Check QCBM Scheduler and Scheduled Task Health

QCBM exposes scheduler health in both the Status and Backups areas so you can separate a Profile scheduling problem from a Joomla task-runner problem. The useful signals are task identity/publication, last and next execution, exit status, QCBM's last scheduled result, and each published Profile's next due/last successful occurrence.

Start with these signals before recreating Profiles or repeatedly clicking Run Now.

Check the Status Page First

Open Components > QC Backup Manager > Status. QCBM 1.5.13 shows several scheduler-related areas:

  • Scheduled Backups Integrity — published canonical task count, last execution, last exit code, and next execution.
  • Retention Cleanup Integrity — the same integrity signals for the retention task.
  • Entitlement Automation Integrity — task-plugin and Entitlement Revalidation health.
  • Scheduler Health — whether the scheduled routine is found, plus QCBM's last scheduled-backup run and result.

What Healthy Operational Task Integrity Looks Like

For the Scheduled Backups and Retention Cleanup integrity cards, QCBM treats exactly one published canonical task as healthy. A missing task, an unpublished task, or duplicate published canonical tasks requires attention.

The card also exposes the task's last execution, last exit code, and next execution. A row can exist and still be operationally unhealthy if Joomla is no longer executing it.

Check the Backups Scheduler Card

Open Backups and review the Scheduled Backups card. It shows:

  • whether QCBM found an operational Scheduled Task row;
  • whether scheduled-backup feature access is available;
  • whether the scheduled runner setting is enabled;
  • whether retention cleanup is enabled;
  • the last QCBM scheduled-backup run;
  • the current task rows and next execution;
  • the last scheduled result.

Compare Task Polling with Profile Timing

Under Published profile schedules, QCBM lists each published scheduled Profile with its schedule description, Next time, and Last success. This is the best place to determine whether the Profile is actually due.

The default Scheduled Backups task polls every 15 minutes. An exact Profile time is therefore expected to start on the first successful task check at or after the selected time, using the Joomla site timezone.

Interpret Last Exit Code and Execution Times

A recent successful execution with a sensible next execution is stronger evidence of a working task runner than the existence of a published row alone. If the last exit code is non-zero, read the task result and QCBM's last scheduled result before retrying.

If the next execution repeatedly passes without a new last execution, investigate Joomla's scheduler runner, cron/WebCron arrangement, or site-traffic conditions.

If QCBM Says the Task Is Missing

When no operational Scheduled Task row is found, QCBM can report: No QC Backup Manager Scheduled Task row exists yet. Create one in System → Scheduled Tasks using the QC Backup Manager routine.

If several QCBM tasks are missing or duplicated, reinstalling/updating the current QCBM package is usually safer than hand-building the whole set because the installer knows the canonical task types and disables duplicate rows.

Entitlement Task Health Is Checked Separately

The entitlement task is not just another backup timer. QCBM requires healthy Entitlement Revalidation for access above Basic. The Status page can offer Repair Entitlement Task to a Super User when that task/plugin is repairable.

Do not confuse that button with a general repair control for Scheduled Backups or Retention Cleanup.

Use Manual Runs as a Diagnostic

If a Profile is due, use Run Scheduled Backups Now. If the manual scheduler routine behaves correctly but automatic executions are absent, focus on Joomla Scheduled Tasks and the runner. If the task executes normally but no backup starts, focus on Profile due time, publication, retry windows, entitlement, preflight, and active-operation state.

You can similarly use Run Retention Cleanup to test retention logic separately from its daily automatic task.

A Practical Healthy-State Checklist

  • One published canonical Scheduled Backups task is present.
  • One published canonical Retention Cleanup task is present.
  • The Backup Continuation and Entitlement Revalidation tasks also exist and are published.
  • Last execution times continue to advance.
  • Recent exit codes are successful.
  • Next execution times are reasonable.
  • Published Profile schedules show expected Next values in the site timezone.
  • Last scheduled result does not show an unresolved failure.
  • Completed scheduled Backup Sets reach verified state in Backup History.

Community Discussion

Want to compare workflows, share practical tips, or discuss how you use this QCBM feature? Visit the QC Backup Manager Community. For private support, bug reports, account-specific issues, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.