Table Of Contents

Scheduling Maintenance Jobs

About the Command Scheduler

Scheduler Terminology

Scheduling Guidelines

Configuring the Command Scheduler

Enabling the Command Scheduler

Configuring Remote User Authentication

Defining a Job

Verifying the Job Definition

Deleting a Job

Specifying a Schedule

Specifying a Periodic Schedule

Specifying a One-Time Schedule

Verifying Scheduler Configuration

Deleting a Schedule

Removing an Assigned Job

Deleting a Schedule Time

Verifying the Command Scheduler Execution Status

Execution Logs

About Execution Logs

Configuring Execution Logs

Displaying Execution Log File Contents

Clearing the Execution Log File Contents

Default Settings

Scheduling Maintenance Jobs

---

The Cisco MDS command scheduler feature helps you schedule configuration and maintenance jobs in any switch in the Cisco MDS 9000 Family.You can use this feature to schedule jobs on a one-time basis or periodically.

This chapter includes the following sections:

•About the Command Scheduler

•Configuring the Command Scheduler

•Execution Logs

•Default Settings

About the Command Scheduler

The Cisco SAN-OS command scheduler provides a facility to schedule a job (set of CLI commands) or multiple jobs at a specified time in the future. The job(s) can be executed once at a specified time in the future or at periodic intervals.

---

Note To use the command scheduler, you do not need to obtain any license.

---

You can use this feature to schedule zone set changes, QOS policy changes, backup data, save the configuration and other similar jobs.

Scheduler Terminology

The following terms are used in this chapter.

•Job—A job is a set of SAN-OS CLI commands (EXEC and config mode) that are executed as defined in the schedule.

•Schedule—A schedule determines the time when the assigned jobs must be executed. Multiple jobs can be assigned to a schedule. A schedule executes in one of two modes: one-time or periodic.

•Periodic mode—A job is executed at the user-specified periodic intervals, until it is deleted by the administrator. The following types of periodic intervals are supported:

–Daily—The job is executed once a day.

–Weekly—The job is executed once a week.

–Monthly—The job is executed once a month.

–Delta—The job is executed beginning at the specified start time and thereafter at user-specified intervals (days:hours:minutes).

•One-time mode—The job is executed once at a user-specified time.

Scheduling Guidelines

Before scheduling jobs on a Cisco MDS switch, be aware of the following guidelines:

•Prior to Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 3.0(3), only users local to the switch could perform scheduler configuration. As of Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 3.0(3), remote users can perform job scheduling using AAA authentication.

•Be aware that the scheduled job can fail if it encounters one of the following situations when executing the job:

–If the license has expired for a feature at the time when a job containing commands pertaining to that feature is scheduled.

–If a feature is disabled at the time when a job containing commands pertaining to that feature is scheduled.

–If you have removed a module from a slot and the job has commands pertaining to the interfaces for that module or slot.

•Verify that you have configured the time. The scheduler does not have any default time configured. If you create a schedule and assign job(s) and do not configure the time, that schedule is not launched.

•While defining a job, verify that no interactive or disruptive commands (for example, copy bootflash: file ftp: URI, write erase, and other similar commands) are specified as part of a job because the job is executed noninteractively at the scheduled time.

Configuring the Command Scheduler

To configure the command scheduler, follow these steps:

---

Step 1 Enable the scheduler.

Step 2 Authorize remote user access (optional).

Step 3 Define the job.

Step 4 Specify the schedule and assign jobs to the schedule.

Step 5 Specify the time for the schedule(s).

Step 6 Verify the scheduled configuration.

---

This section includes the following topics:

•Enabling the Command Scheduler

•Configuring Remote User Authentication

•Defining a Job

•Specifying a Schedule

•Verifying the Command Scheduler Execution Status

Enabling the Command Scheduler

To use the scheduling feature, you must explicitly enable this feature on the required switches in the fabric. By default, this feature is disabled in all switches in the Cisco MDS 9000 Family.

