Auto Tasks

Auto Tasks allow you to automate Student Manager operations — such as emailing reports, running imports/exports, backups, and system maintenance — on a recurring schedule using Windows Task Scheduler. Tasks run unattended in the background without requiring user interaction.

Accessing Auto Tasks

Open the Auto Tasks list from the Student Manager menu. From here you can view, add, edit, and delete tasks.

Task Types

The following task actions are available:

Action	Description
Email Report	Runs a report and emails it to specified recipients
Run Special Procedure	Executes a custom procedure file (.FXP)
System Maintenance	Run backups, pack/reindex, and apply updates

Creating a Task in Student Manager

1. Select Tools > Database Admin > Auto Tasks
2. Click Add
3. Select the Action type from the dropdown
4. Select the task type options:

• Email Report - select the report you want to email
• Run Special Procedure - click the ... to select the special procedure file
• System Maintenance - check the maintenance procedures you want to (e.g. Backup, Pack/Reindex, or Download and Apply Update)

5. Enter a Task ID — a unique identifier (up to 20 characters, no spaces)
6. Enter a Description for the task
7. Check Active to enable the task
8. Enter a Notify Email address if you want to receive notifications when the task completes
9. Click Save Changes to save the new auto task
10. Use the Copy button to copy the command you will need when setting up the task in Window Task Scheduler

Set up Task in Windows Task Scheduler

Once your task is created, set up Windows Task Scheduler to trigger it automatically.

1. Open Windows Task Scheduler by clicking the Open Task Scheduler button
2. Click Create Task (don't select the "Create Basic Task" option)
3. On the General tab:
   • Give the task a name
   • Select Run whether user is logged on or not
   • Check Run with highest privileges if needed
4. On the Triggers tab:
   • Click New to add a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)
5. On the Actions tab:
   • Click New
   • Paste in the command you copied from the Add Task
6. Click OK
7. Since the path and the argument are pasted into the The Task Scheduler's Program/Script field, it will ask you to confirm. Click Yes

8. Once you are returned to the Create Task window, click OK to save the new task
9. Enter the Windows user credentials and click OK

Setting Up Student Manager Task Authentication

Before a task can run unattended from Windows Task Scheduler, you must set up the Student Manager login credentials on the computer where the task will execute.

1. Open Auto Tasks
2. Click the More button.
3. Select Set user for Auto Tasks on this computer
4. Enter a valid Student Manager username and password
5. Click OK

These credentials are stored encrypted on the local machine and are used to authenticate when the task runs without a logged-in user.

Important

This step must be completed on each computer that will run scheduled tasks. If the Student Manager password for the configured user changes, you must update the task credentials as well.

TIP

For a full walkthrough of creating a dedicated Windows user and Student Manager login just for running Auto Tasks, see Setting Up an Auto Tasks User in Windows and Student Manager.

Task Security (Allow List)

You can restrict a task to only run on specific computers or by specific users. This prevents a task from accidentally being triggered on the wrong machine.

1. Open Auto Tasks
2. Highlight the task then click Edit
3. Select the Security tab
4. Enter one or more entries in the Allow List field, using this format:

COMPUTERNAME # WindowsUsername

For example:

MAINSERVER # SMAdmin

To allow multiple computers, separate entries with commas:

SERVER1 # Admin, SERVER2 # Scheduler

If the Allow List is empty, the task can run from any computer with valid authentication configured.

Monitoring Task Results

You can view task execution information on the task window. To view the information:

1. Open Auto Tasks
2. Highlight the task then click Edit

Each task logs:

• Last Run — date and time of the last execution
• Last User — computer and user that last ran the task
• Results — success message or error details from the last run

Tips

• Test first — Run the task manually from the Auto Tasks list before setting up the Windows schedule. This confirms the task works correctly before automating it.
• Use descriptive Task IDs — Keep them short but meaningful (e.g., NIGHTLY_BACKUP, WEEKLY_REPORT).
• Check results regularly — Review the Last Run and Results fields periodically to ensure tasks are completing successfully.
• Notify Email — Set up a notification email address so you are alerted if a task fails.
• One task at a time — Avoid scheduling multiple tasks at the exact same time. Stagger them by a few minutes to prevent conflicts.