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Navigating the Gen 2 Workflow Canvas
- 01 Apr 2024
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Navigating the Gen 2 Workflow Canvas
- Updated on 01 Apr 2024
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The second generation (Gen 2) of Automation Builder produces components that run in the same engine, and as such, it provides a similar feature set to the first generation (Gen 1). Some of the key features that it includes on top of a revitalized visual interface are a built-in job preview for debugging, improved task-level visual feedback on the canvas, a more sequential approach to adding tasks to the canvas, automation-wide error handlers, and improved static data input components.
How to Use the GUI in Gen 2
Below is a sample Gen 2 worfklow canvas in Automation Builder, along with a reference table that highlights the various menus, toolbars and controls.
Figure 1: Gen 2 Workflow Canvas
| Label | UI Element | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generic actions | Buttons from left to right: New component, Automation Studio home, Search component, Import component, Automation Studio documentation. |
| 2 | Search and list view | Enter a search term to filter automations in the list view by name. |
| 3 | Collection list of other Automation Studio applications | Components from other applications in the Automation Studio suite. Click one of the line items to expand and display a search bar and list view of the application's set of components. |
| 4 | Left sidebar footer control | Click the left double arrow to collapse the sidebar and the right single arrow to expand it. |
| 5 | Editor tabs | Click a tab to change editors for that component. Click the x to close the tab. Use the mouse scroll-wheel to scroll back and forth when tabs extend beyond the screenspace. |
| 6 | Secondary actions menu button | Contains the following items: View metadata, Clone automation, Export automation, and Delete automation. |
| 7 | Primary actions menu bar | Buttons from left to right: Show/hide error and failure handlers, Save automation, Run job, Select zoom level. |
| 8 | Console drawer | Contains several useful utilities for automation designers. Click one of the header buttons to open that section of the console drawer. |
| 9 | Right sidebar | Displays when nothing is selected on the canvas. Shows useful information such as a URL to use for starting the automation as a job; a task count display for the number of tasks, and a list of which apps and adapters the automation depends on. |
| 10 | Default error handler selector | Select a different automation to serve as the default error handler. It will become available as a dropdown option in the error handler settings of tasks when populated. |
| 11 | Right sidebar footer control | Select the arrow button to collapse the side panel. |
How to Use the Console Drawer in Gen 2
This section explains each of the utilities available in the Console Drawer.
Input and Output Schema Tabs
The Input and Output Schema tabs in the Console Drawer each display a JSON schema describing the expected structure of input parameters to the automation as well as the expected structure of the output of the automation. Job variables can also be masked from here.
Figure 2: Input Schema Tab
Figure 3: Input Schema Tab with Masking
Figure 4: Output Schema Tab
| Label | UI Element | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parameter names | Displays a list of required parameters for the automation. Click an input parameter name to limit the contents of the display pane to that parameter. |
| 2 | Display pane | Displays the schema of the parameters. |
| 3 | Editor theme | Toggle to switch between light and dark mode. |
Errors and Warnings Tabs
When saving an automation, IAP will report when there is a problem with the structure or settings in your automation. These problems can either be Errors, meaning they are guaranteed to exhibit errors at runtime, or Warnings, meaning they are likely to exhibit errors at runtime. Itential recommends resolving all Errors and Warnings in all automations. Reported Errors and Warnings will update when the automation is saved with the Save Button, not necessarily when it is changed (modified).
Errors and Warnings can be viewed in the Console Drawer by clicking their respective tab.
Figure 4: Errors Tab
Figure 5: Warnings Tab
| Label | UI Element | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Issue indicator | Indicates the presence of an issue. Disappears when all issues have been resolved. |
| 2 | Task | Column that indicates the task that is affected. |
| 3 | Issue | Description column that details the issue for diagnosis and remediation. |
Jobs Tab
Automation designers often find themselves running and re-running their automations in order to debug and refine their designs. In order to facilitate faster turnaround in the design, implement, and debug cycle, the Gen 2 Automation Builder provides a built-in job previewer with limited functionality. This feature is intended for providing quick access to information that is important to automation design and debugging, but does not provide the full manual task capabilities of Job Manager. It is possible to 'stub' a manual task from the Automation Builder UI - this forces it to succeed - but in order to fully work a manual task, automation designers will need to use Job Manager.
Figure 6: Job Preview Tab
| Label | UI Element | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start time | Displays when the job started. |
| 2 | Status icon | Displays the execution status of the job. Currently running jobs will display an ascending graph icon. Canceled jobs will display a circled 'x' icon. Jobs in an error state will have a circled exclamation point, and completed jobs show a circled check-mark. |
| 3 | View button | Opens the job in the Job Details tab of the Console Drawer. |
| 4 | Cancel button | Cancels the job. |
| 5 | Description | Displays the description (optional) provided at job start. |
| 6 | Started by | Displays the user who started the job. |
Job Detail Tab
Job status at the moment of the initialization along with other progress information is provided in the Job Detail tab.
Figure 7: Job Detail Tab
| Label | UI Element | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job progress information | Displays information on the initiating user and start time of the job, as well as its current execution state and progress. |
| 2 | Task name | Identifies the task that the current row describes. Rows are sorted top to bottom, with the most recently executed task on top and the first executed task at the bottom. |
| 3 | Status icon | Represents the execution status of the task. Incomplete tasks will display an ascending graph icon. Canceled tasks will display a circled 'x' icon. Tasks in an error state will have a circled exclamation point, and completed tasks show a circled check-mark. |
| 4 | Stub | This button control is only available on manual tasks. Clicking it will directly place the manual task into a success state without interacting with it directly. |
| 5 | Work | This button control is only available on manual tasks. Clicking it will open the Job Manager page in a new tab to allow the user to work the manual task directly. |
| 6 | Description | Displays the task description. |
| 7 | Incoming parameters preview | Displays a limited, inline representation of the data provided to the task when it was started. |
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