Scheduling a Server Automation Plan using an API call (StartDateTime/EndDateTime)

Usage and Config Server Automation
1

Hi,

We are running 9.5.73

I’m doing some testing around scheduling automation plans using the API, the plans are fully configured with server names, tasks and parameters so the skeleton XML does not need modified.

I have successfully obtained the XML and then submitted it, it runs correctly.

I would like to configure it for a specific date and time, according to the documentation here:

"Scheduling settings

After 9.5.72 release, SA REST API uses the following format of scheduling settings to enable scheduling:

  • set to 'true' and use "StartDateTime" to set dd-MMM-yyyy,HH:mm:ss, for example 01-May-2025,06:20:39.

  • set to 'true' and use "EndDateTime" to set dd-MMM-yyyy,HH:mm:ss, for example 01-May-2025,06:20:39.

However the XSD shows only these options:

    <xsd:complexType name="PlanSchedule" mixed="true">
        <xsd:sequence>
            <xsd:element name="HasStartTime"        type="xsd:boolean"/>
            <xsd:element name="StartDateTimeOffset" type="TimeInterval" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
            <xsd:element name="HasEndTime"          type="xsd:boolean"/>
            <xsd:element name="EndDateTimeOffset"   type="TimeInterval" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="1" />
            <xsd:element name="UseUTCTime"          type="xsd:boolean"/>
        </xsd:sequence>
    </xsd:complexType>

Is there any other components I need to upgrade to enable this functionality?

Thanks,

2

Have you tried something like this ?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<sa-rest xmlns="http://iemfsa.tivoli.ibm.com/REST" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <execute-plan action-name="Test Plan for API" prefetch="false">
    <step sequence="101" name="Null%20action%20Task">
      <target-set>
        <computer name="BFROOT2" id="1081099878"></computer>
      </target-set>
    </step>
    <schedule>
      <HasStartTime>true</HasStartTime>
      <StartDateTimeOffset>P1DT4H0M0S</StartDateTimeOffset>
      <HasEndTime>true</HasEndTime>
      <EndDateTimeOffset>P1DT8H0M0S</EndDateTimeOffset>
      <UseUTCTime>true</UseUTCTime>
    </schedule>
    <execution-order>
      <step id="101" depends="">
        <on-failure action="StopPlan" targets="IncludeFailed" threshold="0"></on-failure>
      </step>
    </execution-order>
  </execute-plan>
</sa-rest>
3

Thanks for the reply, I would expect that to work but i’ve not tested it. The documentation says it supports “StartDateTime” which allows me to supply the actual start and stop time, rather than the insane Offset setting, but the XSD (and SA) does not look like it supports it.

4

Ah, I had misread your original post, but I found the wiki page that you got this from. It also shows sample xml. Let me test their example.

5

I originally had v9.5.71 REST API node.js implemented on Platform v11.0.5, and the wiki example failed as follows.

2026-01-14 04:21:55 - [app.js] e[31merrore[39m : [ Erorr: In Plan Executor ] Cannot read properties of undefined (reading '_text') TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading '_text')
at createPlanAction (D:\ServerAutomation\sa_rest_node\controllers\planExecutor.js:751:62)
at exports.execute (D:\ServerAutomation\sa_rest_node\controllers\planExecutor.js:723:29)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
at async exports.executePlan (D:\ServerAutomation\sa_rest_node\controllers\plan.js:95:26)
2026-01-14 04:21:55 - [app.js] e[31merrore[39m : [ planExecute : Erorr : plan.js ] { error: true, status: 500, msg: 'Internal Server Error' }
2026-01-14 04:24:50 - [app.js] e[32minfoe[39m : /serverautomation/plan/custom/Demo%20Content/6690
2026-01-14 04:24:50 - [app.js] e[32minfoe[39m : [ executePlan Started ]
2026-01-14 04:24:50 - [app.js] e[32minfoe[39m : [ getPlan ]
2026-01-14 04:24:51 - [app.js] e[32minfoe[39m : Parameter data not found in client to update in planDoc plan
2026-01-14 04:24:51 - [app.js] e[32minfoe[39m : schedue {
HasStartTime: { _text: 'true' },
StartDateTime: { _text: '15-Jan-2026,04:00:00' },
HasEndTime: { _text: 'true' },
EndDateTime: { _text: '15-Jan-2026,08:00:00' },
UseUTCTime: { _text: 'false' }
}

I then upgraded my REST API node to 9.5.74 and hey this works now

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<sa-rest xmlns="http://iemfsa.tivoli.ibm.com/REST" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <execute-plan action-name="Test Plan for API" prefetch="false">
    <step sequence="101" name="Null%20action%20Task">
      <target-set>
        <computer name="BFROOT2" id="1081099878"></computer>
      </target-set>
    </step>
    <schedule>
      <HasStartTime>true</HasStartTime>
      <StartDateTime>15-Jan-2026,04:00:00</StartDateTime>
      <HasEndTime>true</HasEndTime>
      <EndDateTime>15-Jan-2026,08:00:00</EndDateTime>
      <UseUTCTime>false</UseUTCTime>
    </schedule>
    <execution-order>
      <step id="101" depends="">
        <on-failure action="StopPlan" targets="IncludeFailed" threshold="0"></on-failure>
      </step>
    </execution-order>
  </execute-plan>
</sa-rest>
6

Edit: Thanks for testing. I have used the Fixlet to remove and then Deployed it again, there did not seem to be an upgrade option, I confirm this is now working

7

I’ve managed to get this working, the I upgraded to 9.5.74, although its still showing at 9.5.73 in the analysis..

I was unable to get the client to use UTC - even when using:

<UseUTCTime>true</UseUTCTime>


Execution
This action starts 1/19/2026 5:00:00 PM client local time and ends 1/19/2026 6:00:00 PM client local time.

Were you able to get it to work with UTC?

Edit:

I tried:

<UseUTCTime>true</UseUTCTime>
<UseUTCTime>false</UseUTCTime>
<UseUTCTime>1</UseUTCTime>
<UseUTCTime>0</UseUTCTime>

All submit as client local time