Schedule check

The Schedule check policy item allows you to specify a required time frame, or multiple time frames that must be matched by the policy evaluation. This is useful when checking whether an event is occurring within a regular set time frame such as defined work hours, or in specific time periods on particular days of the week.

The time frame window in the Schedule check properties is divided into 7 columns for each day of the week. The columns are subsequently divided up into hourly increments, which in turn are divided into 15 minute segments. This allows you to define 15 minute, hourly, and daily time frame combinations as required.

In the example above, 4 time frames have been configured:

1. 9.00 am till 10.00 am on Monday.
2. 10.00 a.m. till 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday
3. 11.00 a.m. till 12.00 p.m. on Wednesday
4. 7.00 a.m. till 2.00 p.m. on Friday.

Since these all of these time frames have been set in the one Schedule check policy item, if the event occurs during any of these time frames then a match in this Schedule check item would have occurred.

To use the Schedule check:

1. Select or create a policy to open a policy editor.
2. In the Items section of the policy editor toolbox, select the Schedule check policy item and drag it on to the worksheet. This will open the Schedule check properties.

   

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3. Use the mouse to to select the appropriate 15 minute blocks that you wish to set the time frame(s) around. It is possible to select large time frame blocks by holding down the mouse and dragging a selection over the time frame you wish to match the Schedule check against. In the example above the time frame selected is 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

4. Click the Set button on the right of the time frame window once you have selected the desired time frame(s).

   To clear a selection, either double click on the selected 15 minute segment you wish to remove. Or alternatively, drag the mouse over the time frame segments you wish to remove and click the Clear button to the right of the time frame window.

5. Click OK to apply the changes to the Schedule check policy item and return to the worksheet.
6. The Schedule check item will now blink, allowing you to give it a meaningful name so you can identify it easily in the policy evaluation flow.

Stats

Each time this Schedule check is processed as part of the policy, the actual time when it is hit will be recorded. You can use the Stats button to display all the different times (shown by highlighted segments) when this policy item is processed since it was created. This allows you to see at which times the policy (and subsequent Schedule item) is run the most, so you can define the most effective time frames to use in the Schedule check item.

When viewing the statistics for the Schedule check item, you can hover over an affected time segment to see how many often that the Schedule check has been processed during that particular time period.