Configure and manage tasks

To configure a task on the canvas, double-click a task on the canvas to display information about that task in a panel on the right. Each Task panel contains a Data, Advanced, and Details tab.

The Data tab contains input and output variables.
The Advanced tab contains the Access Control, Run Window, and Retry Task configurations.
The Details tab contains a description of the task that can be edited as well as a link to the API Documents page.

Tasks from the canvas make calls to actions that perform specific and discrete activities to implement business logic. They take input arguments and return output variables. The inputs and outputs for the task are visible in the Edit dialog under the Incoming and Outgoing tabs of the dialog. In the event an error occurs, the task may return an error variable, which is visible under Error.

Task Configuration Panel showing Incoming, Outgoing, and Error tabs

Configure task properties

Incoming parameters

Task information is split between three tabs.

Data: Input variables for the task.
Advanced: Configurable options not directly related to input.
Details: The task description.

Task Parameters panel showing incoming variable configuration

Label	UI element	Description
1	Incoming (Tab)	Required (mandatory) parameters are marked with an asterisk. Variable: The argument name. Type: Data type (boolean, string, number, array, object). Reference task: Defines the data source. Options include: `job`, `static`, a prior task. Reference variable: Value is assigned from the defined reference task.
2	Actor (for automatic tasks only)	Execute automatic tasks by the system or a user by setting the Actor field. Itential (Pronghorn): The system executes the automatic task. job: Execute the automatic task as the user that started the job. Any previous manual task: Execute the automatic task as the user that worked a previous manual task.
3	Run Window	Restrict when an automated task will run by specifying a schedule.
4	Description	Enter a brief task description in the optional Description field.

Avoid changing to another task’s input variable, which could create variable type mismatches and other errors.

Reference task options

Option	Description
job	A global variable. Job variables are set at the time a job is started or when a task’s outgoing data is copied to a job variable. Job variables are visible to all tasks defined in the automation. Job variables are mutable. Some job variables are always present; others are defined by the collection of input job variables between all tasks in the automation.
static	A constant; a value defined within the task properties.
any prior task	Present in the current automation (listed by name in the dropdown).

Reference variables

Reference task	Reference variable
job	Defaults to the same name as the task’s parameter. Dropdown shows all job variables, including input arguments for every task whose reference task is the job. To set a custom job variable name, click Edit and type the new name in the Reference variable field. Job variable names must adhere to the naming conventions in the developer guide.
static	Static value entered in the Reference variable field.
a prior task	Name of an output variable or error from the selected prior task.

Manual tasks and access control

For manual tasks only, use Groups, located under the Advanced tab and in the Access Control dropdown, to restrict who is authorized to work the task by assigning one or more groups.

Type “Administrators” in the Groups field. Matching group names will appear in a list after you begin typing.
Click the correct group name to add that group to the task’s groups. The group will not be added unless it is selected from the list.
Add as many groups as desired.

Manual Task Groups configuration under the Advanced tab

Outgoing parameters

Configurable options in the task output are referenced below.

Outgoing tab showing variable, job variable, and job variable name configuration

Label	Outgoing parameter	Description
1	Variable	The task’s return variable; the variable which is made available to any subsequent task in the workflow. Outgoing variables are immutable.
2	Job Variables	To promote the task’s return variable to a job variable, check the Store Output as Job Variables box. This copies the outgoing variable’s value to a job variable. Job variables are similar to global variables; they are available to every task in the job.
3	Job Variable Names	Defaults to the same name as the task’s return variable. To set a custom name for the return variable, type the new name in the Job Variable Name field. Job variable names must adhere to Itential Platform naming conventions.

Error parameters

Task error variables are referenced below.

Error tab showing error variable and job variable configuration

Label	Error parameter	Description
1	Variable	The task’s error variable, which is returned in the event of an error.
2	Job Variables	To promote the task’s error variable to a job variable, check the Store Output as Job Variable box. This copies the error value to a job variable. Job variables are similar to global variables; they are available to every task in the job.
3	Job Variable Names	To set a custom name for the error variable, type the new name in the Job Variable Name field. Job variable names must adhere to Itential Platform naming conventions.

Mask variables

Variable masking hides sensitive data from operators who view workflows in Operations Manager. To enable masking, open the Task dialog and toggle Mask to On.

When you mask a variable, its value displays as asterisks (***) in operator-facing interfaces, preventing operators from viewing the actual data. The feature protects any view where operators can see workflow execution data, including Operations Manager views.

What masking doesn’t do

Masking is not a security or encryption feature. The system does not:

Encrypt data in the database
Delete or hash data
Provide secure password or secrets storage
Function as a secrets vault or password manager
Protect data at rest on the server

For secure secrets management, use dedicated solutions like HashiCorp Vault or CyberArk Central Credential Provider. If you need encrypted storage of credentials, API keys, or other sensitive data, implement a proper secrets management solution rather than relying on variable masking.

Mask JST tasks

For JST tasks, you must mask all outgoing variables or none of them.

Masking JST Tasks showing all-or-nothing masking requirement

Find adapter IDs

Adapter IDs can be found under the Advanced tab in the Task Options dropdown.