The configuration and verification commands for the command scheduler feature are only available when this feature is enabled on a switch. When you disable this feature, all related configurations are automatically discarded.

To enable the command scheduling feature, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# config t	Enters configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# scheduler enable	Enables the command scheduler.
	switch(config)# no scheduler enable	Discards the scheduler configuration and disables the command scheduler (default).

To display the command schedule status, use the show scheduler config command.

switch# show scheduler config

config terminal

  scheduler enable

  scheduler logfile size 16

end

Configuring Remote User Authentication

Prior to Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 3.0(3), only users local to the switch could perform scheduler configuration. As of Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 3.0(3), remote users can perform job scheduling using AAA authentication.

---

Note AAA authentication requires the clear text password of the remote user before creating and configuring command scheduler jobs.

---

To configure remote user authentication, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# config t	Enters configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# scheduler aaa-authentication password X12y34Z56a	Configures a clear text password for remote users.
Step 3	switch(config)# scheduler aaa-authentication password 0 X12y34Z56a	Configures a clear text password for remote users.
Step 4	switch(config)# no scheduler aaa-authentication password	Removes the clear text password for remote users.
Step 5	switch(config)#scheduler aaa-authentication user newuser password Z98y76X54b	Configures a clear text password for remote user newuser.
Step 6	switch(config)#scheduler aaa-authentication user newuser password 0 Z98y76X54b	Configures a clear text password for remote user newuser.
Step 7	switch(config)# no scheduler aaa-authentication password user newuser	Removes the clear text password for remote user newuser.

To display the scheduler password configuration for remote users, use the show running-config command.

switch# show running-config | include "scheduler aaa-authentication"

scheduler aaa-authentication username newuser password 7 "C98d76S54e"

---

Note The scheduler remote user passwords are always displayed in encrypted form in the show running-config command output. The encrypted option (7) in the command exists to support applying the ASCII configuration to the switch.

---

Defining a Job

To define a job, you must specify the job name. This action places you in the job definition (config-job) submode. In this submode, you can define the sequence of CLI commands that the job has to perform. Be sure to exit the config-job submode to complete the job definition.

---

Caution You cannot modify or remove a command after entering the sequence of commands. To make changes, you must explicitly delete the defined job name and restart this process.

---

---

Note You must exit the config-job submode for the job definition to be complete.

---

To define a job for the command scheduler, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# conf t switch(config)#	Enters the configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# scheduler job name addMemVsan99 switch(config-job)#	Defines a job name and enters the job definition submode
Step 3	switch(config-job)# config terminal switch(config-job-config)# vsan database switch(config-job-config-vsan-db)# vsan 99 interface fc1/1 - 4 switch(config-job-config-vsan-db)# end switch#	Specifies a sequence of actions for the specified job. The defined commands are checked for validity and stored for future use. Note Be sure you exit the config-job submode.
	switch(config)# scheduler job name offpeakQOS switch(config-job)# conf t switch(config-job-config)# qos class-map offpeakbackupcmap match-all switch(config-job-config-cmap)# match source-wwn 23:15:00:05:30:00:2a:1f switch(config-job-config-cmap)# match destination-wwn 20:01:00:05:30:00:28:df switch(config-job-config-cmap)# exit switch(config-job-config)# qos policy-map offpeakbackuppolicy switch(config-job-config-pmap)# class offpeakbackupcmap switch(config-job-config-pmap-c)# priority high switch(config-job-config-pmap-c)# exit switch(config-job-config-pmap)# exit switch(config-job-config)# qos service policy offpeakbackuppolicy vsan 1 switch(config-job-config)# end switch#	Provides another example of scheduling a different set of jobs.

