Running an Instance on a Schedule

Rather than running an instance constantly, you can schedule an instance to run for defined periods of time. Scheduling is perfect if you are using hourly pricing, but you use your instance in a consistent way, such as between 8:00-18:00, Monday to Friday.

You can define daily or weekly schedules that define when your instance starts, stops, or restarts. With built-in fault tolerance and error handling, you can trust that your instance will come online for the period of time you define. And just in case it does not, you will receive a notification.

Creating a Schedule

  1. On the left sidebar, click Schedules.
  2. Click Create Schedule.
  3. On the Create Schedule page, configure the following:
    • Instance: Select the instance you want to schedule.
    • Name: Give the schedule a name that has meaning to you.
    • Description (optional): Enter any additional information to help you identify the schedule.
    • Type: Specify the start, stop, or restart actions the schedule will perform:
      • Start and pause instance: The schedule will start and pause the instance at specified times.
      • Start instance: The schedule starts the instance at specified times. This type assumes the instance will be stopped manually before the next start time. If not, the schedule is skipped until the next time it triggers.
      • Pause instance: The schedule pauses the instance at specified times. This type assumes the instance will be started manually before the next stop time. If not, the schedule is skipped until the next time it triggers.
      • Reboot instance: The schedule reboots the instance at specified times.
    • Schedule repeats: Specify the type of schedule:
      • Daily: Allows you to specify which days of the week the instance runs, and the time period for the specified days.
      • Weekly: Allows you to specify a weekly span of time during which the instance runs.
    • Days: If Daily is specified, select the days the instance runs.
    • Instance run/start/stop/restart time: If Daily is specified, enter the Start, Pause, and/or Restart times, where applicable, depending on Type. If Weekly is specified, you must also specify the day of the week on which these actions occur, depending on Type.
    • Summary: Review to ensure your configuration is as expected.
    • Schedule Enabled: By default, the schedule is enabled and in effect as soon as it is created. Otherwise, click to disable.
  4. Click Create Schedule.

Editing, Enabling, Disabling, Duplicating, or Deleting a Schedule

  1. On the left sidebar, click Schedules.
  2. Click the ellipsis (...) beside the schedule, and select Edit, Enable, Disable, Duplicate, or Delete as desired.

Viewing Schedules and Schedule History

The Schedules tab lists the schedules that are created on all instances.

The History tab lists the times that all schedules have run. Use the fields above the table to sort by name of schedule or instance, type of schedule, date range, and result.

FAQ

What happens to a running job when a schedule pauses an instance?

When the instance restarts, the running job should return to the queue for processing. When pausing an instance, the FME Flow services attempt to shut down in the correct order, which allows unfinished jobs to remain in the queue. However, we advise against relying on this process for critical workflows, in case FME Flow does not shut down properly and the job is not resubmitted to the queue.

Note  If the running workspace, when paused, uses data in the Temp folder in Resources, the data is no longer available to the workspace after it is resubmitted on restart. Temp data, which includes files uploaded for the workspace (using the Data Upload Service), are purged on reboot.

What if an instance is terminated when a schedule on it is enabled?

The schedule effectively becomes invalid. It will still exist in the dashboard until you remove it, but it will not do anything.