HP 742n - Pavilion - 512 MB RAM Quick reference guide

What is Operations Scheduling?
In HP Top Tools Device Manager, several of the
desktop management-related functions can be
scheduled for a later date, rather than performed
immediately. These operations can be carried
out automatically and do not require a human
presence once they have been launched.
In addition, the management task to be
scheduled may be incompatible with programs
normally employed by the user (it is
recommended to exit all applications whenever
any new software is installed) or may require the
PC to be shutdown and then rebooted. In these
cases it is more efficient to carry out the
management task when the PC is not in use.
The Operations Scheduling option meets these
requirements. For example, you can schedule a
System Software Update to begin at midnight to
minimize the impact on PC end users.
How to use Scheduling
Functions in Top Tools (version 5.0) that may be
scheduled are:
•Power On
•Power Off
•Update System Software (drivers, utilities,
BIOS)
•Add Printer
•Top Tools Agent Deployment
In order to implement the scheduling features,
HP Top Tools makes use of T
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add-on component of Microsoft’s Internet
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Task Scheduler is bundled with Internet
Explorer 5.
Windows 2000 Task Scheduler
In Windows 2000 the Task Scheduler is present
as an OS installation option. When installed, it is
available as an icon in the Control Panel. From
the Start Menu, select:
Start Menu > Settings > Control Panel
and then click on the Scheduled Tasks icon to
open the Scheduled Tasks properties window.
When you install TopTools Device Manager, the
installation wizard checks to make sure that
Task Scheduler is installed.
Scheduling Operations on
Managed PCs
July 2000
HP Scheduling Operations White Paper

2
Schedule a Task from TopTools
To set a task in TopTools Device Manager so
that it is executed at a specified time in the
future, begin by setting up a task in the normal
way. For an example of this process, see the
TopTools User Guide, “Using HP TopTools
Applications.”
The final page in the setup is Scheduling, with
the options Start Now or Schedule For. From here,
if you want to schedule the execution for the
future, you can select the date and the time at
which you want the operation launched.
Cancelling a Scheduled Task
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As well as initially setting up a scheduled
operation, it is equally important to understand
the procedure to cancel or reschedule an
operation. In the case of routine functions, a
standard intervention may be simply to change
dates or otherwise redefine an already-
scheduled operation.
TopTools itself does not provide an option to
manipulate already-scheduled tasks. Changes to
existing schedules are made via the Windows
Task Scheduler, as described in the following
example:
Assume that you have previously scheduled a
driver update using HP TopTools Device
Manager, but before the execution date you
decide to cancel the operation or to postpone it
to an unspecified date.
To carry out the schedule change:
1On the TopTools management server, launch
the Task Scheduler as follows
•Double-click on the My Computer icon
•Double-click on the Scheduled Tasks icon
2Locate the task you wish to cancel. The task
name and incorporated timestamp were
created automatically by the Windows Task
Scheduler when the task was set up.
Windows Task Scheduler

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Note that the timestamp corresponds to the
date and time at which the operation
schedule is set up using TopTools. It does
not indicate the time of execution of the
task.
Verify that the task has not already started,
by checking the Status column in the
Scheduled Tasks window; ensure it does not
say “running”. If the task has begun, it is
safer to let it run to completion. If the task
has not yet started, proceed with the
following steps:
1Check the properties of the task:
aDouble-click on the task to open the
Properties window.
bSelect the tab Tasks then the field Run.
This specifies the command to be run.
cMake a note of the filename plus the path
that immediately follows the switch /L:
on the command line, or copy this
filename to the clipboard.
The filename should have a form similar
to: C:\PROGRA~1\hptt\12346.txt.
dClick Cancel.
2In the Scheduled Tasks window right-click on
the task and then select Delete.
3Remove the temporary file from the hard disk
of your management server (you noted the
name of this file in Step 1c above). This
completes the process.
Postponing a Task
You may want to postpone a scheduled task to a
later date, for example to extend the time
remaining before execution of a planned event.
Once again make use of Task Scheduler as
described in “Cancelling a Scheduled Task” on
page 2. However, when you reach Step 3 you
must select the Schedule Tab instead of the
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Change the date and time associated with the
event you wish to re-schedule. Click on OK to
validate the new schedule.
Making a Task Recurrent
In some circumstances, you may require a task
to run more than once, or to run at regular
intervals. For example, you may want to turn off
the power to your PCs every Friday night at
Scheduling a Task in TopTools

4
21:00 hours. This can be implemented by first
scheduling the task to take place at a date far in
the future, and then manually editing the
parameters of the Task Scheduler as follows:
1Using TopTools Device Manager, select your
target PCs in the Devices window.
2From the Actions menu, select your desired
action: in our example you will select the
Power Off option. Enter a date far enough in
the future so that the task will not start
before you have a chance to edit it. For
example enter the string “tomorrow at 1:00
p.m.”
3On the TopTools management server, launch
the Task Scheduler.
aDouble-click on the icon My Computer icon
bDouble-click on the icon Scheduled Tasks
4Locate the task you want to make recurrent.
Its name is the date and time at which the
entry was made.
aAt this point it is good practice to rename
the file menu using File > Rename to make it
easier to find next time.
bDouble-click on the task to open a
Properties window.
5Set the command line to repeat:
aSelect the Task Tab and then select the
field Run. Modify the value of Run by
adding the switch /D: at the end of the
command line.
This switch indicates that the temporary
file which holds the list of machines (the
file named after the “ /L:” switch in the
command line) will not be deleted after
the command is run. Hence the command
line can be re-used any number of times
without user intervention.
bIn the Tab Schedule, alter the schedule to
meet your requirement. For instance you
may change the field Schedule Task to the
value weekly.
cUsing the Advanced button you may set a
task to repeat several times. By activating
the Show Multiple Schedules checkbox at
the bottom of the tab, you can build
complex schedules with different
frequencies.
dIn the Settings Tab, uncheck the checkbox
titled Delete the scheduled task when finished.
This ensures the task definition is not
deleted after the first activation.
eClick OK to validate the parameters you
have just entered. This completes the
settings for a recurrent task.
Your task is now ready to run according to the
schedule you have set for it.
When you decide to remove this recurrent task,
proceed as described in “Canceling a Scheduled
Task“ on page 2. Remember that you need to
delete the associated text file plus the task
itself.
Security Considerations
In TopTools 5.0 you must have “Administrator”
or “Operator” status to schedule a task.
Privileges may also be required when a
scheduled task is executed.
TopTools will schedule tasks so that at runtime
they are identified as originating from
a“TopTools User” in the Domain. When
TopTools is first installed “Top Tools User” is
defined by default as a member of the
Administrator’s group.
Therefore, when setting a task schedule, make
certain that the user has sufficient privileges for
the tasks to be carried out.

5
TopTools Version
The details in this White Paper apply to HP
TopTools version 5.0, TopTools 5.0 Value Pack
and later.
If you have TopTools 4.5 Device Manager
version A.04.50, or TopTools 4.5 Value Pack
version A.04.70, you must download and install
a patch to upgrade TopTools to the
functionality described here. This is not a
version upgrade to TopTools v5.0.
The patch is available from the HP Web site:
www.hp.com/toptools/techsupport/patches.html