In my last post I described how you can configure jobs with VisualCron. Today, I will introduce the tool’s user interface and some of its special features.

You can install the frontend (the documentation calls it the client) and the backend (server) separately. The frontend can be used to manage jobs remotely for one or multiple servers. Of course, you can also install the client and the server on the same machine.

VisualCron’s product name fits very well because its graphical user interface makes it easy for you to track all of your jobs. The user interface resembles the ribbon interface used in some Office 2007 applications. Microsoft introduced the ribbon in Office because the features had become too numerous for the menus and toolbars of the old interface style to handle without being cumbersome. I suppose this was also the reason why VisualCron chose a ribbon-style interface type.

I will describe each of the ribbons shortly, but let me first explain the main part of the user interface—the task area. This area is basically a grid designed to keep track of numerous servers and jobs. Each server is displayed separately and has two child “tracks,” the first one for the job and the second one for the job’s tasks.

List ribbon

The columns in the grid display the most important job and task parameters. Using the tools in the List ribbon, you can customize the grid layout. You can select which parameters are displayed, you can group jobs, and you can use filters to display only specific jobs (for example, you can limit the display to the jobs that will run next).

Tools ribbon

VisualCron offers a few useful tools that can come in handy when you are configuring jobs: a file explorer (for remote servers), an SQL Explorer, a reporting tool (to print job configurations), a flow chart (to display relations between triggers, conditions, tasks, and notifications), and an object search tool (to find jobs, tasks, notifications, etc.).

Server ribbon

The Server ribbon allows you to define several objects that can be used in job definitions. For example, you can configure credentials or notifications that you can use in multiple job configurations (see screenshot for the other object types). Notice that these defined objects are only available for the selected server. Thus if you plan to copy a job definition to other servers, you must configure the corresponding settings for each job separately.

File ribbon

This ribbon allows you to configure some general settings, import and export settings from another VisualCron installation, and add remote servers to the frontend.

Conclusion

VisualCron is a very powerful task scheduling tool. Even three posts were not enough to describe all of its features. If task scheduling plays a role in your environment, you should definitely look closely at VisualCron. You can download a 45 days free trial with full functionality and without registering. Also check out the active user forum.

If you to have the chance to win VisualCron license, just send an email to:

with the subject line

VisualCron.

Please, add your name and the name of your organization for which you want to use the license. The deadline of this contest is December 4, 2009.