Suspend-Job

Temporarily stops workflow jobs.

Syntax

Suspend-Job
       [-Force]
       [-Wait]
       [-Id] <Int32[]>
       [-WhatIf]
       [-Confirm]
       [<CommonParameters>]
Suspend-Job
       [-Job] <Job[]>
       [-Force]
       [-Wait]
       [-WhatIf]
       [-Confirm]
       [<CommonParameters>]
Suspend-Job
       [-Force]
       [-Wait]
       [-Name] <String[]>
       [-WhatIf]
       [-Confirm]
       [<CommonParameters>]
Suspend-Job
       [-Force]
       [-Wait]
       [-InstanceId] <Guid[]>
       [-WhatIf]
       [-Confirm]
       [<CommonParameters>]
Suspend-Job
       [-Force]
       [-Wait]
       [-Filter] <Hashtable>
       [-WhatIf]
       [-Confirm]
       [<CommonParameters>]
Suspend-Job
       [-Force]
       [-Wait]
       [-State] <JobState>
       [-WhatIf]
       [-Confirm]
       [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Suspend-Job cmdlet suspends workflow jobs. Suspend means to temporarily interrupt or pause a workflow job. This cmdlet allows users who are running workflows to suspend the workflow. It complements the Suspend-Workflowhttps://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=267141 activity, which is a command in the workflow that suspends the workflow.

The Suspend-Job cmdlet works only on workflow jobs. It does not work on standard background jobs, such as those that are started by using the Start-Job cmdlet.

To identify a workflow job, look for a value of PSWorkflowJob in the PSJobTypeName property of the job. To determine whether a particular custom job type supports the Suspend-Job cmdlet, see the help topics for the custom job type.

When you suspend a workflow job, the workflow job runs to the next checkpoint, suspends, and immediately returns a workflow job object. To wait for the suspension to complete before getting the job, use the Wait parameter of Suspend-Job or the Wait-Job cmdlet. When the workflow job is suspended, the value of the State property of the job is Suspended.

Suspending correctly relies on checkpoints. The current job state, metadata, and output are saved in the checkpoint so the workflow job can be resumed without loss of state or data. If the workflow job does not have checkpoints, it cannot be suspended correctly. To add checkpoints to a workflow that you are running, use the PSPersist workflow common parameter. You can use the Force parameter to suspend any workflow job immediately and to suspend a workflow job that does not have checkpoints, but the action could cause loss of state and data.

Before you use a Job cmdlet on a custom job type, such as a workflow job (PSWorkflowJob) import the module that supports the custom job type, either by using the Import-Module cmdlet or using or using a cmdlet in the module.

This cmdlet was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.

Examples

Example 1: Suspend a workflow job by name

This example shows how to suspend a workflow job.

The first command creates the Get-SystemLog workflow. The workflow uses the CheckPoint-Workflow activity to define a checkpoint in the workflow.

The second command uses the AsJob parameter that is common to all workflows to run the Get-SystemLog workflow as a background job. The command uses the JobName workflow common parameter to specify a friendly name for the workflow job.

The third command uses the Get-Job cmdlet to get the LogflowJob workflow job. The output shows that the value of the PSJobTypeName property is PSWorkflowJob.

The fourth command uses the Suspend-Job cmdlet to suspend the LogflowJob job. The job runs to the checkpoint and then suspends.

#Sample Workflow
Workflow Get-SystemLog
{
    $Events = Get-WinEvent -LogName System
    CheckPoint-Workflow
    InlineScript {\\Server01\Scripts\Analyze-SystemEvents.ps1 -Events $Events}
}
Get-SystemLog -AsJob -JobName "LogflowJob"
Get-Job -Name LogflowJob

Id   Name          PSJobTypeName   State       HasMoreData     Location   Command
--   ----          -------------   -----       -----------     --------   -------
4    LogflowJob    PSWorkflowJob   Running     True            localhost   Get-SystemLog

Suspend-Job -Name LogflowJob

Id   Name          PSJobTypeName   State       HasMoreData     Location   Command
--   ----          -------------   -----       -----------     --------   -------
4    LogflowJob    PSWorkflowJob   Suspended   True            localhost   Get-SystemLog

Example 2: Suspend and resume a workflow job

This example shows how to suspend and resume a workflow job.

The first command suspends the LogWorkflowJob job.The command returns immediately. The output shows that the workflow job is still running, even though it is being suspended.

The second command uses the Get-Job cmdlet to get the LogWorkflowJob job. The output shows that the workflow job suspended successfully.

The third command uses the Get-Job cmdlet to get the LogWorkflowJob job and the Resume-Job cmdlet to resume it. The output shows that the workflow job resumed successfully and is now running.

