ScheduledTasksManager

ScheduledTasksManager is a PowerShell module for managing both local and clustered scheduled tasks on Windows systems. It supports operations in standalone environments as well as Windows Server Failover Clusters, extending the capabilities of the built-in ScheduledTasks module from Microsoft.

Documentation automatically updated at tablackburn.github.io/ScheduledTasksManager

What This Project Does

ScheduledTasksManager provides comprehensive functions for managing scheduled tasks in Windows environments, with special focus on clustered scenarios:

• Clustered Task Management: Register, enable, disable, start, stop, and monitor scheduled tasks across failover cluster nodes
• Task Information & Monitoring: Retrieve detailed task information, run history, and cluster node details
• Configuration Management: Export and import task configurations for backup, migration, and deployment
• Advanced Filtering: Filter tasks by state, type, and ownership across cluster nodes
• Credential Management: Secure authentication with cluster nodes using credentials or CIM sessions

Why This Project Is Useful

Managing scheduled tasks in Windows Server Failover Clusters can be complex and error-prone. This module addresses common challenges:

• Simplified Cluster Operations: Single functions handle cluster-aware task management
• Reduced Administrative Overhead: Automate task deployment and monitoring across multiple nodes
• Enhanced Reliability: Built-in error handling and validation for cluster operations
• Standardized Workflows: Consistent PowerShell function patterns for task management
• Enterprise Ready: Supports credential delegation and secure remote management

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Windows PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7+
• Windows Server with Failover Clustering feature (for cluster functions)
• Appropriate permissions to manage scheduled tasks

Installation

Install from PowerShell Gallery:

Install-Module -Name ScheduledTasksManager -Repository PSGallery

Quick Start

# Import the module
Import-Module ScheduledTasksManager

# Get all clustered scheduled tasks
Get-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "MyCluster"

# Get detailed task information including run duration
Get-StmClusteredScheduledTaskInfo -Cluster "MyCluster" -TaskName "BackupTask"

# Start a clustered task and wait for completion
Start-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "MyCluster" -TaskName "BackupTask"
Wait-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "MyCluster" -TaskName "BackupTask" -Timeout 300

# Export task configuration for backup
Export-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "MyCluster" -TaskName "BackupTask" -FilePath ".\BackupTask.xml"

# Import task configuration to another cluster
Import-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "NewCluster" -Path ".\BackupTask.xml"

Available Functions

Clustered Task Management

Function	Description
Get-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Retrieve clustered scheduled tasks from a failover cluster
Get-StmClusteredScheduledTaskInfo	Get detailed task information including run times and duration
Get-StmClusteredScheduledTaskRun	Get task run history from all cluster nodes
Register-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Register a new clustered scheduled task
Unregister-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Remove a clustered scheduled task
Enable-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Enable a disabled clustered task
Disable-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Disable a clustered task (creates backup)
Start-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Manually start a clustered task
Stop-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Stop a running clustered task
Wait-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Wait for a clustered task to complete
Export-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Export task configuration to XML
Import-StmClusteredScheduledTask	Import task configuration from XML

Local Task Management

Function	Description
Get-StmScheduledTask	Retrieve scheduled tasks from local or remote computers
Get-StmScheduledTaskInfo	Get detailed task information with run duration
Get-StmScheduledTaskRun	Get task run history with event details
Disable-StmScheduledTask	Disable a scheduled task on local or remote computers
Enable-StmScheduledTask	Enable a scheduled task on local or remote computers
Export-StmScheduledTask	Export task configuration to XML
Import-StmScheduledTask	Import task configuration from XML
Register-StmScheduledTask	Register a new scheduled task
Unregister-StmScheduledTask	Remove a scheduled task
Start-StmScheduledTask	Manually start a scheduled task
Stop-StmScheduledTask	Stop a running scheduled task
Wait-StmScheduledTask	Wait for a scheduled task to complete

Cluster Utilities

Function	Description
Get-StmClusterNode	Retrieve cluster node information

Usage Examples

Working with Clustered Tasks

# Get all tasks on a cluster
$tasks = Get-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "YOURCLUSTER"

# Filter by state
$runningTasks = Get-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "YOURCLUSTER" -TaskState Running

# Get task with credentials
$cred = Get-Credential
Get-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "YOURCLUSTER" -Credential $cred

Monitoring Task Runs

# Get recent task runs from all cluster nodes
Get-StmClusteredScheduledTaskRun -Cluster "YOURCLUSTER" -TaskName "BackupTask" -MaxRuns 10

# Get local task runs with detailed timing
Get-StmScheduledTaskRun -TaskName "MyTask" -MaxRuns 5

Backup and Migration

# Export all tasks from a cluster to a directory
$tasks = Get-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "OldCluster"
foreach ($task in $tasks) {
    Export-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "OldCluster" -TaskName $task.TaskName -FilePath ".\Backup\$($task.TaskName).xml"
}

# Import all tasks to a new cluster
Import-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "NewCluster" -DirectoryPath ".\Backup" -Force

Error Handling

# All functions support standard PowerShell error handling
try {
    Start-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Cluster "YOURCLUSTER" -TaskName "NonExistent" -ErrorAction Stop
}
catch {
    Write-Warning "Task failed: $($_.Exception.Message)"
}

Getting Help

Documentation

• Module Help: Get-Help about_ScheduledTasksManager
• Function Help: Get-Help Get-StmClusteredScheduledTask -Full
• Online Docs: tablackburn.github.io/ScheduledTasksManager
• Examples: Each function includes comprehensive examples

Support

• Issues: Report bugs or request features on GitHub Issues
• Questions: Use GitHub Discussions for general questions
• Documentation: Check the docs/ folder for detailed help files

Community

• PowerShell Gallery: ScheduledTasksManager
• GitHub Repository: tablackburn/ScheduledTasksManager

Acknowledgments

This project was developed with assistance from Claude by Anthropic.

Project Maintenance

Maintainer

Trent Blackburn - Primary developer and maintainer

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Development

• License: See LICENSE file
• Changelog: See CHANGELOG.md for version history

Testing

The module includes comprehensive Pester tests with 93%+ code coverage. Run tests with:

./build.ps1 -Task Test