Configure scripts to run automatically

You can configure a script or a python application to run automatically when the system restarts, at specific intervals, or at a specified time. By default, scripts execute in a "sandbox," which restricts access to the file system and available commands that can be used by the script.

Required configuration items

Additional configuration items

Task one: Upload the application


  1. Log into the IX14 WebUI as a user with Admin access.
  2. On the menu, click System. Under Administration, click File System.

    The File System page appears.

  3. Highlight the scripts directory and click to open the directory.
  4. Click (upload).
  5. Browse to the location of the script on your local machine. Select the file and click Open to upload the file.

The uploaded file is uploaded to the /etc/config/scripts directory.

 

  1. Select the device in Remote Manager and click Actions > Open Console, or log into the IX14 local command line as a user with full Admin access rights.

    Depending on your device configuration, you may be presented with an Access selection menu. Type admin to access the Admin CLI.

  2. At the command line, use the scp command to upload the Python application script to the IX14 device: 
    > scp host hostname-or-ip user username remote remote-path local local-path to local

    where:

    • hostname-or-ip is the hostname or ip address of the remote host.
    • username is the name of the user on the remote host.
    • remote-path is the path and filename of the file on the remote host that will be copied to the IX14 device.
    • local-path is the location on the IX14 device where the copied file will be placed.

    For example:

    To upload a script from a remote host with an IP address of 192.168.4.1 to the /etc/config/scripts directory on the IX14 device, issue the following command:

    > scp host 192.168.4.1 user admin remote /home/admin/bin/test.py local /etc/config/scripts/ to local
admin@192.168.4.1's password: adminpwd 
test.py			100%	36MB	11.1MB/s	00:03
>

  3. Type exit to exit the Admin CLI.

    Depending on your device configuration, you may be presented with an Access selection menu. Type quit to disconnect from the device.

Note You can also create scripts by using the vi command when logged in with shell access.

Task two: Configure the application to run automatically

Note This feature does not provide syntax or error checking. Certain commands can render the device inoperable. Use with care.

 

  1. Log into Digi Remote Manager, or log into the local Web UI as a user with full Admin access rights.
  2. Access the device configuration:

    1. Locate your device as described in Use Digi Remote Manager to view and manage your device.
    2. Click the Device ID.
    3. Click Settings.
    4. Click to expand Config.

    1. On the menu, click System. Under Configuration, click Device Configuration.

      The Configuration window is displayed.

  3. Click System > Scheduled tasks > Custom scripts.
  4. For Add Script, click .

    The script configuration window is displayed.

    Custom scripts are enabled by default. To disable, toggle off Enable to toggle off.

  5. (Optional) For Label, provide a label for the script.
  6. For Run mode, select the mode that will be used to run the script. Available options are:
    • On boot: The script will run once each time the device boots.
      • If On boot is selected, select the action that will be taken when the script completes in Exit action. Available options are:
        • None: Action taken when the script exits.
        • Restart script: Runs the script repeatedly.
        • Reboot: The device will reboot when the script completes.
    • Interval: The script will start running at the specified interval, within 30 seconds after the configuration change is saved.
      • If Interval is selected, in Interval, type the interval.

        Allowed values are any number of weeks, days, hours, minutes, or seconds, and take the format number{w|d|h|m|s}.

        For example, to set Interval to ten minutes, enter 10m or 600s.

      • Click to enable Run single to run only a single instance of the script at a time.

        If Run single is not enabled, a new instance of the script will be started at every interval, regardless of whether the script is still running from a previous interval.

    • Set time: Runs the script at a specified time of the day.
      • If Set Time is selected, specify the time that the script should run in Run time, using the format HH:MM.
    • During system maintenance: The script will run during the system maintenance time window.
  7. For Commands, enter the commands that will execute the script.

    8. If the script begins with #!, then the script will be invoked in the location specified by the path for the script command. Otherwise, the default shell will be used (equivalent to #!/bin/sh).

  8. Script logging options:
    1. Click to enable Log script output to log the script's output to the system log.
    2. Click to enable Log script errors to log script errors to the system log.

    If neither option is selected, only the script's exit code is written to the system log.

