Workflow Template (3.1)
- Jenni Wallin
The workflow template is the area where the workflow is designed. The workflow template outlines one or several workflows.
Note!
The workflow template's configuration cannot be activated. The configuration will activate and apply to the workflows belonging to the workflow template.
Workflow Editor
When you start the workflow editor, one row is automatically created in the workflow table.
To create a data flow, agents need to be connected to each other. To connect the agents, click the left mouse button on the center of the source agent and without releasing the left mouse button, move the pointer to the target agent and release there. This creates a connection (route) between the two agents indicating the data flow.
All editing and triggering from the workflow template generate changes to the workflow configuration through the workflow configuration. Examples of this are adding and removing agents, altering agent positions and editing agent settings and preferences. The workflow table will be affected if it includes columns that correspond to an agent removed from the workflow template.
When an agent is deployed into the workflow template it receives a default name located underneath it. The same applies to routes when they are added. These names may be modified to ease identification in monitoring facilities and logs.
Resting the cursor over an agent or route in the template, displays parts of its configuration in a tool-tip text.
An agent tool-tip of a workflow configuration
A route tool-tip
Right-click Menu for Workflow Editor
The right-click menu for workflow editor contains the following options.
Right-click Menu for Workflow Editor
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Configuration... | Note! This option is applicable to agents in both batch and real-time workflows and routes in real-time workflow only. See Right-click Menu for Agents and Right-click Menu for Routes for more information. |
| Cut | Note! This option is applicable to agents in both batch and real-time workflows and routes in real-time workflow only. See Right-click Menu for Agents and Right-click Menu for Routes for more information. |
| Copy | Note! This option is applicable to agents in both batch and real-time workflows and routes in real-time workflow only. See Right-click Menu for Agents and Right-click Menu for Routes for more information. |
| Paste | Pastes the agent and its configurations from the clipboard into the workflow editor, where the insertion point has been set. Alternatively, you can use the Paste function in the button bar. You can also use the Ctrl+V keys to perform this action. |
| MIM Browser... | Opens the MIM Browser from which the available MIM Resources may be inserted into the code area. |
| UDR Assistance... | Opens the UDR Internal Format Browser from which the UDR Fields may be inserted into the code area. |
| Add Comment... | Adds comments to the workflow. |
| Preferences | Click this to open the Preferences dialog. It allows you to change the appearance of the workflow template. You can also use the Preferences function in the button bar. See Visualization for more information. |
Configuration
Note!
Due to the agents' relationships within a workflow configuration, ensure that you have added all agents and routes in order to initiate a workflow.
Each agent in the workflow configuration has a specific configuration dialog named after the agent type. You can access these configurations by double-clicking the agent or route, or selecting the agent or route and right-clicking to reveal a pop-up menu. The pop-up menu contains different options depending on if you have selected an agent or route.
Agents
You can modify an agent name by selecting the name (clicking on it) and typing a new name. Agent names can also be edited in the configuration dialog. The dialog is displayed when the agent is double-clicked. Agent names must be unique within a workflow configuration and may only contain the a-z, A-Z, 0-9, "-" and "_" characters.
Right-click Menu for Agents
The right-click menu for agents contain the following options.
Right-click Menu for Agents (batch and real-time workflows)
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Configuration... | Click this to open the agent Configuration dialog. It contains configuration information located in tabs. The leftmost tab contains configuration parameters that are unique for each agent, while other additional tabs are for more generic type of configurations and may be recognized in other agent windows. Info! A description of components in the first tab is available in the user documentation section for the respective agent, while the remaining tabs are described in the section below, Agent Services. |
| Cut | Moves the selected agent and its configurations to the clipboard. Alternatively, you can use the Cut function in the button bar. You can also use the Ctrl+X keys to perform this action. |
| Copy | Copies the selected agent and its configurations to the clipboard. Alternatively, you can use the Copy function in the button bar. You can also use the Ctrl+C keys to perform this action. |
| Paste | Pastes the agent and its configurations from the clipboard into the workflow editor, where the insertion point has been set. Alternatively, you can use the Paste function in the button bar. You can also use the Ctrl+V keys to perform this action. |
| MIM Browser... | Note! This option is applicable to the workflow editor. See Right-click Menu for Workflow Editor for more information. |
| UDR Assistance... | Opens the UDR Internal Format Browser from which the UDR Fields may be inserted into the code area. |
| Add Comment... | Adds comments to the selected agent. |
| Preferences | Click this to open the Preferences dialog. It allows you to change the appearance of the workflow template. You can also use the Preferences function in the button bar. See Visualization for more information. |
Agent Services
Some agent configuration dialogs are optionally equipped with additional tabs holding configurations for different common services. This section describes the general services that are available. The user guide for each agent, will in turn describe what services it uses.
