Please note that a process definition version can accommodate only one Timer Start Event.

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Configuration

The Timer Start Event supports two timer types:
Timer TypeDescription
DateSpecifies an exact date and time for triggering the event (ISO 8601 format)
CycleSpecifies a repeating interval using ISO 8601 repeating intervals or cron expressions
The Start Timer Event supports either ISO 8601 formats or Spring cron expressions for defining timer values.
Starting a process via registered timers requires sending a process start message to Kafka, necessitating a service account and authentication. For detailed guidance, refer to:Service Accounts

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Timer type details

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Date

Specifies an exact date and time for triggering the event. You can use ISO 8601 date format for accurate date-time representation. When configuring a Date timer, you can set:
  • Date: Select a specific date (format: yyyy-mm-dd) using the date picker
  • Time: Set the specific time when the timer should trigger

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Cycle

Specifies a repeating interval for triggering the event. For the Cycle timer definition, you can use either:

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ISO 8601 repeating intervals

For standardized time intervals (e.g., “R5/PT10M” for repeating 5 times with 10 minutes between each)
When configuring a Cycle timer (ISO 8601 repeating intervals) you can set:
  • Repeat Every: The interval between triggers (e.g., “2 hours”)
  • # of repeats: How many times the timer should trigger (e.g., “3”)
  • Infinite: Option to make the timer repeat indefinitely
  • Start Time: When the timer should begin (format: yyyy-mm-dd)

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Cron expressions

For more complex scheduling patterns (e.g., “0 0 12 * * MON-FRI” for 12pm every weekday)

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Activate/deactivate start timer events

All timers can be activated/deactivated in the Runtime section under “Scheduled Processes”:
If a project contains multiple versions with Start Timer Event nodes, a scheduler will be generated only for the ones included in the version set in the active policy.

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Usage examples

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Date timer example: Employee Onboarding Reminder

In this scenario, the Timer Start Event triggers an employee onboarding process at a specific date and time.
  • Start Event (Timer Start Event) - New Hire Start Date
    • Timer Definition: 2023-09-01T09:00:00Z (ISO 8601 format) → This means the process will initiate automatically at the specified date and time.
    • This event serves as the trigger for the entire process.
    • Transition → Employee Onboarding Notification
  • Employee Onboarding Notification
    • Notify new employee about onboarding requirements by sending an email notification with a template called “Important Onboarding Information”
    • Actions: The HR team or automated system sends out necessary email information/documents, and instructions to the new employee.
    • After the notification is sent, the process transitions to the Complete Onboarding node.
  • Complete Onboarding
    • Employee onboarding completed
    • At this point, the employee’s onboarding process is considered complete.
    • Actions: The employee may have completed required tasks, paperwork, or orientation sessions.

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General rules

  • Schedulers are generated only for builds that are part of the active policy.
  • If you change the active policy, processes with Timer Start Event nodes might appear or disappear from the scheduled processes list if they aren’t part of the active build.
  • You can view scheduled processes in the Runtime section under “Scheduled Processes” (available since version 4.6.0).
  • When a build in the active policy is updated with new Timer Start Event settings:
    • The scheduler is updated based on the new settings.
    • The scheduler state (active or suspended) remains the same as before.