Scheduled scans

In addition to manual ad hoc scans, you can also schedule scans. A scan can be scheduled to run either once or at user-defined intervals.

From the Scheduled scans page you can:

View scan schedules
Create and edit scans
Pause and resume scans
Add or remove nodes in scheduled scans
End and delete scans.

Comply gives you many options for scan schedules. You can schedule a one-off scan or a scan that repeats periodically:

You can set scans to run on individual days of the week, every day, weekdays only, or weekends only.
You can set scans to run on any day of the month. Be aware that if you, for example, set a scan to run on day 31, the scan does not run in months that do not have 31 days.

Scheduled scans table

The table on the Scheduled scans page provides the following information:

Name - The name assigned to the scan.
Nodes - The number of nodes to be scanned.
Start - The date and time scheduled for the scan to start according to the selected time zone.
End - The date and time scheduled for the scan to finish according to the selected time zone.
Frequency - How often the scan is scheduled to run.
Last run - Date and time when the last scan of this type started.
Status - Whether the scan is not currently running (Not started), has completed processing (Ended), or is currently running (Active).

View details about a scan schedule

You can view details about a scan schedule in the Scheduled scan information window.

To view details about a scan schedule:

On the Scheduled scans page, click the schedule you wish to see details about from the Scheduled scans table.
In the Scheduled scan information window, click View detail.

On the Scheduled scan detail page, you can view details about the node selection method, scan schedule, scan history, and affected nodes.

Pause and resume a scan schedule

You can pause or resume a scan schedule by using the Scheduled scan information window.

To pause and resume a scan schedule:

On the Scheduled scans page, click the schedule you want to pause or resume from the Scheduled scans table.
In the Scheduled scan information window, click View detail.
To pause a scheduled scan, click Pause.
To resume a paused scan, click Resume.
You can also end a scan by clicking End.
Restriction: After you click End, the scan cannot be restarted.

Edit a scan schedule

You can edit a scan schedule by using the Scheduled scan information window.

To edit a scan schedule:

On the Scheduled scans page, click the schedule you wish to edit from the Scheduled scans table.
In the Scheduled scan information window, click View detail.
Click Edit details.
In the Edit scan schedule window, update the details of the scan. For example, you can change the schedule type, the frequency, the start date and time, and the end date.

Restriction: You cannot add or remove nodes from the scan schedule.
To save your changes, click Save.

Delete a scan schedule

You can delete a scan schedule in any state (active, paused, or ended) by using the Scheduled scan information window.

CAUTION: After you delete a scan schedule, the scan cannot be restarted. However, scan reports that were generated by the scan remain available.

To delete a scan schedule:

On the Scheduled scans page, click the schedule you want to delete from the Scheduled scans table.
In the Scheduled scan information window, click View detail.
Click Delete.
When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Delete scheduled scan.

Add or remove nodes in scheduled scans

You can add or remove the nodes in scan schedule by using the Scheduled scan information window.

To add or remove nodes in a scan schedule:

On the Scheduled scans page, click the schedule you wish to edit from the Scheduled scans table.
In the Scheduled scan information window, click View detail.
Click Manage nodes or Edit Selection from the list of nodes at the bottom of the page, depending on the node selection method. If the scheduled scan has a static node selection method, Manage nodes appears. If the scheduled scan has a dynamic node selection method, Edit Selection appears.
In the Edit node selection (or Edit node group selection) window, review and change the nodes in the scheduled scan.
1. If you chose Create a static node list, specify the nodes to scan by selecting the relevant checkboxes. Use the drop-down menus to filter nodes by operating system, desired compliance, or node group.
2. If you chose Target nodes dynamically, specify the node groups to scan from the Select node groups drop-down menu. You may select more than one node group to include in the scheduled scan. Click Apply when you are done selecting which node groups to include.
To save your changes, click Save and exit.

Create a one-off scan schedule

You can schedule a compliance scan to run once.

To create a one-off scan schedule:

On the Scheduled scans page, click Create scheduled scan.
Choose node selection method. Specify method used to select nodes and click Next . The selection methods are:
- Create a static node list: Choose this selection method to explicitly pick each node to include in the scheduled scan. After you schedule a scan, if you onboard new nodes and want those nodes to be included in the scan, you must manually update the scheduled scan by adding the new nodes to the list.
- Target nodes dynamically: Choose this selection method to target nodes from your specified node groups. Scheduled scans are automatically updated to add or exclude nodes based on changes in node group membership.
Select the nodes to include in the scheduled scan.

Note: If desired compliance is not set on any of the nodes, you are prompted to select a suggested desired compliance profile from the existing options or exclude those nodes from the scan.
1. If you chose Create a static node list, specify the nodes to scan by selecting the relevant checkboxes. Use the drop-down menus to filter nodes by operating system, desired compliance, or node group.
2. If you chose Target nodes dynamically, specify the node groups to scan from the Select node groups drop-down menu. You may select more than one node group to include in the scheduled scan. Click Apply when you are done selecting which node groups to include.
3. Click Next when you have finished selecting nodes.
Set the schedule:
1. Select Once only.
2. Specify the date for your scan schedule.
3. Specify the time and time zone for starting the scan schedule.
4. Click Next.
Add details and review. Enter a name in the Scheduled scan name field and, optionally, enter information in the Description field. Click Create scheduled scan.
The scan schedule information is listed on the table on the Scheduled scans page.

Create a repeating scan schedule

You can schedule a compliance scan to run regularly.

To create a scan schedule that repeats:

On the Scheduled scans page, click Create scheduled scan.
Choose node selection method. Specify method used to select nodes and click Next . The selection methods are:
- Create a static node list: Choose this selection method to explicitly pick each node to include in the scheduled scan. After you schedule a scan, if you onboard new nodes and want those nodes to be included in the scan, you must manually update the scheduled scan by adding the new nodes to the list.
- Target nodes dynamically: Choose this selection method to target nodes from your specified node groups. Scheduled scans are automatically updated to add or exclude nodes based on changes in node group membership.
Select the nodes to include in the scheduled scan.

Note: If desired compliance is not set on any of the nodes, you are prompted to select a suggested desired compliance profile from the existing options or exclude those nodes from the scan.
1. If you chose Create a static node list, specify the nodes to scan by selecting the relevant checkboxes. Use the drop-down menus to filter nodes by operating system, desired compliance, or node group.
2. If you chose Target nodes dynamically, specify the node groups to scan from the Select node groups drop-down menu. You may select more than one node group to include in the scheduled scan. Click Apply when you are done selecting which node groups to include.
3. Click Next when you have finished selecting nodes.
Set the schedule:
1. Select Repeating.
2. Select the desired Frequency of the scan:
  - If you select the Weekly option, you can specify a day of the week for a weekly scan, or you can specify that the scan runs daily, only on weekdays, or only on weekends.
  - If you select the Monthly option, specify a day of the month for the scan.
    Remember: Your scan does not run if the month does not include the day you selected. For example, if you choose day 31, your scan cannot run in those months that do not have 31 days.
3. Choose the time and time zone when you want the scan to run.
4. Optionally, add an End Date for the scan schedule.
  
  If you choose an end date for your scan schedule, no more scans run on or after that date and no scan reports are produced.
5. Click Next.
Add details and review. Enter a name in the Scheduled scan name field and, optionally, enter information in the Description field. Click Create scheduled scan.
The scan schedule information is listed on the table on the Scheduled scans page.