Automation workflow
An Active Roles "Workflow" is a sequence of actions that leads to the completion of a certain task. The sequence is carried out according to a set of rules or policies. A workflow can be configured to start upon a change request that satisfies the start conditions of the workflow. An example is a workflow that coordinates the process of approving certain changes to directory data such as creation of new users or population of security groups. In Active Roles, this kind of workflow is referred to as a change workflow.
A workflow can also perform routine administrative tasks either on a scheduled basis or on user demand. In these cases, the workflow is not attached to any change request. With Active Roles, you can configure a workflow to perform certain actions at a specific time. You can also allow users to run a workflow at any time on demand. This workflow category is referred to as an automation workflow.
Automation workflows can automate the completion of complex administrative tasks to help you manage large task volumes. It also allows you to build checks or restrictions in directory administration processes to ensure consistency and compliance with your company policies and legal requirements. By using automation workflow, you can ensure that directory administration tasks are performed in a consistent and efficient manner.
Automation workflow options and start conditions
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 an automation workflow to be started on user demand.
With a time-based trigger, you can configure an automation workflow to start at a specific time of a day or you can schedule an automation workflow to start multiple times on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. An event-based trigger allows you to start an automation workflow upon startup of the Active Roles Administration Service. Each automation workflow can have only one trigger.
To enable a time-based trigger, an automation workflow must be configured with the option to run the workflow on a schedule. This option is available on the Workflow Options and Start Conditions page in the Workflow Designer of the Active Roles Console.
Run the workflow on a schedule
If you select the Run the workflow on a schedule option, then you can choose from the following options to run the workflow:
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One time: Lets you choose the date and time to run the workflow.
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Hourly: Lets you choose the date and time to run the workflow for the first time, and the recurrence interval (in hours and minutes) for the workflow. Thus, an interval of one hour causes the workflow to run every hour and an interval of two hours causes the workflow to run every other hour.
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Daily: Lets you choose the date to run the workflow for the first time, the time of the day to run the workflow, and the recurrence interval (in days) for the workflow. Thus, an interval of one causes the workflow to run every day and an interval of two causes the workflow to run every other day. The workflow will start at the specified time each day.
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Weekly: Lets you choose the date to run the workflow for the first time, the time of the day to run the workflow, the days of the week on which to run the workflow, and the recurrence interval (in weeks) for the workflow. Thus, an interval of one causes the workflow to run every week and an interval of two causes the workflow to run every other week. The workflow will start at the specified time on each of the specified days.
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Monthly: Lets you choose the date to run the workflow for the first time, the time of the day to run the workflow, the months in which to run the workflow, and the day of the month on which to run the workflow. You can choose either the number of the day, or the first, second, third, fourth, or last occurrence of a certain day of the week day during the month. The desired day of the week can be selected from a list.
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When the Administration Service starts: Causes the workflow to start immediately after the Active Roles Administration Service has started up. This option applies to the Administration Service identified by the Run the workflow on setting.
Server to run the workflow
When started by a schedule, the workflow runs on a certain instance of the Active Roles Administration Service. The instance is identified by the Run the workflow on setting. This setting indicates the name of the computer running the Administration Service. You can choose the desired computer from the Run the workflow on list.