About Tasks and Group Changes

Applies To: WatchGuard Advanced EPDR, WatchGuard EPDR, WatchGuard EDR, WatchGuard EPP

It might be difficult to determine which computers receive a task. If you select a computer group as the recipient of a task, the computers that run the task might vary from those you initially selected.

This is because:

  • Groups are dynamic entities that can change over time.
  • Tasks are actions taken on groups and defined at a specific moment in time, but they can run (repeatedly or not) at a later time.

You can define a task at a specific time to run on one of several groups of computers. However, at the time the task runs, the computers in those groups might have changed.

These sections describe which computers receive different types of configured tasks:

Immediate Tasks

These tasks are created, published, and run almost simultaneously, and only run once. WatchGuard Endpoint Security evaluates the target group when you create the task. The task status for the affected computers is Pending.

Add Computers to the Task

You cannot add new computers to an existing immediate task. If you try to add new computers to the target group, they do not receive the task.

Remove Computers From the Task

You can remove computers from an existing task. If you move a computer from the group set to receive the task to another group, that computer does not run the task.

Scheduled One-Time Tasks

There are two possible scenarios with these tasks — tasks that started to run less than 24 hours ago, and tasks that started to run more than 24 hours ago.

Tasks That Started to Run Less Than 24 Hours Ago

Within the first 24 hours after a task runs, you can add or remove computers from the task or its target groups. This 24-hour period covers all time zones for companies with locations in several countries.

Tasks That Started to Run More Than 24 Hours Ago

24 hours after a task runs, you cannot add new computers to the task. If you add new computers to the target group, the computers do not receive the task. However, you can cancel the task on a computer if you remove it from the target group.

Scheduled Recurring Tasks

You can add and remove of target computers for these tasks at any time before they complete or you cancel them. The status of the task on each computer is shown gradually in the Endpoint Security management UI as WatchGuard Endpoint Security receives the relevant information from each computer.

Related Topics

Create a Scheduled Scan Task

Publish a Task

Review Task Results

Multi-Tenant Management — Manage Tasks