Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.

...

The workflow group web interface will function much like the workflow group on the the Image Added Desktop. You will manage both dynamic and static workflows and add them into groups which can consist of one or several workflows, or Workflow Group members. Each workflow group will come with a diverse setup of scheduling, load balance, and event triggers.

Note
titleNote!

Event triggers for Workflow Groups are managed using Workflow Group on the the Image Added desktop.


The main dashboard for the workflow group web interface will display all the workflow groups that exist in in Image Added. You will be able to Filter the workflow groups by Name, Mode or Type.

From the dashboard, you can Create, Duplicate , Delete, Edit, View, Enable or Disable the workflow groups listed.


Adding a new Workflow Group

Clicking on will open the Create a workflow group dialog where you will go through steps to add and configure a workflow group with a schedule and execution settings.

Ui steps
sizesmall


Ui step

Define

Step 1 allows you to define the properties of the workflow groups. The field in the Define step will be described in the following table. All fields are mandatory in this step:

FieldDescription
FolderEnter the name of the folder that you want your workflow group to sit in. If the folder you have entered does not exist, a new folder with the name will be created.
NameThe name of the workflow group. Only alphanumeric values, dashes and underscores are allowed in the name.
Group Type

Batch & Task - Select this type if your workflow group is comprised primarily of Batch or Task type workflows or workflow groups.

Realtime - Select this type if your workflow group is comprised primarily of Real-time workflows or workflow groups.


Note!

Batch, task and system task workflow members can be combined in a workflow group, but real-time workflow members can only be combined with other real-time workflow members. However, for real-time workflows, we recommend that only one workflow is included in each workflow group, unless you have selected the Continuous Workflow Execution check box in the Execution tab, which will allow you to have multiple real-time workflows in the same group. 



Ui step

Members

Step 2 allows you to select the members that will be part of the new workflow group. A workflow, workflow template or workflow group of the same Group Type can be included in the workflow group, even if they are already part of another group. Both static and dynamic workflows can be added into the same group. For Dynamic workflows, you can add the workflow template or any workflows that are already part of the template. 

You can also select workflow , workflow template or workflow group from a workflow package to be a member of the workflow group.

Select your group members - Adding members from workflow package

Workflow template and workflow from the same workflow template can be added into same workflow group, provided prerequisite is set in either workflow template or workflow or both.

You must have at least one member in your workflow group to proceed to the next step.


Ui step

Order and Prerequisite

Step 3 allows you to arrange the members in a certain order and select any prerequisites for executing the member workflows. For members with prerequisites, the members will only be executed once the prerequisites have successfully executed. Dynamic workflow templates cannot be assigned as prerequisites for other members, but templates can have prerequisite member workflows.


Ui step

Schedule

Step 4 allows you to add the schedule for the workflow group. Adding a schedule rule here is the same as adding a Day Plan Schedule in the workflow group on the Desktop. The following table describes the fields found when adding a new schedule. This step is optional and a workflow group can be created first without any schedule. For dynamic workflow templates, all generated workflows by the workflow template will follow the schedule set by the workflow groups that the dynamic workflow template is grouped into.

Note!

Two scheduled rules should not contradict each another. An example of an invalid configuration: Rule A is set to Tuesdays Off, while Rule B is set to Every 5 minutes between 15:00:00 and 15:05:00 on Tuesdays.


Entry

Description

Schedule type

Execution plan - Select this to set up a normal Day Plan schedule for executing the workflow group.

Day off plan - Select this to set up a time for when the workflow group will suspend its execution. You can only set up a day off plan when there is already an execution plan configured in the workflow group.

Choose Frequency

Select the frequency in which the workflow group will execute.

For Execution plans, you will have the options for Day, Week or Month, where you will be able to set up frequencies like:

  • Every day

  • A specific weekday

  • A specific day of the month (1-31)

  • The last day of the month

For Day off plans, you will only be able to select Week or Month, where you will be able to set up frequencies like:

  • Days off for up to 6 days a week
  • A specific day or days in a week
  • A day in a month
  • Several days in a month

Execution Interval

This option is only available when setting an Execution plan.

Once - Select this if you want the workflow group to execute its members only once during the selected frequency.

Repeatedly - Select this if you want the workflow group to execute and stop its members within a certain time frame of the selected frequency.

Start Time

This option is only available when setting an Execution plan.

Enter a start time for the first execution.

Stop Time

This option is only available when setting an Execution plan.

Enter the time for when execution should stop.

Repeat Every

Enter the interval between execution start time in seconds, minutes, or hours.

Note!

