or later.
Limitations
You can create a maximum of 20 scheduled tasks.
Create a scheduled task
Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose O&M Management > Scheduled Tasks.
On the Scheduled Tasks page, click Create Scheduled Task.
On the Create Scheduled Task page, configure the following parameters.
Parameter
Description
Basic Information
Scheduled Task Name
The custom name must be 2 to 128 characters in length. It must start with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, or a Chinese character, but cannot start with
http://orhttps://. The name can also contain digits, colons (:), underscores (_), and hyphens (-).Description
The description of the scheduled task. It must be 2 to 256 characters in length and cannot start with
http://orhttps://. You can use numbers, punctuation marks, and spaces. Press Enter to start a new line.Scheduled Start
Scheduled Start
Turn on this switch to specify an execution cycle and time.
Cycle
Select the days of the week the task will run.
Start At
Select the time the task will run.
Cloud Computer Wake-up
If enabled, this task also wakes up associated cloud desktops from hibernation.
Scheduled Stop
Scheduled Stop
Turn on this switch to specify an execution cycle and time.
Cycle
Select the days of the week the task will run.
Stop At
Select the time the task will run.
Forcibly Execute
By default, this task is skipped if a user is connected or the cloud desktop is in hibernation at the scheduled time. This prevents user disruption. The task is then postponed to its next scheduled run. To run the task regardless of these conditions, turn on this switch.
Scheduled Restart
Scheduled Restart
Turn on this switch to specify an execution cycle and time.
Cycle
Select the days of the week the task will run.
Restart At
Select the time the task will run.
Forcibly Execute
By default, this task is skipped if a user is connected or the cloud desktop is in hibernation at the scheduled time. This prevents user disruption. The task is then postponed to its next scheduled run. To run the task regardless of these conditions, turn on this switch.
Scheduled Reset
Scheduled Reset
Specifies whether to perform a scheduled reset on the cloud desktop. A reset reinitializes the system disk (C drive by default) using the cloud desktop's current image. After the reset, installed software and personal data on the system disk are removed, but data on the data disk (D drive by default) is not affected.
Turn on this switch to specify an execution cycle and time.
Cycle
Select the days of the week the task will run.
Reset Time
Select the time the task will run.
Forcibly Execute
By default, this task is skipped if a user is connected or the cloud desktop is in hibernation at the scheduled time. This prevents user disruption. The task is then postponed to its next scheduled run. To run the task regardless of these conditions, turn on this switch.
Initialize Data Disk
If you select this option, the data disk is initialized when the system disk is reset.
ImportantMake sure that you back up important files and data on the cloud desktop in advance.
Scheduled Task upon Inactivity
Scheduled Task upon Inactivity
Specifies whether to execute a task after a user has been inactive for a specified period. The criteria for inactivity depend on the detection type that you select.
Determine
Select the criteria for detecting inactivity:
Based on keyboard and mouse activity
The task is triggered if no keyboard or mouse activity is detected, regardless of running applications like automated programs, videos, or video conferences.
Smart detection
The task is triggered only when no keyboard or mouse activity, audio or video conferencing, or file uploads or downloads are detected.
NoteTo use this detection type, make sure the cloud desktop is using image version 2.5.0 or later.
Whitelist
You can add applications to a process whitelist to prevent this task from running while those applications are active. If a whitelisted process is detected, the task is paused until the process ends.
NoteTo use this feature, make sure the cloud desktop is using image version 2.6.0 or later.
For example, to prevent the task from running while Google Chrome is active, add its process to the whitelist:
Find the application's process name, which has the format <process>.exe, such as chrome.exe.
If you do not know the process name, open Windows Task Manager, find the application by name on the Processes tab, right-click the application, and select Go to details to view the corresponding process name.
Click Add Process.
In the Add Process dialog box, enter the target process name (do not enter the
.exesuffix), and click OK.
If the cloud desktop is inactive for <Duration>
The duration of user inactivity on the cloud desktop.
Then the cloud desktop runs the <Task Type> task
The action to perform on the cloud desktop after the specified period of inactivity. You can select Shut Down, Restart, Hibernate, or Disconnect.
ImportantIf you select Shut Down or Restart, any unsaved data on the cloud desktop will be lost.
Scheduled Task upon Disconnection
Scheduled Task upon Disconnection
Specifies whether to execute a task after the cloud desktop has been disconnected for a specified period.
Effective Rule
Task Configured by End User: The settings configured by the end user in the client take precedence. For more information about how end users configure this task, see Manage policies.
