Overview
Flow ID: schedule-job
Category: Blockify Processing
Estimated Duration: 1-2 minutes
User Role: All Users
Complexity: Simple
Purpose: Configure job to start processing automatically at specified future date and time instead of immediately. Useful for scheduling resource-intensive processing during off-hours or specific times.
Related Flows
- Create New Blockify Job - Parent workflow including scheduling
- Create Basic Chunking Job - Can also be scheduled
- View Job Details Dashboard - Shows schedule information
- Cancel a Running Job - Can cancel scheduled jobs
Step-by-Step Flow
Main Path (Happy Path)
Step 1: Configure Job Normally
- User Action: Complete normal job setup (files, settings, etc.)
- System Response: Job configuration ready
- UI Elements Visible: Job creation form filled out
Step 2: Locate Schedule Picker
- User Action: Find "Schedule Job" option or calendar icon in job configuration
- System Response: N/A
- UI Elements Visible:
- Calendar icon or "Schedule for Later" button
- Typically near dataset selection or at bottom of form
- Current value: "Run Immediately" or schedule time if set
Step 3: Click Schedule Picker
- User Action: Click calendar icon or schedule button
- System Response: Date/time picker appears
- UI Elements Visible:
- Date picker modal or popup
- Calendar interface showing current month
- Time selector (hours and minutes)
- Today's date highlighted
- "Clear" or "Remove Schedule" button
- "Confirm" or "Set Schedule" button
Step 4: Select Future Date
- User Action: Click on desired date in calendar
- System Response:
- Selected date highlights
- Time selector becomes active
- UI Elements Visible:
- Calendar with selected date highlighted
- Date updates in picker header
- Time selector ready
Step 5: Set Time
- User Action: Select hour and minute for job start
- System Response:
- Time value updates
- Full datetime shown: "Oct 5, 2025 10:00 PM"
- UI Elements Visible:
- Time dropdown or input
- Selected time displayed
- Combined date and time preview
Step 6: Confirm Schedule
- User Action: Click "Confirm" or "Set Schedule" button
- System Response:
- Picker closes
- Scheduled time displayed in job form
- Job creation button may change to "Schedule Job"
- UI Elements Visible:
- Schedule indicator: "Scheduled for: Oct 5, 2025 at 10:00 PM"
- Calendar icon now shows scheduled state
- Time until start may be shown: "In 18 hours"
Step 7: Create Scheduled Job
- User Action: Click "Create Job" or "Schedule Job" button
- System Response:
- Job created with scheduled status
- Redirects to job details
- Job shows "Scheduled" status
- UI Elements Visible:
- Job details page
- Status: "Scheduled" (teal badge)
- Scheduled time prominently displayed
- Countdown: "Starts in 17 hours 58 minutes"
- Warning: "Keep application open for job to start"
Step 8: Job Awaits Scheduled Time
- User Action: Can close details page, job waits in background
- System Response:
- Job remains in "Scheduled" status
- Countdown continues
- Application must remain open for job to start
- UI Elements Visible:
- In jobs list: Job shows "Scheduled" with time
- Status badge may show scheduled in teal/info color
Step 9: Scheduled Time Arrives
- User Action: None (if application is open)
- System Response:
- Job automatically changes from "Scheduled" to "Pending"
- Processing queue picks up job
- Job begins processing automatically
- Status changes to "Processing"
- UI Elements Visible:
- Status badge updates: Scheduled → Pending → Processing
- Progress begins advancing
Final Step: Scheduled Job Executes
- Success Indicator:
- Job started at scheduled time
- Processing automatically
- No manual intervention needed
- System State Change:
- Job status progression: Scheduled → Pending → Active → Processing
- Automatic execution at specified time
- Next Possible Actions:
- Monitor processing
- Let job complete unattended
- Check results later
Alternative Paths & Strategies
Strategy A: Cancel Schedule Before Execution
When to use: Change plans before scheduled time
Steps:
- Open scheduled job details
- Click "Cancel Job" or edit schedule
- Job cancelled or rescheduled
- Can reschedule or start immediately
Strategy B: Reschedule Job
When to use: Need to change scheduled time
Steps:
- Open job details
- Click schedule picker again (if accessible)
- Select new date/time
- Confirm changes
- Job updates to new schedule
QA Note: Reschedule capability not confirmed in knowledge base. May need to cancel and recreate.
