Scheduling Scans
Automate your database catalog discovery with scheduled scans. This feature allows you to keep your data catalog up-to-date automatically by running scans at regular intervals.
📹 Setting Up Automated Scans
Learn how to schedule automated database scans to keep your catalog current without manual intervention.
Overview
Scheduled scans automatically discover and update your database catalog at defined intervals. This ensures your data documentation, quality monitoring, and governance features always work with the latest database structure.
Accessing Scan Scheduling
To configure scan scheduling for a data source:
- Navigate to your data source in the Autonify platform
- Click on the Settings tab
- Select Schedules from the settings menu
Schedule Configuration
Simplified Dropdown Selection
The scheduling interface uses a simple dropdown selector for choosing scan frequency. The available options are:
| Frequency | Cron Expression | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Not scheduled | - | No automatic scanning |
| Every minute (Testing) | * * * * * | Testing and development only |
| Every 15 minutes | */15 * * * * | Rapidly changing databases |
| Every hour | 0 * * * * | Frequently updated databases |
| Every 6 hours | 0 */6 * * * | Standard production databases |
| Daily at midnight | 0 0 * * * | Stable production databases |
| Daily at 9 AM | 0 9 * * * | Business hours scanning |
| Daily at 6 PM | 0 18 * * * | End of business day scanning |
| Weekly on Monday | 0 0 * * 1 | Weekly catalog refresh |
| Monthly | 0 0 1 * * | Monthly validation |
Note on Scan Types
The simplified scheduling interface automatically uses incremental scanning for better performance. Full scans can be triggered manually when needed through the main scanning interface.
Setting Up a Schedule
The schedule configuration uses a simple dropdown interface:
- Navigate to Schedules: Go to Data Source → Settings → Schedules tab
- Select Frequency: Choose from the dropdown menu (defaults to "Not scheduled")
- Save Automatically: The schedule is saved immediately when you select a new option
The interface shows:
- Database Scan with a database icon
- A dropdown selector on the right side
- Current schedule status (if configured)
Managing Existing Schedules
Viewing Current Schedule
The schedule dropdown shows the current configuration:
- Not scheduled: No automatic scanning configured
- Selected frequency: Shows the active schedule (e.g., "Every hour", "Daily at midnight")
Modifying Schedules
To change a schedule:
- Simply select a new option from the dropdown
- The change is applied immediately
- A toast notification confirms the update
Removing Schedules
To disable scheduled scanning:
- Select "Not scheduled" from the dropdown
- The schedule is removed immediately
- A confirmation message appears
Alternative Triggering Methods
While scheduled scans are convenient for regular updates, you can also trigger scans through:
CI/CD Integration
Trigger scans as part of your deployment pipeline to ensure the catalog reflects schema changes immediately after deployment.
GitHub Integration
Automatically scan when database migration files are committed or merged to your repository.
API Triggers
Use the Autonify API to programmatically trigger scans based on your custom logic or external events.
Manual Scans
Always available through the UI for on-demand catalog updates.
Best Practices
Choosing the Right Frequency
Consider these factors when selecting scan frequency:
- Database Change Rate: More frequent changes require more frequent scans
- Database Size: Large databases may need longer intervals to avoid performance impact
- Business Requirements: Critical databases may need more frequent updates
- Resource Usage: Balance freshness needs with system resource consumption
Performance Considerations
- Use Incremental Scans: Default to incremental scans for better performance
- Schedule During Off-Peak Hours: For large databases, schedule during low-usage periods
- Monitor Scan Duration: Adjust frequency if scans take longer than the interval
When to Use Full Scans
Consider forcing full scans when:
- Initial setup of a data source
- After major database restructuring
- Resolving synchronization issues
- Monthly or quarterly validation
Agent Scheduling
In addition to database scans, you can also schedule AI agents to run automatically. If agents are linked to your data source, they will appear in the Agent Schedules section below the Database Scan option.
Each agent can be scheduled independently using the same dropdown interface. Available agents may include:
- Data Volume: Tracks database growth and storage trends
- Data Profiler: Analyzes data patterns and statistics
- Quality Monitor: Monitors data quality issues
- BI Agent: Performs business intelligence analysis
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
| Issue | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Scans not running | Schedule disabled | Check toggle switch is enabled |
| Partial scan results | Insufficient permissions | Verify database user permissions |
| Long scan duration | Large database or network latency | Consider less frequent scheduling |
| Scan failures | Connection issues | Verify connection settings and credentials |
Getting Help
If you encounter issues with scheduled scans:
- Check the scan history for error details
- Verify database connectivity in the connection settings
- Review database user permissions
- Contact support at support@autonify.ai