Recurring Activities

You can set up both events and tasks to be recurring entries. You can specify how often an entry should recur and when the recurrence pattern should end. When you search for events or tasks, the system lists each instance of the recurring activity that meets the search criteria. For example, if you set up a task that recurs each day for a week, and you search for all tasks for the week, the system displays a task record for each day on which the task occurs.

The system enables owners and assignees to make changes to individual instances of a recurring task or event. The system also maintains those changes if the master task or event is changed. This functionality minimizes loss of data for assignees who might track important information in an activity record. When the master record is changed, those changes are sent to each assignee's record. Only the changed fields are updated. However, if an assignee changes information on an activity record, and the owner then changes the same field on the master record, the system overwrites the assignee's change with the updated information from the master record.

The system also enables assignees to delete specific instances of a recurring task or event. For example, an assignee might be able to attend a weekly meeting during all instances but one, when he is on vacation. The system enables the assignee to delete the instance that occurs while he is on vacation and maintain all other instances.

For recurring activities that have been assigned to other assignees, several rules apply when you update or delete instances of the activity. This table describes how the system processes changes that are made to owner records and assignee records, whether those changes are made to a single instance or all instances of a recurring activity:

Is the change made to the owner record or an assignee record?	Are you changing a single instance or all instances?	Processing Information
The owner record of the activity.	All instances of the activity.	When the user of an activity makes changes to the master record, which affects all instances of the activity, the system: Enables the user to change all activity details that are shown on the Detail, Category, and Advanced tabs with the exception of call plan if one is assigned. Does not allow the user to change the start date for the activity, because this information is part of the recurrence pattern. Enables the user to change the end date of the recurrence pattern or the number of occurrences. Enables the user to delete or add new assignees. Enables the user to delete the master record, in which case all assignee records are also deleted.
The owner record of the activity.	A single instance of the activity.	When the user of an activity makes changes to a single instance of an activity, the system: Creates an anomaly record to record the changes. The system updates these changes for that instance for all assignees. Does not allow the user to change: The start date of the single instance. Recurrence attributes for the single instance, such as the end date or number of recurrences. The owner of the activity. Enables the user to delete or add new assignees to the instance. Records only the changes that are made to the instance, and propagates those changes to the corresponding assignee records for that instance. Enables the user to delete the single instance, in which case the system deletes assignees' instances also and creates an exclusion record for that instance.
An assignee record.	All instances of the activity.	When a user makes changes to the assignee record that affects all instances of the activity for that assignee only, the system: Does not allow the user to change: Start date or start time. End date or end time. Activity type. Customer or customer contact. Partner or partner contact. Lead, opportunity, or case. Recurrence attributes, such as the number of recurrences. Enables the user to add a new assignee to the activity. The system generates all occurrences of the activity for the new assignee. Enables the user to delete assignees from the activity, with the exception of the owner of the activity. Records the changes that are made and propagates those changes to all instances for the assignee only. The system does not update the records for the owner or for other assignees. Enables the user to delete the activity. The system deletes all instances of the activity from the assignee only, but does not delete the owner's or other assignees' records.
An assignee record.	A single instance of the activity.	When a user makes changes to an assignee record of a single instance of the activity, the system: Creates an anomaly record to record the changes. The system updates these changes for the assignee only. Enables the user to change the start and end time. Does not allow the assignee to change the start or end date, customers, contacts, partners, leads, opportunities, or cases. Does not allow the assignee to change recurrence information, such as the number of occurrences. Enables the user to add new assignees to this instance. The system sends a clone of this changed instance to the new assignees. Enables the user to delete assignees from the instance, with the exception of the owner. Enables the user to delete that instance. The system deletes only the single instance for that assignee.

This table describes the tables that store recurring entry information:

Table	Description
Activity Master (F01301)	Stores information for all events and tasks, such as: Identifier ID and type Calendar type Activity type Subject Location Start and end time Start and end date Recurrence ID (for recurring entries only)
Recurrence Master (F01321)	Stores information for recurring events and tasks, such as: Recurrence ID (copied from the F01301 table). Recurring frequency. Start and end date. Day of the week on which the entry recurs. Week of the month in which the entry recurs.
Recurrence Exclusion (F01331)	Stores information for exclusions for recurring events and tasks, such as: Recurrence exclusion ID. Recurrence ID (copied from the F01301 table). Exclusion date.
Mobile Client Deleted Activities (F01301W)	Temporarily stores activities that were deleted in disconnected mode. The table is reset when the mobile client is synchronized with the Enterprise server.