What happens with long automation if HA restarts?

Hellis81 · November 21, 2021, 11:56am

So in what way is a delay of 2 hours more relative than setting an input_datetime with now() + 2 hours?

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 12:03pm

Thanks I did not know it was that easy! Can you please help me with yaml example? I am always getting lost in quotes, barckets etc…

Hellis81 · November 21, 2021, 12:44pm

As action something like:

service: input_datetime.set_datetime
target:
  entity_id: input_datetime.next_event_of_automation
data:
  timestamp: {{ now().timestamp() + 3600 }}

This should set the helper with one hour from now.

Then you create an automation that triggers when this time has passed.

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 1:35pm

OK, so let me know if I understand this correctly please. I have 4 different events in time (the trigger, then after 3 hours, then after 10 minutes etc.). According to your guide, I will create one scheduling automation, that is triggered by the same event as before, but instead toher events and wait times, I will put 3 scheduling events that will run immediately after the trigger and this automation will immediately end, right?

Then I will create three other automations, that have empty trigger, but will be scheduled by MAIN automation from previous paragraph. These automation will run at scheduled time and will survive reboots, right?

Thanks a lot, Jan

Hellis81 · November 21, 2021, 1:45pm

As always, it’s better to post what you have and we can help you much easier.

But yes, if I understand you correctly the first automation sets an input_datetime with the time the next event should occur.
The second automation triggers on the input_datetime and sets the input_datetime to the next time, and so on.

If the first automation sets all times then one action could be skipped if the duration of an event is to small or the restart is slow.

123 · November 21, 2021, 2:35pm

FWIW, I use two different methods for ensuring a time delay survives a restart:

The one Hellis81 described (future-dating an input_datetime used by a Time Trigger).
Timers that survive restarts using this system.

The method I use depends on whichever one is easier to implement for a given application.

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 4:18pm

Sorry but I cannot get it working. First automation that should be scheduled is:

alias: run_timed_test
description: ''
trigger: []
condition: []
action:
  - service: mqtt.publish
    data:
      topic: shell
      payload: timer-test
mode: single

this one I could create

Second automation that should schedule the first one is like this and I am not able to save it because malformed not valid number:

alias: schedule_timed_test
description: ''
mode: single
trigger: []
condition: []
action:
  - service: input_datetime.set_datetime
    target:
      entity_id: input_datetime.automation.run_timed_test
    data: 
      timestamp: {{ now().timestamp() + 60 }}

Can you help please? I did it as you instructed, or not?

Hellis81 · November 21, 2021, 4:23pm

You have no trigger.

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 4:25pm

I trigger manually so I do not need it right? There is other problem, I can save now, but the timestamp: is not saved and is replaced by empty data. The saved result looks like this:

alias: schedule_timed_test
description: ''
trigger: []
condition: []
action:
  - service: input_datetime.set_datetime
    target:
      entity_id: input_datetime.run_timed_test
    data: {}
mode: single

and automation throws an error:
Stopped because an error was encountered at 21. listopadu 2021 17:21:20 (runtime: 0.01 seconds)

expected float for dictionary value @ data[‘timestamp’]

Hellis81 · November 21, 2021, 4:27pm

An automation needs a trigger. That is the point of an automation.
If you want to trigger manually, that is a script

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 4:30pm

I am just testing. The automation that is scheduled has not trigger either or what it should be? After I am able to schedule first automation by the second, I will add trigger to the second. I think the problem I need to solve is why timestamp is not saved.

Hellis81 · November 21, 2021, 4:35pm

I have no problems saving the automation with a trigger and a input datetime that exists.

But I haven’t tested it since I don’t want to mess with my entities, and I don’t want to create a new entity just for this.

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 4:38pm

Thanks for help, there must be something wrong, because I even cannot run this service manually. There is error that some value is expected float The run_timed_test is name of automation entity without automation.:

service: input_datetime.set_datetime
target:
  entity_id: input_datetime.run_timed_test
data:
  timestamp: {{ now().timestamp() + 60 }}

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 4:40pm

got it running. The timestamp must be in quotes.

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 4:44pm

got it running. The timestamp must be in quotes. But now the other problem. The first automation that should get scheduled does not run… I copy both automations again here:

Scheduled one (not running):

alias: run_timed_test
description: ''
trigger: []
condition: []
action:
  - service: mqtt.publish
    data:
      topic: shell
      payload: timer-test
mode: single

Scheduling one (not scheduling):

alias: schedule_timed_test
description: ''
trigger: []
condition: []
action:
  - service: input_datetime.set_datetime
    target:
      entity_id: input_datetime.run_timed_test
    data:
      timestamp: '{{ now().timestamp() + 60 }}'
mode: single

any advice?

Hellis81 · November 21, 2021, 5:00pm

You need to trigger on the time or when the time has passed.
I suggest the latter since when the time is could be during a restart.

trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: input_datetime.run_timed_test
  - platform: template
    value_template: >-
      {{ as_timestamp(states('input_datetime.run_timed_test')) >
      now().timestamp() }}

janbenes · November 21, 2021, 5:09pm

I have modified the code as you advise but is is still not running:

alias: run_timed_test
description: ''
trigger:
  - platform: template
    value_template: >-
      {{ as_timestamp(states('input_datetime.run_timed_test')) >
      now().timestamp() }}
condition: []
action:
  - service: mqtt.publish
    data:
      topic: shell
      payload: timer-test
mode: single

Hellis81 · November 21, 2021, 5:23pm

Paste this in the template tool and lets see what you have:

{{ as_timestamp(states('input_datetime.run_timed_test')) }}
{{ as_timestamp(states('input_datetime.run_timed_test')) > now().timestamp() }}

janbenes · November 22, 2021, 2:52pm

Thanks here is the error:

TypeError: '>' not supported between instances of 'NoneType' and 'float'

123 · November 22, 2021, 3:10pm

Does input_datetime.automation.run_timed_test contain the date and time or just the time?

I believe it only contains the time because this will return none if there’s no date.

as_timestamp(states('input_datetime.run_timed_test'))

So if you compare none to a float it will produce the error message you received:

TypeError: ‘>’ not supported between instances of ‘NoneType’ and ‘float’

EDIT

Try this:

trigger:
  - platform: template
    value_template: "{{ now() >= today_at(states('input_datetime.run_timed_test')) }}"