Edit

Process automation background processes or scheduled series aren't running

Summary

This article helps you resolve an issue in which process automation background processes or scheduled series don't run in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance. If the process automation system batch job is unhealthy, dependent batch operations and data maintenance jobs might stall. Such operations include subledger journal transfers, vendor invoice posting, and ledger settlements. By reinitializing process automation, you can restore the system batch job and resume the affected processes.

Symptoms

Process automation background processes or scheduled series don't run as expected. This issue can affect multiple operations, including:

Typical symptoms include:

  • Affected operations remain in Waiting status indefinitely.
  • Users report delays in posting or transfer processes.
  • Scheduled process occurrences don't appear in the process automation calendar view.
  • Scheduled occurrences or background processes run, but not on time.

Cause

The underlying process automation system batch job might be unhealthy or not running. This job schedules and triggers all process automation tasks. To perform as expected, this job must:

  • Run continuously without an end date
  • Run every minute
  • Never be manually changed or deleted

If this job stops, pauses, or becomes corrupted, all dependent automation processes stall.

Solution

To restore the process automation system batch job to a healthy state, follow these steps.

Reinitialize process automation

  1. Go to System administration > Setup > Process automations.
  2. Select Initialize process automation. This step resets the framework-level system job.

Check system batch job status

  1. Go to System administration > Inquiries > Batch jobs.
  2. Find the batch job that has a description that starts by using one of the following values:
    • Process automation polling system job
    • Process automation background process system job
  3. Verify that the batch job meets these conditions:
    • Status: Waiting or Executing
    • Recurrence: Every minute
    • End date: None
  4. If the batch job isn't listed or doesn't resume after reinitialization:
    1. Check the system logs for errors.
    2. If it's necessary, restart the Batch service on the Application Object Server (AOS) node.

Verify batch job recurrence and priority

  1. Go to System administration > Inquiries > Batch jobs.
  2. Select the process automation system batch job, and then select View tasks on the Action Pane.
  3. Confirm that the batch job contains a task that uses the ProcessAutomationPollingEngine class.
  4. Verify the following settings:
    • Recurrence is set to 1 minute. If it isn't, set it to 1 minute.
    • Effective Scheduling Priority is set to Critical or Reserved Capacity. If it isn't:
      1. Set the Scheduling priority is overridden option to Yes.
      2. Set Job scheduling priority to Reserved Capacity.
      3. For more information, see Priority-based batch scheduling.

Validate dependent processes

Wait a few minutes, and then check for the following conditions:

  • Background processes and scheduled series appear in the process automation calendar view.
  • Affected batch operations (for example, subledger transfers and invoice postings) resume processing.

Note

If the issue persists, check whether the batch framework is working correctly. To make this check, verify that other batch jobs are processing normally.

Additional recommendations

  • Enable alerts or notifications for critical background jobs. This setting keeps you informed if a job fails or stops running.
  • Regularly review batch job status in System administration > Inquiries > Batch jobs, especially after you apply updates or deploy new versions.

Related content

  • Last updated on