Strategy C: Batch Multiple Scheduled Jobs
When to use: Schedule several jobs for same time
Steps:
- Create first job, schedule for specific time
- Create second job, schedule for same time
- Repeat for all jobs
- All jobs start at scheduled time
- Process in queue order (based on priority)
Error States & Recovery
Error 1: Cannot Select Past Date
Cause: User tries to schedule for time that already passed
User Experience:
- Past dates may be disabled/grayed in calendar
- Or error message: "Cannot schedule in the past"
- Schedule not accepted
Recovery Steps:
- Select current or future date
- Verify time zone is correct
- Choose appropriate future time
QA Note: UI should prevent selecting past dates. Error only if validation fails.
Error 2: Job Doesn't Start at Scheduled Time
Cause: Application was closed or system was asleep
User Experience:
- Scheduled time passes
- Job still shows "Scheduled" status
- Processing didn't start
Recovery Steps:
- Application must be open for scheduled jobs
- If application was closed, job won't start
- Open application to trigger pending scheduled jobs
- Job should start when application detects time has passed
- Or manually start job if needed
Important: Application must remain running for scheduled jobs. Closing application prevents scheduled execution.
Error 3: Schedule Cleared Accidentally
Cause: User interaction cleared schedule
User Experience:
- Schedule shows "Run Immediately" instead of scheduled time
- Schedule lost
Recovery Steps:
- Reschedule if job not yet created
- If job created without schedule, will run immediately
- Cancel and recreate with schedule if needed
Version History
| Date | Version | Author | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-04 | 1.1 | Iternal Technologies | Initial comprehensive documentation |
Notes
Important Considerations:
- Application must remain open for scheduled jobs to start (critical limitation)
- System doesn't wake up application or start if closed
- Schedule stored in database; persists across page refreshes but not application restarts
- Scheduled jobs appear in jobs list with "Scheduled" status
- Can have multiple jobs scheduled for different times
- Jobs start automatically when scheduled time arrives (if app is open)
- Can cancel scheduled job before it starts
Time Display:
- Absolute time: "Oct 5, 2025 at 10:00 PM"
- Relative time: "In 18 hours 32 minutes" (updates automatically)
- Both may be shown for clarity
Scheduling Best Practices:
- Schedule resource-intensive jobs for overnight
- Set schedule at least 5-10 minutes in future (not immediate)
- Ensure computer won't sleep or shut down
- Keep application in foreground or background (open)
- Verify schedule before creating job
- Note scheduled time for reference
Common User Questions:
- "Will job run if I close the application?" - No, application must remain open
- "Can I schedule for tomorrow?" - Yes, select any future date
- "What time zone is used?" - Your local system time
- "Can I cancel scheduled job?" - Yes, before it starts
- "Will my computer need to stay on?" - Yes, don't shut down or sleep before scheduled time
- "Can I schedule recurring jobs?" - No, currently one-time scheduling only
- "What if I miss the scheduled time?" - Job starts when you next open application (if time has passed)
Trigger
What initiates this flow:
- User manually initiates
Specific trigger: User wants job to run at future time, typically because:
- Want processing during overnight hours
- Need to use computer now, run job later
- Coordinating with other scheduled tasks
- Running during low-usage periods
User Intent Analysis
Primary Intent
Set future start time for job to optimize resource usage or coordinate with user's schedule.
Secondary Intents
- Avoid disrupting current work
- Utilize off-peak system resources
- Batch multiple jobs at specific time
- Plan processing around schedule