Verifying the Job Definition

To verify the job definition, use the show scheduler job command.

switch# show scheduler job addMemVsan99

Job Name: addMemVsan99

----------------------

  config terminal

   vsan database

    vsan 99 interface fc1/1

    vsan 99 interface fc1/2

    vsan 99 interface fc1/3

    vsan 99 interface fc1/4

Deleting a Job

To delete a job for the command scheduler, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# conf t switch(config)#	Enters the configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# no scheduler job name addMemVsan99	Deletes a defined job and all commands defined within that job.

Specifying a Schedule

After defining jobs, you can create schedules and assign jobs to the schedule. Subsequently, you can configure the time of execution. The execution can be one-time or periodic depending on your requirements. If the time for the schedule is not configured, then it will never be executed.

Specifying a Periodic Schedule

When you specify a periodic job execution, that job is executed periodically at the specified (daily, weekly, monthly, or delta) intervals.

To specify a periodic job for the command scheduler, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# conf t switch(config)#	Enters the configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# scheduler schedule name weekendbackupqos switch(config-schedule)#	Defines a job schedule (weekendbackup) and enters the submode for that schedule.
	switch(config)# no scheduler schedule name weekendbackup	Deletes the defined schedule.
Step 3	switch(config-schedule)# job name offpeakZoning switch(config-schedule)# job name offpeakQOS	Assign two jobs offpeakZoning and offpeakQOS for this schedule.
Step 4	switch(config-schedule)# no job name addMem99	Deletes the job assigned for this schedule.
	Note The following examples are only provided for reference.
Step 5	switch(config-schedule)# time daily 23:00	Executes the specified jobs at 11 p.m. every day.
	switch(config-schedule)# time weekly Sun:23:00	Specifies a weekly execution every Sunday at 11 p.m.
	switch(config-schedule)# time monthly 28:23:00	Specifies a monthly execution at 11 p.m on the 28th of each month. If you specify the date as either 29, 30, or 31, the command is automatically executed on the last day of each month.
	switch(config-schedule)# time start now repeat 48:00	Specifies a job to be executed every 48 hours beginning 2 minutes from now —if today is September 24, 2004, and the time is now 2:00 p.m., the command begins executing at 2 minutes past 2:00 p.m. on September 24, 2004, and continues to execute every 48 hours after that.
	switch(config-schedule)# time start 14:00 repeat 14:00:00	If today is September 24, 2004, (Friday), this command specifies the job to be executed every alternate Friday at 2 p.m. (every 14 days).

The most significant fields in the time parameter are optional. If you omit the most significant fields, the values are assumed to be the same as the current time. For example, if the current time is September 24, 2004, 22:00 hours, then the commands are executed as follows:

•The time start 23:00 repeat 4:00:00 command implies a start time of September 24, 2004, 23:00 hours.

•The time daily 55 command implies every day at 22:55 hours.

•The time weekly 23:00 command implies every Friday at 23:00 hours.

•The time monthly 23:00 command implies the 24th of every month at 23:00 hours.

---

Note If the time interval configured for any schedule is smaller than the time taken to execute its assigned job(s), then the subsequent schedule execution occurs only after the configured interval amount of time has elapsed following the completion time of the last iteration of the schedule. For example, a schedule is executed at 1-minute intervals and a job assigned to it takes 2 minutes to complete. If the first schedule is at 22:00 hours, the job finishes at 22:02 after which, the 1-minute interval is observed and the next execution occurs at 22:03 and finishes at 22:05.

---

Specifying a One-Time Schedule

When you specify a one-time job execution, that job is only executed once

To specify a one-time job for the command scheduler, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# conf t switch(config)#	Enters the configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# scheduler schedule name configureVsan99 switch(config-schedule)#	Defines a job schedule (configureVsan99) and enters the submode for that schedule.
Step 3	switch(config-schedule)# job name addMemVsan99	Assigns a predefined job name (addMemVsan99) for this schedule.
Step 4	switch(config-schedule)# time start 2004:12:14:23:00	Specifies a one-time execution on December 14, 2004, at 11 p.m.
	switch(config-schedule)# no time	Deletes the time assigned for this schedule.

