How to Run Background Tasks Using the User Interface (UI)

The following page explains how to create and run a Background Task using the UI. In order to create a Background Task, a user must have the TASK_EDITOR permission. In addition, a TASK_EDITOR can update and delete any task when the user also has assigned ownership. For more information, see the Background Tasks page or the Permissions and Roles page.

Table of contents

• Create a Background Task
• Run a Background Task
• Update a Background Task
• Delete a Background Task

Create a Background Task

To add a Background Task using the UI, a user must log in to Data Refinery (DR) Designer with their username and password. Follow the steps below to add a new task.

1. Once logged in, select the Tasks tab in the navigational bar at the top of the page.

   

2. When the page has loaded, click the New Task button to the right of the page.

   

3. Next, a form will appear. Fill in all of the fields.

   

   Field Tips:

   • Name: Preferred Name of the Background Task
     • May only contain alphanumeric characters, dashes, or underscores
     • Must be no more than 50 characters
   • Image: Use the repository URL and image tag to build the Background Task image.
     • Must be no more than 255 characters
   • Task Definition: Default Template
   • Schedule: Written in the form of a Cron string. It must follow the standard crontab specs.

     Note. To build and upload a Background Task image, refer to the Uploading the Background Task Image section.

4. Once the fields in the form are completed, click Create.

Run a Background Task

Note. Only partial functionality to run Background Tasks in the UI is available at this time.

Background Tasks can be created and run in the DR Designer. After creating a Background Task, a user can select the Run button in the Action column of the Tasks list.

After selecting the Run task button, DR Designer will notify the user that the execution for the Background Task was successful. See image below.

While the Background Task can be run in the UI, viewing the execution list has not been implemented in the UI at this time.

To run your task with the API, refer to the How to Run Background Tasks Using APIs page. To view task run results, refer to the View Task Run Results section.

Update a Background Task

To update a Background Task in the UI, a user must be signed in to DR Designer. Once a user has navigated to the Tasks tab, follow the procedure below.

1. Find the desired task in the Tasks list.

2. In the Action column to the right of the listed task, select the Update button.

   

3. A form will appear. Edit the desired fields and select the Cancel or Update button to continue.
4. Any changes made to the task will be updated automatically.

Note. Some Background Task attributes, such as environment variables, are not viewable and editable in the UI.

Delete a Background Task

To delete a Background Task in the UI, a user must be signed in to DR Designer. Once a user has navigated to the Tasks tab, follow the procedure below.

1. Find the desired task in the Tasks list.

2. In the Action column to the right of the listed task, select the Delete button.

   

3. A dialog box will appear to warn the user that the task will be deleted and the action cannot be undone. Select the Delete button to confirm the deletion or the Cancel button to return to the Tasks list.

   

   Upon selection, the user will return to the Tasks list.