Task Configured by Administrator: The settings you configure in the console take precedence, and end users cannot change them. If you select this rule, you must set the disconnection duration and the task type.
If the cloud desktop is disconnected for <Duration>
The duration that the cloud desktop remains disconnected.
Cloud computers are automatically
The action to perform on the cloud desktop after the specified disconnection duration. You can select Shut Down or Hibernate.
If an associated cloud desktop does not support hibernation, the hibernation task is automatically replaced with a shutdown task.
ImportantIf you select Shut Down, any unsaved data on the cloud desktop will be lost.
Scheduled Disconnect Task
Scheduled Disconnect Task
When this task starts, the cloud desktop automatically enters maintenance mode, and end users cannot connect to it.
NoteThe cloud desktop automatically exits maintenance mode after the specified period. End users can then connect normally.
Execution Time Zone
The time zone for the scheduled task.
Cycle
Select the days of the week the task will run.
Execution Time
The time period during which the scheduled disconnect task is active.
Forcibly Execute
If enabled, the system forcibly disconnects any connected end user when the task starts, switches the desktop to maintenance mode, and denies new connection requests.
After you configure the parameters, click OK at the bottom of the page.
Associate tasks and resources
A scheduled task must be associated with a cloud desktop or resource group to take effect.
By task
Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose O&M Management > Scheduled Tasks.
On the Scheduled Tasks page, find the target task and click Associated Resources in the Actions column.
In the Associated Resources panel, associate resources with the task by cloud desktop or by resource group:
On the Linked To tab, click Associate. In the Associate dialog box, select one or more cloud desktops and click OK.
On the Associated Resource Groups tab, click Associate Resource Group. In the Associate Resource Group dialog box, select one or more resource groups and click OK.
NoteAfter you associate a resource group with a scheduled task, the task takes effect for all cloud desktops in the group. Any scheduled tasks previously associated with individual cloud desktops in the group are overridden.
By cloud desktop
Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resources > Cloud Computers.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Elastic Desktop Service Enterprise page, click the ID of the target cloud desktop.
On the cloud desktop details page, click the Scheduled Tasks tab and then click Associate with Scheduled Task.
In the Associate with Scheduled Task panel, select a task to associate and click OK.
By resource group
A scheduled task associated with a resource group applies to all cloud computers in the group and overrides any scheduled tasks set on individual cloud computers.
Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
-
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Resource Group.
-
On the Resource Group page, find the resource group, click the ⋮ icon in the Actions column, and select Associate with Scheduled Task.
-
In the Associate with Scheduled Task panel, select a scheduled task and click OK.
Change a scheduled task
Cloud desktop
Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resources > Cloud Computers.
In the top navigation bar, select a region.
On the Elastic Desktop Service Enterprise page, perform one of the following operations as needed.
Single operation
From the cloud desktop list page
Find the target cloud desktop, click Change Scheduled Task in the Actions column, and then click View in the confirmation dialog box.
In the View Scheduled Task panel, you can view the configuration of the currently associated scheduled task.
To remove the scheduled task, click Unbind at the bottom of the panel.
To change to a different scheduled task, go to the page.
From the cloud desktop details page
Click the ID of the target cloud desktop.
On the cloud desktop details page, click the Scheduled Tasks tab.
Click Change Scheduled Task to the right of Scheduled Task ID.
In the Change Scheduled Task panel, select a new scheduled task and click OK.
Batch operation
Select multiple target cloud desktops, and then choose at the bottom of the page.
In the Change Scheduled Task panel, perform one of the following operations as needed:
Change to a different scheduled task: In the Configure Scheduled Task section, select Associate. In the table, select a task to associate and click OK.
Unbind the scheduled task: In the Configure Scheduled Task section, select Unbind and click OK.
Resource group
Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
-
In the left-side navigation pane, choose Resource Management > Resource Group.
-
On the Resource Group page, find the resource group, click the ⋮ icon in the Actions column, and select Associate with Scheduled Task.
-
In the Associate with Scheduled Task panel, select a scheduled task and click OK.
Next steps
Log on to the EDS enterprise console.
In the left-side navigation pane, choose O&M Management > Scheduled Tasks.
On the Scheduled Tasks page, find the target scheduled task and perform one of the following operations as needed:
View task execution records: In the Actions column, click View Execution Records. On the execution records tab, you can view the execution history for each task.
NoteExecution history is retained for 30 days.
Modify the task configuration: In the Actions column, click Modify, edit the settings, and click OK.
Delete the task: In the Actions column, click Delete and then click OK in the confirmation dialog box.