Setting Events & Conditions

Overview

Automate Enterprise Events and Conditions enable workflows or tasks to run automatically based on the occurrence of an event or condition. For example, when using the Schedule Event, workflow execution starts once the specified date, time or interval occurs. When using the Key Event, execution starts when the specified key combination or phrase is entered by a user. Conditions affect workflows and tasks in the same manner. However, Conditions can also be used to capture state changes that events typically produce resulting in its ability to direct a workflow's path according to the current state of a condition.

Normally, Automate Enterprise Events and Conditions are created and added to a workflow during use of the Add Workflow Wizard. However, individual events and conditions can also be created from within the Server Management Console (SMC) or Workflow Designer (WFD). When these objects are created and their properties set, they are automatically saved to the Repository for re-use in other workflows, if needed. Proper instructions on how to create new events and conditions as well as how to re-use or edit pre-existing events or conditions are supplied below.

NOTE: The default behavioral settings for a newly created event or condition is set to wait indefinitely for the specified condition to occur as specified in the Behavior tab properties.  Because the wait is indefinite, selecting this option allows the Condition to behave as a TRIGGER object.

To Create a New Event or Condition from Server Management Console

  1. Select Repository from the Navigation bar and from the Side panel, select the Conditions folder or any existing subfolder in which to place the new event/condition. The new event/condition will be created placed inside the selected folder/subfolder.

  2. Press the New button from the Top panel or simply right-click the folder/subfolder and select New Condition from the context menu. The Add a Condition page appears (as shown below).

  1. Select the event or condition to create and click OK or simply double-click the desired event or condition. A new icon appears in the Main panel representing the new event/condition.

  2. Enter a unique name for the event/condition, then right-click and select Edit to access its properties. The properties dialog of the event/condition appears.

  3. Use the expander tabs to set desired properties and click the Update button to save the settings and close the properties dialog. Upon completion, the new event/condition and its properties are saved in the repository.

To Add a New Event or Condition from Workflow Designer

  1. From the Workflow Designer's Available Objects panel, drag the desired Condition or Event onto the workspace or simply double-click the object.

  2. Any new Event or Condition added to the workspace will default to the name Unbuilt Condition. Simply click the default name assigned for the object to rename it.

  3. Directly under the name, select the agent in which to associate the event/condition. The system will react only to the specified condition if it occurs on the selected agent computer.

  4. Double-click the chosen event/condition object to access its properties.
  5. Use the expander tabs to set desired properties in the dialog box that appears and click the Update button to save the settings and close dialog box.
  6. Use the appropriate Flow Control Arrows to connect other workflow objects to and from the newly created Event/Condition.
NOTE:  The Schedule event abides by a date/time value as opposed to occurrence of a system condition, therefore, contains no agent specifications.

To Add a Pre-existing Event or Condition to a Workflow

  1. From the Workflow Designer (WFD), click the Repository button located at the foot of the Available Objects pane. Doing so displays the list of repository items.

  2. Expand the Conditions folder. All pre-existing Events and Conditions should appear.

  3. Drag the desired object from the Conditions folder and drop it into he workspace (#2 illustration above).

  4. Select the agent in which the event or condition should associate to. Note that the Schedule event will abide by the date/time properties specified, therefore, includes no agent specifications.

  5. Double-click the object to edit its properties, if needed.
NOTE: To add a new event or condition or edit existing events or conditions from the Repository section of the Server management Console, see Repository.