Background Tasks
MisterShell surfaces three streams of background work, in two places:
| Where | What’s in it |
|---|---|
| Settings → System → Scheduled Tasks | Recurring platform jobs run on an interval — backups, data collection, cleanup, and similar maintenance. |
| Settings → Diagnostics → Tasks, Local view | Server-side jobs running inside the platform itself — AI chat generation, Quick Assist runs, in-session AI analysis, automation playbook executions. |
| Settings → Diagnostics → Tasks, Worker view | Live queue of jobs dispatched to workers — snapshots, sessions, diagnostics. Status updates in real time. |
The Diagnostics Tasks tab is a single view with a Worker / Local toggle at the top right; it is not two separate tabs.
Scheduled Tasks
Recurring platform maintenance jobs. The catalog is defined by the platform — there is no way to create a scheduled task, and built-in tasks cannot be deleted. What you control is each task’s interval and whether it is enabled, plus running it on demand and reviewing its execution logs.
The shipped tasks cover database backup, data-collection scheduling / execution / cleanup, automation cron scheduling, telemetry data cleanup, sensor ruleset updates, and log-collector maintenance.
Table columns
| Column | Notes |
|---|---|
| Task Name | Display name (e.g. Database Backup, Telemetry Data Cleanup). |
| Type | The task’s type identifier. |
| Next Run | Scheduled timestamp of the next execution, or Not scheduled if disabled. |
| Interval | How often the task runs. |
| Enabled | Whether the task is currently scheduled. |
| Built-in | Lock icon when the task is built-in — built-ins can be edited and disabled but not deleted. |
| Actions | Edit / Run Now / View Logs. |
Common tasks
Edit a scheduled task
- Click the edit icon.
- Adjust the Interval (value and unit) and the Enabled toggle. For a built-in task these are the only editable fields — the form says so — and the task type is always read-only.
- Click Save.
Run a task on demand
Click the green play icon (Run Now). The task starts through the same scheduled-task implementation and its result is recorded in the task logs. Database Backup therefore behaves like every other visible scheduled task; the operator-console alternative is documented in Database Backup and Restore.
View a task’s logs
Click the history icon (View Logs). The modal lists recent executions with timestamp, status, and output.
Disable instead of delete
Edit the task and toggle Enabled off. The task stays in the catalog but won’t run again, and its row shows Not scheduled.
Permissions
- Read:
app.tasks.read(also gates the tab’s visibility). - Edit:
app.tasks.write. - Run on demand:
app.tasks.execute.
Local Tasks
Server-side jobs running inside the platform itself. You will mostly see AI work here — chat response generation, Quick Assist executions, proactive in-session analysis — plus automation playbook executions. Useful for confirming a request actually started, tracing a stuck job, or correlating a response with the underlying execution.
Open Settings → Diagnostics → Tasks and switch the toggle to Local.
Table columns
| Column | Notes |
|---|---|
| ID | The job’s task ID. |
| Task Type | What kind of work it is — for example ai.chat.generate_response, ai.quick_assist.execute, ai.session.proactive_analysis, or automation.playbook.execute. |
| Status | pending, running, success, failed, timeout, or cancelled. |
| Runner | Which server instance is executing it. |
| Correlation | Ties the local task back to the originating chat, quick-assist, or automation run. |
| Created / Completed | Timestamps. |
| Actions | Open the task’s details. |
Filters
- Status dropdown narrows to one execution state.
Permissions
- Read:
app.tasks.read.
Worker Tasks
Live queue of jobs dispatched to workers. Each row is one task assigned to one worker — typically a snapshot collection, an interactive session, or a network diagnostic.
Open Settings → Diagnostics → Tasks and switch the toggle to Worker.
Table columns
| Column | Notes |
|---|---|
| ID | Task ID. |
| Task Type | e.g. resource.check, network.ping, ssh.session (see Task Types for the full catalog). |
| Status | pending, queued, cancel_requested, running, success, failed, cancelled, timeout, or no_worker (no eligible worker was available). |
| Worker | The worker the task was assigned to. |
| Created / Completed | Timestamps. |
| Actions | View Details, and Cancel while the task is still active. |
Filters
- Status dropdown.
Common tasks
Cancel an active task
A Cancel button appears on rows in pending, queued, or running state. Click it and confirm. A pending task is cancelled immediately; a queued or running task moves to cancel_requested until the worker acknowledges, then shows cancelled.
Investigate a failure
Open a failed row with the View Details (eye) button to see the error and task context. Cross-reference with Settings → Diagnostics → Realtime for surrounding events.
Permissions
- Viewing and cancelling require signing in; what you see and may cancel is limited to your own tasks plus whatever the relevant task permissions grant you.