  9. For Maximum memory, enter the maximum amount of memory available to be used by the script and its subprocesses, using the format number{b|bytes|KB|k|MB|MB|M|GB|G|TB|T}.
  10. Sandbox is enabled by default, which restricts access to the file system and available commands that can be used by the script. This option protects the script from accidentally destroying the system it is running on.
  11. Click to enable Once to configure the script to run only once at the specified time.

    If Once is enabled, rebooting the device will cause the script to not run again. The only way to re-run the script is to:

    • Remove the script from the device and add it again.
    • Make a change to the script.
    • Uncheck Once.

  12. Click Apply to save the configuration and apply the change.
  1. Select the device in Remote Manager and click Actions > Open Console, or log into the IX14 local command line as a user with full Admin access rights.

    Depending on your device configuration, you may be presented with an Access selection menu. Type admin to access the Admin CLI.

  2. At the command line, type config to enter configuration mode:
    > config
(config)>
  3. Add a script: 
    (config)> add system schedule script end
(config system schedule script 0)>

    Scheduled scripts are enabled by default. To disable:

    (config system schedule script 0)> enable false
(config system schedule script 0)>

  4. (Optional) Provide a label for the script. 
    (config system schedule script 0)> label value
(config system schedule script 0)>

    where value is any string. if spaces are used, enclose value within double quotes.

  5. Set the mode that will be used to run the script:
    (config system schedule script 0)> when mode
(config system schedule script 0)>

    where mode is one of the following:

    • boot: The script will run once each time the device boots.
      • If boot is selected, set the action that will be taken when the script completes:
        (config system schedule script 0)> exit_action action
(config system schedule script 0)>

        where action is one of the following:

        • none: Action taken when the script exits.
        • restart: Runs the script repeatedly.
        • reboot: The device will reboot when the script completes.
    • interval: The script will start running at the specified interval, within 30 seconds after the configuration change is saved. If interval is selected:
      • Set the interval: 
        (config system schedule script 0)> on_interval value
(config system schedule script 0)>

        where value is any number of weeks, days, hours, minutes, or seconds, and takes the format number{w|d|h|m|s}.

        For example, to set on_interval to ten minutes, enter either 10m or 600s:

        (config system schedule script 0)> on_interval  600s
(config system schedule script 0)>

      • (Optional) Configure the script to run only a single instance at a time:
        (config system schedule script 0)> once true
(config system schedule script 0)>

        If once is set to false, a new instance of the script will be started at every interval, regardless of whether the script is still running from a previous interval.

    • set_time: Runs the script at a specified time of the day.
      • If set_time is set, set the time that the script should run, using the format HH:MM:
        (config system schedule script 0)> run_time HH:MM
(config system schedule script 0)>
    • maintenance_time: The script will run during the system maintenance time window.
  6. Set the commands that will execute the script:
    (config system schedule script 0)> commands filename
(config system schedule script 0)>

    where filename is the path and filename of the script, and any related command line information.

    7. If the script begins with #!, then the script will be invoked in the location specified by the path for the script command. Otherwise, the default shell will be used (equivalent to #!/bin/sh).

  7. Script logging options:
    • To log the script's output to the system log:
      (config system schedule script 0)> syslog_stdout true
(config system schedule script 0)>
    • To log script errors to the system log:
      (config system schedule script 0)> syslog_stderr true
(config system schedule script 0)>

    If syslog_stdout and syslog_stderr are not enabled, only the script's exit code is written to the system log.

  8. Set the maximum amount of memory available to be used by the script and its subprocesses:
    (config system schedule script 0)> max_memory value
(config system schedule script 0)>

    where value uses the syntax number{b|bytes|KB|k|MB|MB|M|GB|G|TB|T}.

  9. To run the script only once at the specified time:
    (config system schedule script 0)> once true
(config system schedule script 0)>

    If once is enabled, rebooting the device will cause the script to run again. The only way to re-run the script is to:

    • Remove the script from the device and add it again.
    • Make a change to the script.
    • Disable once.
  10. Sandbox is enabled by default. This option protects the script from accidentally destroying the system it is running on. 
    (config system schedule script 0)> sandbox true
(config system schedule script 0)>
  11. Save the configuration and apply the change:
    (config)> save
Configuration saved.
>
  12. Type exit to exit the Admin CLI.

    Depending on your device configuration, you may be presented with an Access selection menu. Type quit to disconnect from the device.