Using automation workflow
This section contains information and step-by-step instructions that explain how to use the Active Roles user interface to manage automation workflows. The following topics are covered:
Creating an automation workflow definition
The Active Roles console provides the Workflow Designer for creating and configuring automation workflows. First, you create an automation workflow definition. Then, you use the Workflow Designer to construct an automation workflow, saving the configuration data in the workflow definition.
To create an automation workflow definition
- In the Active Roles console tree, expand Configuration | Policies, right-click Workflow, and select New | Workflow.
- Follow the steps in the New Workflow wizard:
- On the Name and Description page, type in a name and, optionally, a description for the new workflow.
- On the Workflow Type page, under This workflow is intended to start, click On user demand or on a scheduled basis (automation workflow).
- On the Completion page, click Finish.
Once you have created a workflow definition, you can open it in the Workflow Designer to add workflow activities and specify workflow start conditions.
You can create containers to store related workflows and other containers. To create a workflow container, right-click Workflow in the console tree and select New | Container. To create an automation workflow definition in a given container, right-click the container in the console tree, and select New | Workflow.
You can delete an automation workflow definition as follows: In the console tree under Configuration | Policies | Workflow, right-click the object representing the workflow definition, and click Delete.
Configuring start conditions for an automation workflow
The start conditions of an automation workflow determine the trigger that causes the workflow to start. You can use a time-based trigger or an event-based trigger to start an automation workflow. It is also possible to allow a workflow to be started on demand. Use the Workflow Designer to view or change the start conditions for an automation workflow.
To view or change the start conditions for an automation workflow
- In the Active Roles console tree, expand Configuration | Policies | Workflow, and select the automation workflow you want to configure.
This opens the Workflow Designer window in the details pane, representing the automation workflow definition as a process diagram.
- In the details pane, click the Workflow options and start conditions button to expand the area above the process diagram, and then click the Configure button.
This opens the Workflow Options and Start Conditions page where you can view or change the following:
- The schedule settings that determine the frequency with which to run the workflow. To enable these settings, select the Run the workflow on a schedule check box. This causes the workflow to run according to a schedule, and the options below the check box allow you to set the schedule. For details, see Run the workflow on a schedule earlier in this document.
- The workflow can be run on demand. By selecting the Allow the workflow to be run on demand check box, you specify that users can manually run the workflow at any time regardless of the schedule. For more information, see Allow the workflow to be run on demand earlier in this document.
- The “run as” options determine the account under which to run the workflow. Click the “Run as” options link to view or change the account setting. For details, see “Run as” options earlier in this document.
- Choose whether to terminate the workflow if it runs longer that a certain time period. Click the Additional settings link to view or change that setting. For details, see Additional settings earlier in this document.
- Specify parameters to specify certain data when configuring or starting the workflow and then pass that data to workflow activities when the workflow is running. The data is represented as parameter values. To assign a value to a given parameter, click the Parameters tab, select the parameter from the list, and then click the View or change parameter value button. For more information, see Parameters earlier in this document.
When finished, click OK to close the Workflow Options and Start Conditions page, and then click Save Changes in the Workflow Designer.
Adding activities to an automation workflow
The Active Roles console provides the Workflow Designer for creating and configuring workflows. First, you create a workflow definition. Then, you use the Workflow Designer to construct the workflow by adding and configuring workflow activities.
To add an activity to an automation workflow
- In the Active Roles console tree, expand Configuration | Policies | Workflow, and select the automation workflow to which you want to add an activity.
This opens the Workflow Designer window in the details pane, representing the automation workflow definition as a process diagram.
- In the details pane, drag the activity from the left panel onto the process diagram.
- Right-click the name of the activity on the process diagram and click Properties.
- Use the Properties dialog box to configure the activity.
The steps for configuring an activity depend upon the type of the activity. See topics in the Configuring a workflow section earlier in this document for instructions on how to configure each activity type.
In the Properties dialog box, you can change the name and description of the activity. These settings are common to all activities. The name identifies the activity on the process diagram. The description appears as a tooltip when you point to the activity on the process diagram.
You can remove activity from the workflow: Right-click the name of the activity in the process diagram and then clicking Delete. This deletes all the configuration settings of the activity from the workflow. It is possible to disable an activity, preserving the activity’s configuration settings: Right-click the activity name and click Disable. Active Roles does not execute the disabled activities when running the workflow. The ability to disable rather than remove an activity is useful if you plan to temporarily turn off the activity within the workflow. Later, you could easily re-enable a disabled activity by right-clicking its name and then clicking Enabled.