Programming ColdFusion

Chapter 22. Using the ColdFusion Scheduler

The ColdFusion Scheduler allows you to incorporate a whole new level of functionality into your CFML applications. With the Scheduler, you can set up various templates to run automatically on a recurring basis. Scheduled template execution has numerous uses including automatic report generation, maintenance, and system monitoring. You can also automate so-called intelligent agents—templates that are capable of retrieving information from other sites and applications without user intervention.

The Scheduler comes standard as part of the ColdFusion Application Server and can be accessed via the ColdFusion Administrator or programmatically. Using the Scheduler, it is possible to schedule the execution of templates on a recurring basis, e.g., daily, weekly, or monthly. In addition, tasks can be set to execute at a particular time or interval, or can be set to run only a single time. Additionally, the Scheduler can automatically generate static HTML files from dynamic content.

Scheduling Tasks with the ColdFusion Administrator

The fastest way to schedule the execution of a template is through the ColdFusion Administrator. The ColdFusion Administrator provides a clean and intuitive interface for managing scheduled tasks. Using the ColdFusion Administrator interface, you can specify general settings for the Scheduler as well as add, update, and delete scheduled tasks. Scheduled tasks can also be run directly from within the ColdFusion Administrator, ...