Schedule Indexing

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Introduction

• Automated data freshness: Keep indexes up-to-date automatically as source data evolves
• Reduced manual overhead: Eliminate the need for manual reindexing operations
• Consistent synchronization: Maintain predictable sync schedules across multiple indexes
• Resource optimization: Schedule updates during off-peak hours to minimize system impact
• User-specific schedules: Each user can configure independent schedules for the same index

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Prerequisites

1. Successful Index Creation: An index must be successfully created before scheduling can be enabled
2. Valid Index State: The index must be in a valid state (not cancelled or failed)
3. Indexes Tab Access: Access to the Indexes Tab interface within Toolkit Configuration
4. Appropriate Permissions: User permissions to modify toolkit configurations
5. ELITEA Personal Access Token: At least one generated and valid (not expired) ELITEA personal access token is required for scheduled indexing operations
6. Credentials Configuration (if required): Some toolkits require credentials for scheduled indexing operations. If your toolkit requires credentials, you must select or create a credential configuration before enabling the schedule

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Configuring Scheduled Indexing

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Step 1: Access Index Actions

1. Navigate to Toolkits: Go to Toolkits in the main navigation
2. Select Your Toolkit: Choose the toolkit containing the index you want to schedule
3. Open Indexes Tab: Click on the Indexes tab
4. Select Index: Click on an existing index from the sidebar to view its details
5. Switch to Configuration Tab: In the index detail view, click on the Configuration tab to access the schedule controls

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Step 2: Configure Cron Expression

1. Click the Gear Icon next to the Schedule label to open the Schedule Settings modal
2. View Current Schedule: The modal displays the human-readable description of the current cron expression (e.g., “At 00:00, only on Saturday”)
3. Choose Schedule Type:
   • Default: Visual cron builder with dropdown menus (beginner-friendly)
   • Advanced: Manual text input for cron expression (for experienced users)
4. Configure Schedule: Default Mode (Visual Builder):
   • Use dropdown menus to select:
     • Period (e.g., “Every”, “Specific”)
     • Minutes/hours
     • Days of week/month
     • Months
   • The cron expression is built automatically as you make selections
   • Human-readable description updates in real-time above the builder
   Advanced Mode (Manual Entry):
   • Enter a cron expression directly in the text field (e.g., 0 2 * * *)
   • Format guide shown below: minute – hour – day (month) – month – day (week)
   • Click the info icon to open crontab.guru for help
   • Human-readable description updates as you type
5. Configure Credentials (if required):
   • Some toolkits require credentials for scheduled indexing
   • If required, a credentials dropdown will appear below the cron configuration
   • Select an existing credential configuration or create a new one
   • Available credentials are filtered by project type:
     • If you’re in a Private Project, only private project credentials are shown
     • If you’re in a Team Project, only team project credentials are shown
6. Apply Changes: Click Apply button to save

• Default Mode: Visual cron builder
  • User-friendly dropdown menus
  • Automatically constructs valid cron expressions
  • Prevents common syntax errors
  • Best for users unfamiliar with cron syntax
• Advanced Mode: Manual text input
  • Direct cron expression entry
  • Full flexibility for complex schedules
  • Includes format guide and help link
  • Best for experienced users who prefer precise control

You will receive notifications for all indexing operations (initial indexing, manual reindexing, and scheduled reindexing):Successful Operations:

• Icon: Green success checkmark
• Message Format:
  • Initial indexing: Index {name} is successfully created: { "indexed": X }
  • Reindex (manual): Index {name} is successfully reindexed. { "reindexed": X, "indexed": Y }
  • Reindex (scheduled): Index {name} is successfully reindexed by schedule. { "reindexed": X, "indexed": Y }
• Action: Click the notification to navigate to the index in the Indexes tab

Failed Operations:

• Icon: Red error icon
• Message: Index {name} is failed.
• Note: This applies to both initial indexing failures and reindexing failures
• Action: Click the notification to view the index and check error details in the History tab

Notification Details:

• Notifications appear in the notifications panel (bell icon in top navigation)
• Each notification shows the relative time (e.g., “2 minutes ago”, “1 hour ago”)
• Clicking a notification navigates directly to the specific index in the Indexes tab
• Scheduled operations are clearly marked with “by schedule” text

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Step 3: Enable Scheduling

1. Schedule Toggle Switch: Located in the index actions area (top right)
2. Schedule Label: Text label “Schedule” next to the toggle
3. Gear Icon: Settings icon to configure the cron expression

1. Click the toggle switch to turn it ON (blue)
2. A success notification will appear: “Schedule is enabled for index!”

1. Click the toggle switch to turn it OFF (gray)
2. A success notification will appear: “Schedule is disabled for index!”

