Schedule Job for Later

Overview

Flow ID: schedule-job
Category: Blockify Processing
Estimated Duration: 1 minute
User Role: Power Users
Complexity: Simple

Purpose: Allows users to set a specific start time for a job. Crucially, the application must remain open for the schedule to trigger, as it runs locally on the user’s machine.

Trigger

What initiates this flow:

• User manually initiates

Specific trigger: Clicking “Schedule” or “Start Later” instead of “Start Now” on the job creation screen.

Prerequisites

Before starting, users must have:

• A fully configured job (Files, settings selected)
• A computer that will be ON at the scheduled time

User Intent Analysis

Primary Intent

Defer processing to off-hours (e.g., overnight) to avoid slowing down the computer during work hours.

Step-by-Step Flow

Main Path (Happy Path)

Step 1: select Schedule Option

• User Action: Click Schedule dropdown/button next to “Start Job”.
• System Response: Date/Time picker appears.

Step 2: Pick Time

• User Action: Select a future date and time (e.g., “Today at 11:00 PM”).
• System Response: Validates time is in the future.

Step 3: Confirm Schedule

• User Action: Click Confirm Schedule.
• System Response:
  • Job moves to “Scheduled” status in Jobs List.
  • Large confirmation/reminder: “Leave App Open”.

Error States & Recovery

Error 1: App Closed at Schedule Time

Cause: User turned off computer or closed app
User Experience: Job does not start. Status remains “Scheduled” (overdue) or changes to “Missed”.
Recovery: When app is reopened, users must manually start or reschedule the job.

Error 2: Past Time Selected

Cause: Selecting a time that already passed
User Experience: “Invalid Time” error.
Recovery: Select a future time.

Pain Points & Friction

1. Local Execution Limit: Users are used to cloud apps where schedules run automatically.
   • Mitigation: Aggressive Warnings that “This app runs locally. Do not close it.”

Design Considerations

• Countdown: Show “Starts in 4 hours 12 minutes” on the job card.
• System Prevention: If possible, prevent computer sleep (optional setting).

Related Flows

• Create Blockify Job - Parent workflow
• Monitor Job Progress

Technical References

• src/components/obs/scheduler.js (Hypothetical)
• src/utils/cron.js