Verifying Scheduler Configuration

To display the scheduler configuration, use the show scheduler config command.

switch# show scheduler config

config terminal

  scheduler enable

  scheduler logfile size 512

end

config terminal

   scheduler job name addMemVsan99

     config terminal

       vsan database

       vsan 99 interface fc1/1

       vsan 99 interface fc1/2

       vsan 99 interface fc1/3

       vsan 99 interface fc1/4

end

config terminal

  scheduler schedule name configureVsan99

    time start 2004:8:10:9:52

    job name addMemVsan99

end

Deleting a Schedule

To delete a schedule, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# conf t switch(config)#	Enters the configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# no scheduler schedule name weekendbackup	Deletes the defined schedule.

Removing an Assigned Job

To remove an assigned job, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# conf t switch(config)#	Enters the configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# scheduler schedule name weekendbackupqos switch(config-schedule)#	Specifies a job schedule (weekendbackupqos) and enters the submode for that schedule.
Step 3	switch(config-schedule)# no job name addMem99	Removes a job (addMem99) assigned to this schedule.

Deleting a Schedule Time

To delete the schedule time, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# conf t switch(config)#	Enters the configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# scheduler schedule name weekendbackupqos switch(config-schedule)#	Defines a job schedule (weekendbackup) and enters the submode for that schedule.
Step 3	switch(config-schedule)# no time	Deletes the schedule time configuration.The schedule will not be run until the time is configured again.

Verifying the Command Scheduler Execution Status

To verify the command scheduler execution status, use the show scheduler schedule command.

switch# show scheduler schedule configureVsan99

Schedule Name      : configureVsan99

------------------------------------

User Name          : admin

Schedule Type      : Run once on Tue Aug 10 09:48:00 2004

Last Execution Time: Tue Aug 10 09:48:00 2004

-----------------------------------------------

          Job Name                  Status

-----------------------------------------------

addMemVsan99                        Success (0)

Execution Logs

This section describes execution logs for the command scheduler and contains the following sections:

•About Execution Logs

•Configuring Execution Logs

•Clearing the Execution Log File Contents

About Execution Logs

The command scheduler maintains a log file. While you cannot modify the contents of this file, you can change the file size. This log file is a circular log that contains the output of the job executed. If the output of the job is greater than the log file, then the output stored in this file remains truncated.

You can configure the log file size to be a maximum of 1024 KB. The default size of the execution log file is 16 KB.

Configuring Execution Logs

To configure the execution log file size, follow these steps:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	switch# conf t switch(config)#	Enters the configuration mode.
Step 2	switch(config)# scheduler logfile size 1024	Configures the log file to be a maximum of 1024 KB
	switch(config)# no scheduler logfile size	Defaults to the log size of 16 KB.

\

To display the execution log file configuration, use the show scheduler config command.

switch# show scheduler config

config terminal

  scheduler enable

  scheduler logfile size 1024

end

Displaying Execution Log File Contents

To display the execution log for all jobs executed in the system, use the show scheduler logfile command.

switch# show scheduler logfile

Job Name       : addMemVsan99              Job Status: Success (0)

Schedule Name  : configureVsan99           User Name : admin

Completion time: Tue Aug 10 09:48:00 2004

--------------------------- Job Output ---------------------------

`config terminal`

`vsan database`

`vsan 99 interface fc1/1`

`vsan 99 interface fc1/2`

`vsan 99 interface fc1/3`

`vsan 99 interface fc1/4`

Clearing the Execution Log File Contents

To clear the contents of the scheduler execution log file, issue the clear scheduler logfile command in EXEC mode.

switch# clear scheduler logfile

Default Settings

Table 19-1 lists the default settings for command scheduling parameters.

Table 19-1 Default Command Scheduler Parameters 

Parameters	Default
Command scheduler	Disabled.
Log file size	16 KB.