Task Templates
Task Templates are similar to saved tasks in that they enable you to specify certain criteria for a task and save those criteria. Unlike saved tasks, however, a template doesn’t require all criteria for the task to be entered and it does not save information about target computers. This means that if you typically use the same options for installing packages or copying items, you can create a template that stores those options, but not the actual packages or items to be copied. However, templates are not as easily organized and readily available or completely configured as saved tasks.
One nice feature about creating templates is that you can also configure a template to be used as the default settings for the command. For example, the default settings for the Install Packages command include that no restart will be attempted after the packages are installed. If you wanted the default action to be that a restart is attempted but users are allowed to save their work, you could create a template with that setting and then make it the default template for the Install Packages command. Similarly, if you typically run only the System Overview report with a handful of specific options, you could create a template for those options and make it the default setting for the report.
To create a task template, select one or more computers and then select the appropriate command or report. Configure the options of the task dialog box the way that you want; then click the Templates pop-up menu and select Save as Template. You will then be asked to name the template.
To delete or rename a template or to set the template as the default configuration for the command’s task dialog box, select Edit Templates List form the Templates menu. This will display a dialog box that lists the current templates created for that command (as shown in Figure 3). To delete a template, select and either click Remote or press Delete. To rename a template, double-click its name and then type the new name. To set a template as a default task configuration, check the Default box next to the appropriate template.
Figure 3 Editing templates for a task