Routes
A route name is modified by selecting the name (clicking on it) and typing a new name. Route names must be unique within a workflow configuration and may only contain the a-z, A-Z, 0-9, "-" and "_" characters.
Each route in the workflow is by default either asynchronous or synchronous, but this can be configured per route for real-time workflows.
Right-click Menu for Routes
The right-click menu for routes are different for Batch and Real-time workflows.
Right-click Menu for Routes - Batch workflow
Right-click Menu for Routes - Real-time workflow
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Configuration... | Note! This option is applicable to real-time workflows. Click this to open the Route dialog. It allows you to override the default configuration and set the route as Synchronous or Asynchronous.
Route Dialog
Warning! If you modify the default setting for a route, this can cause a deadlock or performance issues. If you choose to modify the type of route, do so with caution. Info! In an Analysis or Aggregation agent, the route operation is done through the UDRs that are left on queues are picked up and processed by the workflow threads. The number of workflow threads can be configured in the Execution tab of the Workflow Properties dialog for the workflow. Note! Even though it is possible to configure bytearrays to be routed over an asynchronous route, bytearrays will always be routed in synchronous mode, regardless of how the route is configured, since the workflow UDR queues do not support bytearrays. |
| Cut | Moves the selected agent and its configurations and route to the clipboard. Alternatively, you can use the Cut function in the button bar. You can also use the Ctrl+X keys to perform this action. Note! This does not apply when only the route is selected. You must select the agent and its route to perform this action. |
| Copy | Copies the selected agent and its configurations and route to the clipboard. Alternatively, you can use the Copy function in the button bar. You can also use the Ctrl+C keys to perform this action. Note! This does not apply when only the route is selected. You must select the agent and its route to perform this action. |
| Paste | Pastes the agent and its configurations and route from the clipboard into the workflow editor, where the insertion point has been set. Alternatively, you can use the Paste function in the button bar. You can also use the Ctrl+V keys to perform this action. Note! This does not apply when only the route is selected. You must select the agent and its route to perform this action. |
| MIM Browser... | Note! This option is applicable to the workflow editor. See Right-click Menu for Workflow Editor for more information. |
| UDR Assistance... | Opens the UDR Internal Format Browser from which the UDR Fields may be inserted into the code area. |
| Add Comment... | Note! This option is applicable to the workflow editor and agents See Right-click Menu for Agents and Right-click Menu for Workflow Editor for more information. |
| Preferences | Click this to open the Preferences dialog. It allows you to change the appearance of the workflow template. You can also use the Preferences function in the button bar. Info! To view the type for all routes, not limited to the ones you have stated explicitly, you can select the option Show All Route Types in the Preferences dialog. This is only applicable to realtime workflows. See Visualization for more information. |
| Route Styles | Sets the style or appearance of the routes in a workflow. Route style can also be changed for one specific route, not affecting the entire workflow. The default route style is Bezier. See Visualization for more information. Note! In a real-time workflow a fourth kind of routing type appears by default when a response is returned to an agent that sent out a request. The route is shown as a dot-dashed line. |
Visualization
In the workflow configuration, zoom in or out the workflow illustration by modifying the zoom percentage number that you find on the tool bar. The default value is 100(%). To change the zoom value click the increase or decrease icons. Clicking the button between these icons will reset the zoom level to the default value. Changing the view scale does not affect the configuration.
It is also possible to change the appearance of the workflow template in other ways. You can open the dialog found in the menu.
Preferences Dialog - Batch Workflow
Preferences Dialog - Real-time workflow
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Show Comments | Select this to display the comments if you have added them for agents or in the workflow editor. Comments are hidden if this option is not selected. |
Route Style | Sets the style of the routes in the workflow. Route style can also be changed for one specific route, not affecting the entire workflow. This is done by right-clicking the route in the workflow and selecting Route Styles . The default route style is Bezier.
Route Styles Note! In a real-time workflow a fourth kind of routing type appears by default when a response is returned to an agent that sent out a request. The route is shown as a dot-dashed line. |
Grid Style | Determines how the grid should be displayed; Invisible , Dot or Line. The default grid style is Invisible. |
Grid Size | With this slider you can change the grid density. A large number will increase the distance between agents. |
Show All Route Types | If you have configured the route type to override the default type, the initials A is shown upon the change to indicate the route as Asynchronous, while an S for Synchronous. For default route type, you must select this option to have the initials display similarly.
The initials A on the route indicates the route as an Asynchronous route type Note! This option is only visible when you are in a real-time workflow. |
