When creating a repeat task, you must specify a Collection Tier. This selection sets the collection tier for all single tasks in the series. A repeat tasking request will automatically spawn 10+ sub-tasking requests with the total number generated depending on the Repeat Cycle selected. The creation of these tasks beyond the scheduling horizon ensures requests generated as part of a repeat series are first in the queue for scheduling once the horizon opens so specified repetition intervals are met.
Tasks associated with a repeat request will move from Submitted to Active when they reach the scheduling horizon and will remain Active until they are Accepted or go to Expired because no imaging capacity is available. The collection acquisition window for single, sub-tasks created from a repeat request are set by the Repeat Start Date and the Repeat Task Cycle. Repeat tasks have two tier options:
| Collection Tier | Description |
| Routine |
Get coverage on a regular basis. Offers premium importance for data collection when regularity and consistent imaging geometry are crucial. Customers set their own acquisition windows. Minimum repeat cycle is 24 hours. |
| Flexible |
Ideal for leveraging variations in capacity without the risk of interfering with tasks of higher importance. Flexible tasks can be added, shuffled, and removed from the schedule to accommodate tasks with higher importance. Customers set their own acquisition windows. Minimum repeat cycle is 24 hours. |
Routine
The Routine collection tier is exclusive to Repeat Tasking. Users should leverage this tier when a regular collection cadence and/or geometrically similar collects over time are a key requirement because Routine tasking requests receive the highest importance for the scheduler. Sub-tasks generated by a repeat request at the Routine tier are evaluated for scheduling before any other requests, including new tasking requests, when the Window Start Date for the sub-task enters the scheduling horizon.
Flexible
Repeat tasking requests can also be submitted with the Flexible collection tier. As with single tasking, requests created by repeat tasking at the Flexible tier do not have Capella’s “No Bumping” assurance. Any tasking request submitted with a collection tier of higher importance can bump a Flexible repeat request from the schedule, even if the task has moved to Accepted, should the capacity be required to fulfill the new, more important request. Users will not be notified that this is why the task has been removed from the schedule – only that the task has moved to Expired.
Flexible tasking requests will remain in the Active status all the way up until the last valid scheduler run prior to collection. This allows for a Flexible tasking request to pick up any collection opportunities that open up due to higher priority tasking requests being canceled or moved. Flexible repeat requests are best used by customers looking to avoid interfering with tasks of higher importance, build up image stacks in areas where data doesn't currently exist, or leverage variations in capacity without the need for guaranteed collection.