Adapter IDs location under the Advanced tab in Task Options

Modify a task

Open the task dialog

Double-click a task on the canvas to open the Edit task dialog.

Update properties

Update the appropriate task properties.

Save your changes

Click the Save button to retain your changes.

Copy a task

Copy the task

Right-click the task to view the pop-up menu, then click Copy.

Paste the task

Right-click anywhere on the canvas and click Paste here from the pop-up menu. A copy of the task is pasted onto the canvas.

Cmd + C and Cmd + V can be used to copy and paste, respectively. Holding the Option key and dragging can also be used to duplicate a task.

Delete a task

Select the task

On the Studio canvas, select the task you want to delete.

Delete the task

Click the Delete button, or double-click the task and choose Delete from the pop-up menu.

Save

Click the Save button in the title bar.

Spread tasks

To spread tasks out on the canvas for better viewing and management:

Open the Fit Window option

Click the Fit Window button in the upper-right corner of the canvas. An option to Spread Tasks will appear.

Adjust spacing

Move the slider to enlarge or shrink the area between tasks on the canvas.

Spread Tasks slider for adjusting spacing between canvas tasks

Use recent tasks

The 10 most recent tasks moved from the task palette to the canvas are stored under the Recent Tasks icon for quick access. Click the icon for Recent Tasks and a dropdown displays the 10 most recent tasks added to the canvas.

From the Recent Tasks dropdown, each task can be dragged and dropped onto the canvas to use again as needed. Copying, pasting, or duplicating tasks already on the canvas will not add them to the Recent Tasks dropdown. Any task displayed in the Recent Tasks dropdown can be removed by clicking the X to the right of the task.

Recent Tasks dropdown showing the 10 most recently used tasks

Retry a task

From the Studio canvas, a task can be set up to allow an operator of a job to retry it. Two types of task retry are available: Automatic and Manual.

Automatic Retry: Configured on the canvas with options for when to retry, how often, and whether there should be a delay between retry attempts.
Manual Retry: Available within Operations (Job) Manager; to enable this capability, the automation designer must have Retry Task set to true.

To specify the retry settings on the canvas:

Open the Advanced tab

Open the Task Details dialog and click the Advanced tab. Expand the Retry Task dropdown.

Enable retry

Toggle Enable Retry Task to “on”. Select the Automatically Retry Task checkbox if you want the task to retry automatically without user intervention.

Configure retry settings

Configure the Retry settings using the table below.

Retry setting	Description
Retry On	Select a value from the dropdown to set what conditions allow task retry to occur.
Number of Retry Attempts	The number of times to retry a task before the workflow must continue running. Default value is `10`. Use caution when increasing this value — there is no upper limit on retry attempts.
Retry Delay	The number of seconds between retry attempts.

Retry Settings dialog showing Retry On, Number of Retry Attempts, and Retry Delay fields

After running the workflow, you can manually retry a task by accessing the job in Operations Manager (Itential Platform > Operations Manager > Jobs) and clicking the Retry button in the Job Details panel, located in the vertical dots menu of the job. You will be presented with a Retry Task modal that contains a previous iteration of retry values. From this modal, you can provide new inputs on the retry. After entering the new inputs, click Continue Job.

Retry Task button in Operations Manager Job Details panel

Swap a task

Tasks on the canvas can be swapped without having to delete another task or the transition that connects to the task being swapped.

Open the task panel

Double-click the task on the canvas to display the task panel.

Open the swap task palette

In the upper-left corner of the task panel overlay, click the Swap Task icon to open a simplified version of the task palette.

Swap Task icon in the task panel overlay

Select a replacement task

Locate the replacement task via the task filter, or scroll through the list of tasks. Click on the replacement task to put it in focus and enable the Confirm Swap button at the bottom of the panel.

Confirm or cancel the swap

Click Confirm Swap. The replacement task will appear in place of the original task on the canvas. Click Cancel Swap to revert back to the original task.

Confirm Swap and Cancel Swap buttons at the bottom of the task palette

Retain task data (optional)

Any data under the Advanced tab of the original task will be retained in the swapped task.

Advanced Variables tab showing retained settings from the original task

If the swapped task contains similar variables to the original task, select the Retain Task Data checkbox to carry over any relevant data that is applicable. If the swapped task is a completely different type of task, the variables will not be carried over.

Retain Task Data checkbox in the swap task panel

Restrict an automated task with a run window

You can restrict when an automated task will run by specifying a schedule. This is also defined as setting the Run Window for a task, which means the task will not run (once it is time to run) if the current time falls outside the run window.

Open the Advanced tab

In an open automation, double-click an automated task to open the Edit task dialog. Click the Advanced tab and expand the Run Window dropdown.

Enable the run window

Toggle the Enable Run Window switch to open the schedule options.

Select a run window mode

Select an option from the Run Window Mode:

Select Static to statically define the task’s run window.
Select Job to pass the schedule at run time through a job variable, then configure the properties.
Select Task to define the data source. Options include: job, static, or any prior task in the current automation.

Configure the schedule

Enter the Window Start and Window End time in 24-hour format (HHMM) relative to the server’s configured timezone. Select the days on which the task should run. The selected buttons will turn from white to blue. The selections are automatically saved in the task.