Suspend-Job -Name LogWorkflowJob

Id   Name          PSJobTypeName      State         HasMoreData     Location      Command
--   ----          -------------      -----         -----------     --------      -------
67   LogflowJob    PSWorkflowJob      Running       True            localhost     LogWorkflow

Get-Job -Name LogWorkflowJob

Id   Name          PSJobTypeName      State         HasMoreData     Location      Command
--   ----          -------------      -----         -----------     --------      -------
67   LogflowJob    PSWorkflowJob      Suspended     True            localhost     LogWorkflow

Get-Job -Name LogWorkflowJob | Resume-Job

Id     Name          PSJobTypeName      State       HasMoreData     Location      Command
--     ----          -------------      -----       -----------     --------      -------
67     LogflowJob    PSWorkflowJob      Running     True            localhost     LogWorkflow

Example 3: Suspend a workflow job on a remote computer

Invoke-Command -ComputerName Srv01 -Scriptblock {Suspend-Job -Filter @{CustomID="031589"}

This command uses the Invoke-Command cmdlet to suspend a workflow job on the Srv01 remote computer. The value of the Filter parameter is a hash table that specifies a CustomID value. This CustomID is job metadata (PSPrivateMetadata).

Example 4: Wait for the workflow job to suspend

Suspend-Job VersionCheck -Wait

Id     Name          PSJobTypeName      State         HasMoreData     Location      Command
--     ----          -------------      -----         -----------     --------      -------
 5     VersionCheck  PSWorkflowJob      Suspended     True            localhost     LogWorkflow

This command suspends the VersionCheck workflow job. The command uses the Wait parameter to wait until the workflow job is suspended. When the workflow job runs to the next checkpoint and is suspended, the command finishes and returns the job object.

Example 5: Force a workflow job to suspend

Suspend-Job Maintenance -Force

This command suspends the Maintenance workflow job forcibly. The Maintenance job does not have checkpoints. It cannot be suspended correctly and might not resume correctly.

Parameters

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:cf
Position:Named
Default value:False
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Filter

Specifies a hash table of conditions. This cmdlet suspends jobs that satisfy all of the conditions. Enter a hash table where the keys are job properties and the values are job property values.

Type:Hashtable
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Force

Suspends the workflow job immediately. This action could cause a loss of state and data.

By default, Suspend-Job lets the workflow job run until the next checkpoint and then suspends it. You can also use this parameter to suspend workflow jobs that do not have checkpoints.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:F
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Id

Specifies the IDs of jobs that this cmdlet suspends.

The ID is an integer that uniquely identifies the job in the current session. It is easier to remember and to type than the instance ID, but it is unique only in the current session. You can type one or more IDs, separated by commas. To find the ID of a job, use the Get-Job cmdlet.

Type:Int32[]
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-InstanceId

Specifies the instance IDs of jobs that this cmdlet suspends. The default is all jobs.

An instance ID is a GUID that uniquely identifies the job on the computer. To find the instance ID of a job, use Get-Job.

Type:Guid[]
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Job

Specifies the workflow jobs that this cmdlet stops. Enter a variable that contains the workflow jobs or a command that gets the workflow jobs. You can also pipe workflow jobs to the Suspend-Job cmdlet.

Type:Job[]
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Name

Specifies friendly names of jobs that this cmdlet suspends. Enter one or more workflow job names. Wildcard characters are supported.

Type:String[]
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-State

Specifies a job state. This cmdlet stops only jobs in the specified state. The acceptable values for this parameter are:

  • NotStarted
  • Running
  • Completed
  • Failed
  • Stopped
  • Blocked
  • Suspended
  • Disconnected
  • Suspending
  • Stopping

Suspend-Job suspends only workflow jobs in the Running state.

For more information about job states, see JobState Enumeration.

Type:JobState
Accepted values:NotStarted, Running, Completed, Failed, Stopped, Blocked, Suspended, Disconnected, Suspending, Stopping, AtBreakpoint
Position:0
Default value:None
Required:True
Accept pipeline input:True
Accept wildcard characters:False

-Wait

Indicates that this cmdlet suppresses the command prompt until the workflow job is in the suspended state. By default, Suspend-Job returns immediately, even if the workflow job is not yet in the suspended state.

The Wait parameter is equivalent to piping a Suspend-Job command to the Wait-Job cmdlet.

Type:SwitchParameter
Position:Named
Default value:None
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

-WhatIf

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

Type:SwitchParameter
Aliases:wi
Position:Named
Default value:False
Required:False
Accept pipeline input:False
Accept wildcard characters:False

Inputs

Job

You can pipe all types of jobs to this cmdlet. However, if Suspend-Job gets a job of an unsupported type, it returns a terminating error.

Outputs

Job

This cmdlet returns the jobs that it suspended.

Notes

Windows PowerShell includes the following aliases for Suspend-Job:

  • sujb

The mechanism and location for saving a suspended job might vary depending on the job type. For example, suspended workflow jobs are saved in a flat file store by default, but can also be saved in a database.

If you submit a workflow job that is not in the Running state, Suspend-Job displays a warning message. To suppress the warning, use the WarningAction common parameter with a value of SilentlyContinue.

If a job is not of a type that supports suspending, Suspend-Job returns a terminating error.

To find the workflow jobs that are suspended, including those that were suspended by this cmdlet, use the State parameter of the Get-Job cmdlet to get workflow jobs in the Suspended state.

Some job types have options or properties that prevent Windows PowerShell from suspending the job. If attempts to suspend the job fail, verify that the job options and properties allow for suspending.