@SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
  protected void beforeStart(Map flags, Task<?> task) {
    activeTaskCount.incrementAndGet();

    // set thread _before_ start time, so we won't get a null thread when there is a start-time
    if (log.isTraceEnabled()) log.trace("" + this + " beforeStart, task: " + task);
    if (!task.isCancelled()) {
      ((BasicTask) task).thread = Thread.currentThread();
      if (RENAME_THREADS) {
        String newThreadName =
            "brooklyn-"
                + CaseFormat.LOWER_HYPHEN.to(
                    CaseFormat.LOWER_CAMEL, task.getDisplayName().replace(" ", ""))
                + "-"
                + task.getId().substring(0, 8);
        ((BasicTask) task).thread.setName(newThreadName);
      }
      PerThreadCurrentTaskHolder.perThreadCurrentTask.set(task);
      ((BasicTask) task).startTimeUtc = System.currentTimeMillis();
    }
    for (Object to : (Collection) flags.get("tagLinkedPreprocessors")) {
      TaskPreprocessor t = (TaskPreprocessor) to;
      t.onStart(flags, task);
    }
    ExecutionUtils.invoke(flags.get("newTaskStartCallback"), task);
  }