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Adding a Schedule in TERA

Create a schedule to export a registered Crystal report on a recurrence, write the file to a folder, and optionally email it. This article covers the happy path: report and output, timing rules, parameter overrides, enable, save, and Run Now.

Before you start​

  • At least one report exists in Report Library (saved, with metadata discovered if it has parameters).
  • License is active and your plan still allows another active schedule (Add Schedule may show remaining capacity).
  • If you will email output, an SMTP profile exists under Settings → Email (see Email Delivery for full token/recipient detail).

Open Schedules and start a new schedule​

  1. In the left sidebar, select Schedules.
  2. Select Add Schedule.

Expected outcome: The schedule form opens. Tabs include Report & Output, Timing, Parameters, and Advanced. The Delivery tab appears when delivery mode includes email.

Schedules screen with Add Schedule action and any license capacity hint

Create Schedule form with Report and Output, Timing, Parameters, and Advanced tabs

Step 1: Report & Output​

On the Report & Output tab:

  1. Enter a Schedule name.
  2. Choose the Report from your library.
  3. Note the hint: schedule times use the system timezone shown in the UI.
  4. Choose Export type:
    • PDF
    • Excel (formatted)
    • Excel (data only)
    • Excel (unformatted)
    • CSV
  5. For CSV, set CSV delimiter and optionally Quote values.
  6. Set Output filename template. Tokens include {reportName}, {yyyy}, {MM}, {dd}, {HH}, {mm}, {ss}. The extension follows the export type.
  7. Under Delivery, choose:
    • Save to output folder — file only
    • Save to output folder and email — file plus email (configure recipients on the Delivery tab)
  8. Optionally set Output folder. If blank, TERA uses the report default folder, then the app output folder.
  9. Leave Enabled checked when you want the Windows Service to run this schedule automatically.

Expected outcome: Report, export format, filename template, and delivery mode are set.

Report and Output tab with Schedule name, Report, Export type, filename template, Delivery radios, Output folder, and Enabled

CSV delimiter options and Quote values checkbox when Export type is CSV

Step 2: Timing rules​

  1. Open the Timing tab.
  2. Select Add Rule (add at least one rule).
  3. Choose Rule type: Hourly, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.
  4. Set the rule fields (time, interval, days of week, day of month, and so on).
  5. Keep the rule Enabled unless you want it paused while keeping other rules.
  6. Add more rules if the same schedule should fire on multiple patterns (the schedule runs when any enabled rule is due).

Expected outcome: Each rule card shows a readable summary (for example, Daily at 8:00 AM or Weekdays at 8:00 AM).

Timing tab with Add Rule and an empty rules hint

Rule card showing Rule type Daily with time fields and Enabled checkbox

Multiple enabled timing rules on one schedule with summary text on each card

Timing tips​

  • For a first test, use a Daily or Hourly rule a few minutes ahead, save, then watch Scheduler Center → Up Next.
  • Times follow the machine’s system timezone — confirm that timezone on the Report & Output hint.
  • Unchecking schedule-level Enabled pauses the whole schedule even if rules are enabled.

Step 3: Parameter overrides (if needed)​

  1. Open the Parameters tab.
  2. Override any report defaults that should be different for this schedule.
  3. Use Vista lookups when shown.
  4. Use Reset Defaults if you want to return to the report’s saved defaults.

If you see “No parameters discovered for this report,” edit the report in Report Library and run Discover Metadata first.

Parameters tab with schedule-specific overrides of report parameter defaults

Step 4: Delivery tab (only if emailing)​

If you chose Save to output folder and email:

  1. Open the Delivery tab.
  2. Pick an Email profile, recipients, subject, and body.

For SMTP setup, tokens, and HTML body rules, use the Email Delivery in TERA article. You can finish a save-only schedule now and add email later.

Delivery tab visible after choosing Save to output folder and email

Step 5: Advanced (skip for first schedule)​

The Advanced tab is for bursting (one run per SQL or manual row). Leave bursting off for your first schedule. See Report Bursting in TERA when you need per-customer or per-entity runs.

Step 6: Create the schedule and verify​

  1. Select Create Schedule (or Save Changes when editing).
  2. Confirm the schedule appears in the Schedules list.
  3. Open Scheduler Center and check Up Next / Active Schedules.
  4. (Optional) On the schedule card or saved form, select Run Now / Run to execute immediately without waiting for the next rule time.
  5. Confirm output in the folder and a row in Run History.

Expected outcome: An enabled schedule with at least one timing rule, visible upcoming run, and a successful manual or scheduled execution.

Schedule library card showing schedule name, report, enabled state, and Run Now

Scheduler Center Up Next panel listing the new schedule

Run History entry for a successful scheduled or Run Now execution

Common mistakes​

  • No timing rules — Add at least one rule on the Timing tab or the schedule will not recur.
  • Schedule Enabled unchecked — The service will not pick it up automatically.
  • Email delivery with no SMTP profile — Configure Settings → Email (and the Delivery tab) before relying on email.
  • Wrong timezone assumption — Rules use the system timezone shown in the UI.
  • Hitting active schedule limits — Your plan may cap how many schedules can be enabled; disable or upgrade if Add Schedule is blocked.
  • Expecting the desktop app to run the timer — The Windows Service executes due schedules; keep the service running.
  • CSV custom delimiter — If you choose Other, enter exactly one character.

Next steps​

  • Email Delivery in TERA — Recipients, subject/body tokens, HTML body.
  • Report Bursting in TERA — Per-row runs and burst email tokens.
  • Monitoring and Troubleshooting TERA — Failed runs, Needs Attention, and logs.