Timer Jobs in SharePoint 2010

Timer Jobs in SharePoint 2010

What is a Timer Job?

A Timer Job is a periodically executed task inside SharePoint Server. It provides us a task execution environment.

For example, we can execute tasks like: update list item everyday, send email every hour

Default Timer Jobs Inside Sharepoint:

There are many timer jobs inside SharePoint which do internal tasks like:

• Send emails
• Validate sites
• Delete unused sites
• Health analysis
• Product versioning
• Diagnostics

These tasks will having execution periods like:

• Minute
• Hour
• Day
• Week
• Month

see this link for more details

          Here I will explain how to create a SharePoint timer job using visual studio.Do the following steps.

Step 1 : 

Open visual studio->New Project->SharePoint->

Empty SharePoint Project->Give Project name(here I gave as TimerJobExample)->

click Next->Give your url->Deploy as Farm solution->click Finish

Step 2: 

Add a Class file in this program, for that->Go to Solution Explorer->Right click your project->Add New Item->Select Class ->Name it as Execution.cs

• Add the following Name Spaces
  using Microsoft.SharePoint;
  using Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration;

Add the following code to the class.We derive this class from SPJobDefinition class

Execution.cs :

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Linq;

using System.Text;

using Microsoft.SharePoint;

using Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration;

namespace TimerJobExample

{

   public class Execution : SPJobDefinition

   { 

       public Execution () : base()

       { }

       public Execution(string jobName, SPService service, SPServer server, SPJobLockType targetType)

           : base(jobName, service, server, targetType)

       { }

       public Execution(string jobName, SPWebApplication webApplication)

           : base(jobName, webApplication, null, SPJobLockType.ContentDatabase)

       { this.Title = "Timer Job For TimerJobExample"; }

       public override void Execute(Guid contentDbId)

       {

           // get a reference to the current site collection's content database 

           SPWebApplication webApplication = this.Parent as SPWebApplication;

           SPContentDatabase contentDb = webApplication.ContentDatabases[contentDbId];

  // get a reference to the "TimerJobList" list in the RootWeb of the first site collection in the content database 

           SPList TimerJobList = contentDb.Sites[0].RootWeb.Lists["TimerJobList"];  // SharePoint List Name

           // create a new Item, Add the Title and other column

           SPListItem newItem = TimerJobList.Items.Add();

           newItem["Title"] = "TimerJob Title1";

           newItem["Column1"] = "Sample Data";

           newItem.Update();

       }

   }

}

Step 3 : 

Go to solution Explorer->Features->Add Feature->Rename your

Feature Name as your Program Name(Here I gave as TimerJobExample)

Step 4 : 

Right click your Feature->Add Event Receiver

(Event receiver which performs the installation or un-installation of the Job Definition)

Step 5 : 

• Add the folowing name space in the Event receiver page
  using Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration;

We are inheriting Event receiver from SpFeatureReceiver class, and using event handlers like FeatureActivated(asynchronous events),FeatureDeactivating (synchronous events).
In this Event Receiver Page There is one Guid will be there, don't change that ID.

After that Uncomment the events in that page-> FeatureActivated & FeatureDeactivating events

And give any name for Timer Job here.See the Below image

Add the Following Code in the events FeatureActivated & FeatureDeactivating events

TimerJobExample.EventReceiver.cs :

 public class TimerJobExampleEventReceiver : SPFeatureReceiver

  {

      const string List_JOB_NAME = "TimerJobExample";

      // Uncomment the method below to handle the event raised after a feature has been activated. 

      public override void FeatureActivated(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)

         {

             SPSite site = properties.Feature.Parent as SPSite;

             // make sure the job isn't already registered

             foreach (SPJobDefinition job in site.WebApplication.JobDefinitions)

              {

                 if (job.Name == List_JOB_NAME)

                     job.Delete();

              }

            // install the job

            Execution listLoggerJob = new Execution(List_JOB_NAME, site.WebApplication);

            SPMinuteSchedule schedule = new SPMinuteSchedule();

            schedule.BeginSecond = 0;

            schedule.EndSecond = 59;

            schedule.Interval = 15;

            listLoggerJob.Schedule = schedule;

            listLoggerJob.Update();

        }

 // Uncomment the method below to handle the event raised before a feature is deactivated.

        public override void FeatureDeactivating(SPFeatureReceiverProperties properties)

        {

            SPSite site = properties.Feature.Parent as SPSite;

            // delete the job

            foreach (SPJobDefinition job in site.WebApplication.JobDefinitions)

            {

                if (job.Name == List_JOB_NAME)

                    job.Delete();

            }

        }

}

Step 6 : 

Deploy the Program.

If you get the following Error

error occurred in deployment step 'activate features' object reference not set

Double click your Feature and check the Scope,If it is web then

change it as Site,save and deploy

Thats all you have created that timer job.

Note: Worker Process used for debug timer job is "OWSTIMER.exe"

Step 7 : 

To check timer job

central admin-> Monitoring->Timer Jobs->Review job definitions

There you can see your custom timer job Name.

Step 8 :

Here you can change your timer duration, or you can Disable timer.

Step 9 : 

Now go to your List and check that data,That  will be added in a particular duration

If timer not started then Reset iis, restart the services(SharePoint 2010 Timer).

For Reference codeproject Link , Link2