# Getting started with Tasks

You can use Task elements for manual or automatic maintenance operations in the SMC.

## What Tasks do

With Task elements, you can start maintenance operations either manually or according to a schedule. You can do the following with Tasks:

- Back up the Management Servers and Log Servers.
- Refresh policies.
- Upload policies.
- Validate policies.
- Upgrade engine software remotely.
- Export, archive, and delete logs.

There are also certain predefined system tasks.

Scheduling the Tasks allows you to run regular or one-time maintenance operations automatically, for example, during a regular maintenance window.

## Limitations

Tasks are Domain-specific. The elements that are the target of the Task must belong to the Domain in which the Task is run. For example, to export log data from a Log Server you must run the Log Export Task in the Domain to which the Log Server belongs.

## What do I need to know before I begin?

When scheduling automatic backups, you might want the data to be moved to a safe place automatically. This can be achieved through operating system scripts, which Tasks can start automatically upon completion. With Log Servers, you can change the backup and log archive locations in the Log Server’s local configuration file.