Testing: Schedules
Overview
Use this page to review and manage recurring test schedules across all load profiles. A schedule is a recurring configuration, defined by a cron expression, that automatically starts its owning load profile's test run at specific times instead of you starting it manually. Rather than opening every load profile individually to check its automation, this page gives you one table listing every schedule in the system, so you can audit timing, spot disabled or stalled schedules, and act on them directly.
Each schedule belongs to exactly one load profile, created and primarily configured in Testing: Load Profiles; a schedule cannot exist without its owning profile. Once a schedule fires, it produces a new test run you can review afterward in Testing: Test Runs, and any credentials the target systems depend on are managed separately in Configuration: Credential Profiles.
From here you can edit a schedule's cron timing, timezone, test name, dry-run mode, and companion profiles, pause it with the Enabled toggle, trigger it on demand, or delete it, all without leaving this cross-profile view.
Key concepts
- schedule - A recurring configuration, defined by a cron expression, that automatically runs its owning load profile's test at specific times instead of you starting it manually. (related: Testing: Load Profiles)
- cron expression - A five-field pattern (minute, hour, day, month, weekday) that defines exactly when a schedule fires; the Schedule column shows it alongside a plain-language translation.
- Companion Profiles - Additional load profiles you can attach to a schedule so they start inside the same scheduled test run as the owning profile. (related: Testing: Load Profiles)
- LG053 license module - The license entitlement that must be active for scheduling to work; without it, creating or editing schedules is blocked. (related: Infrastructure: Licensing)
When to use it
- Audit every recurring schedule across all load profiles from one place instead of opening each profile individually.
- Check when a schedule last fired and when it will fire next before relying on its results.
- Pause a schedule with the Enabled toggle during maintenance on the target systems, without deleting it.
- Delete a schedule that's no longer needed for a decommissioned test scenario.
- Investigate why a scheduled run never produced a result by comparing Next Run against Last Run.
Before you begin
- At least one load profile must exist with a schedule configured, created in Testing: Load Profiles; schedules cannot be created independently of a profile.
- The LG053 license module must be active; otherwise creating or editing schedules is blocked with a licensing message.
- If a schedule's target systems require authentication, confirm the relevant credential in Configuration: Credential Profiles has not expired, since an expired credential can prevent a scheduled run from completing.
Common workflows
Audit and adjust a nightly schedule
Persona: Test operator
- Open Testing: Schedules from the navigation.
- Expect: The Test Schedules table loads, listing every recurring schedule across all load profiles with its owning profile, cron timing, and next/last run.
- Locate the schedule by its Name and review the Schedule and Next Run columns.
- Expect: You confirm the cron pattern (for example Daily at midnight) and the exact next time it fires.
- Select Edit on the row.
- Expect: The Create/Edit Schedule modal opens pre-filled with the schedule's Name, Load Profile, Schedule, Timezone, Test Name, Test Mode, Companion Profiles, and Enabled state.
- Update the Schedule or Timezone field and save.
- Expect: The modal closes and the table's Schedule and Next Run columns update to reflect the new timing.
Verify: The edited row shows the new cron pattern and a recalculated Next Run timestamp.
Pause a schedule during maintenance
Persona: Admin
- Find the schedule tied to the load profile under maintenance.
- Expect: The matching row is visible with its Enabled toggle in the On (green) position.
- Switch the Enabled toggle off.
- Expect: The toggle switches off and the schedule stops firing at its previously computed Next Run time until re-enabled.
Verify: The row's Enabled toggle shows off, and no new test run starts at the time it was previously scheduled to fire.
Create a new recurring schedule
Persona: Test operator
- Select New Schedule.
- Expect: The Create Schedule modal opens with empty Name, Load Profile, Schedule, Timezone, Test Name, Test Mode, Companion Profiles, and Enabled fields.
- Fill in Name, choose a Load Profile, enter a cron expression in Schedule, and confirm Enabled is on.
- Expect: The required fields are satisfied.
- Save the schedule.
- Expect: The modal closes and a new row appears in the Test Schedules table with a computed Next Run time.
Verify: The new schedule appears in the table with Enabled on and a Next Run time derived from the cron expression and Timezone.
Steps
Step 1
Open Schedules from the Testing section of the navigation.
Expected result: The Test Schedules page loads with a cross-profile table of recurring schedules; the example row shows *Daily at midnight (0 0 * * ) for its Schedule, 10/08/2026 02:00 (in 10 hours) for Next Run, Never for Last Run, and Enabled switched on.
This gives you a single place to audit every recurring schedule across all load profiles before deciding whether to edit, pause, trigger, or delete one.
- The descriptive text above the table explains that each load profile owns its own schedule, which you can manage here or directly on the profile.
- A Credentials expiring notification can appear in the top-right corner; it's a platform-wide alert, not something generated by this page.
