Summary: How to schedule a task in vCenter to start a Virtual Machine.
Date: Around 2012
Refactor: 29 April 2025: Checked links and formatting.
How to schedule a task in vCenter to start a Virtual Machine:
Logon to vCenter → Tasks & Events → Scheduled Tasks
Click on the “New” button
In the “Schedule Task” dialog select the “Change the VM power state”
In the “Change a Virtual Machine's Power State” dialog:
Select the virtual machine
Select the required Power Operation (Power on)
Give a task name and description and set the the frequency (once - later - 20:00 - today)
Fill in the email addresses to notify after task completion
The vCenter Server and ESX/ESXi hosts adhere to certain rules when managing tasks in the system.
vCenter Server and ESX/ESXi hosts use the following rules to process tasks:
The user performing the task in the vSphere Client must have the correct permissions on the relevant objects. After a scheduled task is created, it will be performed even if the user no longer has permission to perform the task.
When the operations required by manual tasks and scheduled tasks conflict, the activity due first is started first.
When a virtual machine or host is in an incorrect state to perform any activity, manual or scheduled, vCenter Server or the ESX/ESXi host does not perform the task. A message is recorded in the log.
When an object is removed from the vCenter Server or the ESX/ESXi host, all associated tasks are also removed.
The vSphere Client and vCenter Server system use UTC time to determine the start time of a scheduled task. This ensures vSphere Client users in different time zones see the task scheduled to run at their local time.
Events are logged in the event log at start and completion of a task. Any errors that occur during a task are also recorded in the event log.
Note: Do not schedule multiple tasks to be performed at the same time on the same object. The results are unpredictable.