If a member in a group is delayed for some reason, and not finished at the time the execution is set to be repeated, all members in the group will have to wait until the next repeat time. To override this behavior, you can use the Continuous execution on scheduled time setting.


Select DaysThis option appears when you have selected the Day off plan. This option will set the interval of the day(s) off for the week or month.



Ui step

Execution

Step 5 allows you to set the execution strategy for the members within the workflow group. The following table describes the fields found in the execution step:

Note!

Execution settings that you configure here, will only apply for workflow members that have not been configured with any execution settings in the workflow properties. Any execution settings configured in the workflow properties will take priority over the ones configured in the workflow group.


Entry

Description

Max Simultaneous Running Workflows

No limit - There will be as many simultaneously running workflows in the workflow group as determined by your specific work environment and equipment.

Specify the Limit - Enter the maximum number of workflows you want to be able to run concurrently.

Note!

This value applies only to the workflow group that you are defining and will not affect members that are workflow groups.


Startup Delay

If Max Simultaneous Running Workflows is set to a value larger than 1, enter the delay (in seconds) of the execution start for each of the workflows that may run simultaneously.

Note!
  • If no value is entered, a short delay will be applied by the system.
  • You can assign a Startup Delay regardless of the members status. Once the delay is up, if the member in turn is disabled, the Workflow group will attempt to execute the next member.


Continuous execution on scheduled time

Select this check box if you want to allow members in scheduled workflow groups to execute on schedule even though all workflow members in the group have not finished execution.

This may be useful in case one member is delayed for some reason, whereby preventing the remaining workflow members from executing on schedule. 

Note!

This feature is not supported for nested group members, only workflow members.

For a workflow group with a member that is delayed over the next scheduled time, this setting will make the member execute immediately when it is finished. The workflow group will be in a continuous Running state, not switching to Idle in between executions as is the default behavior.

This needs to be considered when making configurations based on workflow group states.  


Workflow group specific execution settingsSelect this check box to reveal two configuration fields to configure the distribution rules for the workflow group. These fields are described below.
Specify EC Groups

A workflow executes on an Execution Context. Groups of ECs, may be specified by the user, or the the  system can handle it automatically. Refer to for more information about EC groups.

You can select one or many EC groups where the members of the workflow group will utilize. How the members are distributed among the ECs will be determined from the distribution rules.

Distribution rules

The Distribution rules are applied to all included group members, such as workflows and workflow group configurations. When there are conflicting settings, the members that are lowest in the workflow group hierarchy have precedence.

When the Distribution rules of the workflow group configurations are set on the same level in the hierarchy, they do not conflict with each other.

For multiple EC groups, the selected distribution rule will be applied on the ECs within the groups. 

Sequential - Starts the workflow on the first EC in the EC group. If this EC is not available, it will proceed with the next in line.

Workflow Count - Starts the workflow on the EC in the EC group running the fewest number of workflows.

Machine Load - Starts the workflow on the EC in the EC group with the lowest machine load. Which EC to select is based on information from the System Statistics sub-system.

Round Robin - Starts the workflow on the available ECs in the EC group in turn, but not necessarily in a sequential order. If EC1, EC2 and EC3 are defined, the workflow may first attempt to start on EC2. The next time it may start on EC3 and then finally on EC1. This order is then repeated. If an EC is not available, the workflow will be started on any other available EC.

Continue

Enabling this option will cause the workflow group to continue to run until all its members are fully executed or all are aborted.

Note!

This means that groups with real-time workflow members will continue to run until all the members are aborted or stopped manually.


Stop

Enabling this option will cause the workflow group to stop when a member aborts. A batch Workflow member will finish the current batch and then stop, while a real-time workflow will de-initialize and then stop.

Stop Immediately

Select this option to have the workflow group stop immediately when a member aborts. A batch workflow will stop even in the middle of processing a batch.



Viewing a Workflow Group

Clicking on shows you a detailed view of the workflow group and its members. From here, you can filter the workflow group members by their name, Edit the workflow group or refresh the list. A summary of the schedule for the workflow group will also be displayed at the very top of the page.

More Action Options

OptionDescription
EditAllows you to make changes and updates to the workflow group. This includes adding new members, changing the scheduling or the execution options.
DuplicateCreates another copy of the selected workflow group and all of its configured settings.
DeleteRemoves the workflow group.
Enable/DisableSelect to enable/disable the workflow group. Enabling the workflow group in Workflow Groups will not enable the members within it, you will have to open the Detail View of the workflow group from the Execution Manager Web Interface(3.0) and enable them manually.

...