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Understanding Cron Expressions

minute   hour   day(month)   month   day(week)
  *       *         *          *         *

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Cron Field Definitions

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Special Characters

• * (asterisk): Matches any value (e.g., * in the hour field means “every hour”)
• , (comma): Lists multiple values (e.g., 1,15 in day field means “1st and 15th”)
• - (hyphen): Defines a range (e.g., 9-17 in hour field means “9 AM to 5 PM”)
• / (slash): Specifies step values (e.g., */2 in hour field means “every 2 hours”)

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Frequency Limitations

While the system currently allows any valid cron expression frequency, it is strongly recommended to avoid scheduling reindexing operations more frequently than once per hour to prevent excessive resource usage:Not recommended:

• * * * * * - Every minute
• */30 * * * * - Every 30 minutes
• Any pattern triggering more than once per hour

Recommended minimum: 0 * * * * (Every hour at minute 0) or less frequent

A minimum frequency restriction of 1 hour may be enforced in future releases to protect system resources.

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Common Schedule Patterns

Use crontab.guru to validate and understand cron expressions. The system also provides real-time validation and human-readable descriptions when you configure schedules. You can also click the info icon in the Schedule Settings modal to quickly access crontab.guru help.

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Managing Schedules

1. Navigate to the Index: Open the index in the Indexes Tab
2. Check Schedule Toggle: The toggle state (ON/OFF) indicates if scheduling is active
3. Open Schedule Settings: Click the gear icon to view the configured cron expression

1. Open Schedule Settings: Click the gear icon next to the Schedule toggle
2. Update Cron Expression: Enter the new expression in the modal
3. Validate and Apply: Ensure the expression is valid, then click Apply
4. No notification is shown for cron expression updates (only for enable/disable)

1. Disable the Toggle: Click the Schedule toggle switch to turn it OFF
2. Preserve Configuration: The cron expression is preserved and can be re-enabled later
3. Success Notification: “Schedule is disabled for index!” appears

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Real-Life Example: Daily GitHub Repository Indexing

• Toolkit: GitHub toolkit for ProjectAlita/projectalita.github.io repository
• Index Name: docs
• Current State: Successfully created and completed
• Desired Schedule: Daily at 2:00 AM (during off-peak hours)

• Navigate to Toolkits → Select GitHub (ProjectAlita/projectalita.github.io) toolkit
• Click Indexes tab
• Select the docs index from the sidebar

• Locate the Schedule controls in the index actions area (top right)
• Click the toggle switch to enable scheduling
• Confirm the success notification: “Schedule is enabled for index!”

1. Click the gear icon next to the Schedule label
2. The Schedule Settings modal opens showing the current schedule
3. Choose configuration method: Option A: Using Default (Visual Builder):
   • Select Default schedule type (if not already selected)
   • Use the dropdown menus to configure:
     • Period: “Every”
     • Hour: “2:00”
     • Day: ”*” (every day)
   • The cron expression 0 2 * * * is built automatically
   • Verify the description shows: “At 02:00 AM”
   Option B: Using Advanced (Manual Entry):
   • Select Advanced schedule type
   • Clear the input and enter: 0 2 * * *
   • Verify the description updates to: “At 02:00 AM”
4. Click Apply to save the new schedule

1. Toggle State: Confirmed ON (blue)
2. Cron Expression: 0 2 * * * (verified by reopening settings modal)
3. Schedule Active: Automatic reindexing will occur daily at 2:00

1. The system automatically triggers a reindexing operation for the docs index
2. The index state changes to in_progress during the operation
3. Progress is tracked and visible in the index interface
4. Upon completion, the index state returns to completed
5. A new entry appears in the History tab with label “Reindexed” and the timestamp
6. A notification is sent:
   • Success: “Index docs is successfully reindexed by schedule. { “reindexed”: X, “indexed”: Y }”
   • Failure: “Index docs is failed.”

Event: Reindexed
Date: 25-11-2025, 02:00 AM

Index docs is successfully reindexed by schedule.
{ "reindexed": 15, "indexed": 120 }
2 minutes ago

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Troubleshooting

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Limitations

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Best Practices