Field reference
| Field | Purpose | Format / Validation | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Identifies the schedule in the table and distinguishes it from other schedules; use a descriptive name covering the scenario and audience it exercises. | free text | Yes | - |
| Load Profile | Selects which load profile this schedule triggers; this determines the scenario, users, and target systems used for every automated run it produces. | select, one existing load profile | Yes | - |
| Schedule | Sets exactly when the schedule fires, written as a five-field cron pattern. A tighter interval (for example every hour) runs the test far more often than a sparse one (for example once a week), so pick a frequency that matches how often you need fresh results against how much agent and license time you can spend. | cron expression | Yes | - |
| Timezone | Determines which timezone the Schedule cron pattern is evaluated in. Choose the timezone of the systems under test, not necessarily your own, so Next Run reflects the intended local time rather than the platform's display timezone. | select, named timezone | No | platform default timezone |
| Test Name (optional) | Names the test run record created each time this schedule fires. Leave it blank to let the platform auto-generate a name, or set one so scheduled runs are easy to find later in Testing: Test Runs. | free text | No | auto-generated name for test runs |
| Test Mode (Dry Run) | Controls whether triggered runs execute as a full load test or as a dry run that validates the schedule's configuration without generating real load against the target systems. Turn it on while you're still verifying a new schedule, and off once you want it to produce real test results. | toggle | No | off |
| Companion Profiles (optional) | Attaches one or more additional load profiles to fire inside the same scheduled test run as the owning profile. Use this to combine related profiles, such as multiple user populations, into a single coordinated run instead of creating separate schedules for each. | multi-select of existing load profiles | No | none |
| Enabled | Determines whether the schedule is active. On means it fires automatically at its computed Next Run time; off means it stays paused until you switch it back on, useful during a maintenance window without deleting the schedule. | toggle | No | on |
Column reference
| Column | What it shows | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The schedule's display name as shown in this row. | Matches the Name you set in the Create/Edit Schedule modal. |
| Load Profile | Shows which load profile this schedule belongs to and triggers. | Select the link to open that profile's configuration in Testing: Load Profiles. |
| Schedule | Shows the schedule's run pattern. | The plain-language phrase gives you the frequency at a glance; the parenthesized expression is the exact cron pattern you'd edit. |
| Next Run | Shows when the schedule will next fire. | Computed from the Schedule cron expression and the schedule's Timezone; once this time passes, expect a new entry in Testing: Test Runs. |
| Last Run | Shows when the schedule most recently fired. | Reads Never until the schedule has fired at least once since it was created. |
| Enabled | Shows whether the schedule is currently active. | On (green) means the schedule will fire at its Next Run time; off means it's paused and won't trigger until you switch it back on. |
| Actions | Row-level actions available for this schedule. | Select the pencil icon to edit the schedule or the trash icon to delete it. |
Controls reference
Edit
Opens the Create/Edit Schedule modal pre-filled with this schedule's Name, Load Profile, Schedule, Timezone, Test Name, Test Mode, Companion Profiles, and Enabled state.
When to use: Adjust a schedule's timing, target profile, or test run settings without navigating to the owning load profile.
Side effects: Mutating once saved: updates the schedule and recalculates Next Run.
Delete
Opens a Delete Schedule confirmation before permanently removing the schedule.
When to use: Remove a schedule for a test scenario that's no longer needed.
Side effects: Mutating and destructive: once confirmed, the schedule stops running and its row disappears from the table.
Enabled toggle
Turns automatic triggering on or off for this schedule.
When to use: Temporarily pause a schedule, for example during maintenance on the target systems, without deleting it.
Side effects: Mutating: switching off stops the cron from firing until you switch it back on.
Trigger
Manually fires the schedule's load profile (and any Companion Profiles) immediately, independent of its cron timing.
Side effects: Mutating: starts a new test run immediately; does not change Next Run or the Enabled state.
New Schedule
Opens the Create Schedule modal to define a new recurring schedule from this cross-profile view.
When to use: Add a schedule for a load profile that doesn't have one yet, without opening the profile itself.
Side effects: Mutating once saved: a new row appears in the table.
Create First Schedule
Opens the same Create Schedule modal as New Schedule, shown only when no schedules exist yet.
When to use: First-time setup, when the table has no rows.
Side effects: Mutating once saved: creates the first schedule row.
Retry
When to use: Shown when the page couldn't load schedules.
Side effects: Read-only: reloads data without changing any schedule.
Cron expression help
Opens reference guidance for writing a valid five-field cron expression.
When to use: When you're unsure how to express a run pattern, such as every weekday at a specific hour.
Side effects: Read-only and navigational only.
Cancel
Closes the Create/Edit Schedule modal without saving.
When to use: Discard changes you don't want to keep.
Side effects: Read-only: no changes are persisted.
Verify the result
After opening Schedules, you see a table listing every recurring schedule defined across all load profiles, each row showing its owning Load Profile, cron Schedule, computed Next Run, Last Run, and whether it's Enabled. If you just created or edited a schedule, confirm the new values appear in its row and that Next Run reflects the updated cron timing. If the table has no rows, no load profile in the system currently has a schedule configured. If you expected to see a specific schedule but it's missing, check that its owning load profile still exists in Testing: Load Profiles.
Troubleshooting
- Symptom: The table shows no rows even though you know a schedule exists. Fix: Confirm the owning load profile hasn't been deleted in Testing: Load Profiles; removing a profile removes its schedule from this cross-profile view.
- Symptom: Creating or editing a schedule is blocked with a licensing message. Fix: Activate the LG053 license module under Infrastructure: Licensing; scheduling is gated behind this module.
- Symptom: Last Run stays on Never even though Enabled is on and the Next Run time has passed. Fix: Check Configuration: Credential Profiles for expired credentials used by the target load profile; an authentication failure can prevent the run from completing.
- Symptom: The Next Run time looks off by several hours. Fix: Open the schedule's Edit modal and confirm its Timezone field matches the systems under test, rather than relying on the platform's global display timezone.
- Symptom: You can't see the New Schedule control on the page header. Fix: Dismiss any notification banner, such as Credentials expiring, that may be overlapping the header region and hiding the button.
Related articles
- Prerequisite: Testing: Load Profiles - schedules are created and owned inside a load profile
- Prerequisite: Infrastructure: Licensing - the LG053 module must be active before scheduling works
- Next step: Testing: Test Runs - review the test runs produced each time a schedule fires or is triggered
- See also: Testing: Run Test - compare one-off manual runs against this page's recurring automation
- See also: Configuration: Credential Profiles - expiring credentials referenced by a scheduled profile can prevent a run from completing