# Schedule

## Metadata

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Institute | Molodetz Institute — Research & Retrieval Division |
| Subject | background-work-limits |
| Document type | Source Dossier |
| Tier | 1 |
| Source title | Schedule |
| Source URL | https://docs.temporal.io/schedule |
| Source publisher / author | Temporal |
| Source type | vendor docs |
| Source date (published) | Unknown — not stated (living documentation page) |
| Date researched | 2026-10-18 |
| Researched by | tai (agent), model: Muse Spark, on behalf of retoor |
| Research method | both |
| Confidence | High |
| Status | Active |

## Summary

Temporal's schedule reference enumerates six overlap policies with Skip as the default (a new start while one runs simply does not start) and AllowAll as the only policy permitting concurrency. It frames overlap as a per-schedule policy choice with a safe default, which is exactly what tai adopts.

## Key findings

- "The Overlap Policy controls what happens when it is time to start a Workflow Execution but a previously started Workflow Execution is still running."
- "`Skip`: Default. Nothing happens; the Workflow Execution is not started."
- "`AllowAll` Starts any number of concurrent Workflow Executions. With this policy (and only this policy), more than one Workflow Execution, started by the Schedule, can run simultaneously."
- Buffer variants (BufferOne, BufferAll) plus CancelOther and TerminateOther complete the six; a paused execution still counts as running for overlap evaluation.

## Pros / strengths

- Shows the full policy space, which lets tai pick Skip deliberately while knowing what it is not building (buffers, cancellation).
- The safe-default framing (concurrency only under the one policy that names it) matches tai's fail-closed style.

## Cons / limitations / caveats

- Distributed-system machinery (catchup windows, buffers) far beyond a single-file agent; tai takes the overlap default and the misfire vocabulary, nothing else.
- No per-tick burst cap concept; same as APScheduler, the global bound lives elsewhere.

## Relevance to tai

Names tai's overlap behavior: Temporal-Skip by default (previous run live means this fire does not start), with the lease check as the liveness test. Buffers and cancellation stay explicitly unbuilt.

## Changelog

| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-18 | Initial dossier created. |