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Automating tasks by using AutomationEdge processes

As an application business analyst, automate tasks and repetitive actions, such as onboarding employees, scheduling systems, and data processing, by using the processes in AutomationEdge. To trigger an AutomationEdge process, create a process in your application by using the Run AE Process and Get AE Process Status elements in the Process designer.

Related topics

Creating-a-document-instance

Process-variables-and-data-types

Viewing-and-managing-process-execution

Before you begin

Make sure that an administrator has configured a webhook callback and AutomationEdge connector.

To create a process to trigger an AutomationEdge process

  1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio.
  2. Navigate to the Workspace tab, and select the application in which you want to create a process.
  3. In the application, select Processes, and click New.
  4. In the Process designer, drag the Run AE Process element to the canvas.

  5. In the Run AE Process element Properties pane, enter the values of the following input properties:

    Property

    Description

    Connection ID

    Connection ID of the AutomationEdge connector.

    Process Or Workflow Name

    Select the name of the AutomationEdge process or workflow from the drop-down list.

    Note: The values in the drop-down list are fetched from the server configured in the respective connector.

    Process Correlation ID

    Correlation ID that is used to uniquely identify a process instance execution.
    This property is used with AutomationEdge callback.

    (Optional) Parameters

    Value for the parameters defined in your process.
    Important: The supported data types are String, Number, Integer, Boolean, and Date.

    The Run AE Process output is JSON that provides the response and status of the AutomationEdge process or workflow. For example:

    { "sourceId": "<Source ID>", "responseDetails": null, "source": null, "inputAttribute6": null, "inputAttribute5": null, "userId": null, "inputAttribute4": null, "parentId": null, "inputAttribute3": null, "responseCode": "RequestCreated", "inputAttribute2": null, "inputAttribute1": null, "responseMailSubject": null, "success": true, "automationRequestId": <Automation Request ID>, "errorDetails": null }

To create a process to get the status of an AutomationEdge process

  1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio.
  2. Navigate to the Workspace tab, and select the application in which you want to create a process.
  3. In the application, select Processes, and click New.
  4. In the Process designer, drag the Get AE Process Status element to the canvas.

  5. In the Get AE Process Status element Properties pane, enter the values of the following input properties:

    Property

    Description

    Connection ID

    Connection ID of the AutomationEdge connector.

    Automation Request ID

    The automation request ID of the process or workflow that you trigger in the AutomationEdge console.
    If you use the Get AE Process Status element and the Run AE Process element in a process, map the output property automationRequestId of the Run AE Process element to this property.

    The Get AE Process Status output is JSON that provides the response and status of the AutomationEdge process or workflow. For example:

    {
    "container": false,
    "sourceId": "<Source ID>",
    "failureReasonDescription": null,
    "totalOperations": 0,
    "retriedCount": 0,
    "source": null,
    "inputAttribute1": null,
    "workflowConfiguration": {
    "id": <Workflow configuration ID>,
    "name": "<Process name>"
    },
    "workflowResponse": {
    "message": null,
    "error": null,
    "currentStatus": null,
    "outputParameters": [
    {
    "name": "param1",
    "value": "pr1",
    "type": "String",
    "uiControlType": null,
    "order": 0,
    "secret": false,
    "optional": false,
    "defaultValue": null,
    "displayName": "outputParam1",
    "extension": null,
    "poolCredential": false,
    "listOfValues": null,
    "valueSeparator": null
    },
    {
    "name": "<Process name>.txt",
    "value": "f014fb58-f592-44e0-9153-dd366075a523",
    "type": "File",
    "uiControlType": null,
    "order": 1,
    "secret": false,
    "optional": false,
    "defaultValue": null,
    "displayName": "<Process name>.txt",
    "extension": "txt",
    "poolCredential": false,
    "listOfValues": null,
    "valueSeparator": null
    }
     ]
    },
    "id": 23587,
    "enableTermination": false,
    "agentName": "<Agent name>",
    "workflowName": "<Process name>",
    "inputAttribute6": null,
    "priority": "DEFAULT",
    "inputAttribute5": null,
    "userId": null,
    "inputAttribute4": null,
    "completedDate": 1629882766847,
    "inputAttribute3": null,
    "inputAttribute2": null,
    "lastUpdatedDate": 1629882766853,
    "createdDate": 1629882760712,
    "agentDeleted": false,
    "attribute5": null,
    "attribute4": null,
    "createdBy": 434,
    "failureReason": null,
    "attribute6": null,
    "successfulOperations": 0,
    "attribute1": "attr1",
    "attribute3": "attr3",
    "executionStartTime": 1629882763456,
    "attribute2": "attr2",
    "status": "Complete"
    }
  6. If required, add the other process elements and specify the flow of execution that you want to create for your business logic.
  7. Save the process.

Example: Automating the task of writing in a file by using an AutomationEdge process

Ajay is an application business analyst at Calbro Services. He wants to automate the task of writing in a file by using an AutomationEdge process so that minimal manual intervention is required to complete the task. Ajay performs the following actions to create a process to trigger the AutomationEdge process that performs the task:

  1. Create the process as shown in the following image:
    AE_process.png

  2. Add the process properties to map them with the AutomationEdge process input variables as shown in the following image:
    AE_process_properties.png
  3. Add Create Document properties as shown in the following image:
    AE_create document.png
    1. To add a document, select the AutomationEdgeParameters document definition as shown in the following image:
      AutomationEdge_Parameters.jpg
    2. To add values for the document nodes, click Add/Remove Document Nodes, and select the key and value checkboxes of nodes as shown in the following image:
      AE_add nodes.png

  4. In the  Run Automation Edge Process properties pane, do the following:
    1. In the Input Map section, select the Connection ID.
      AutomationEdge_PropertiesPane.jpg
    2. Select a process from the Process Or Workflow Name drop-down list that you want to trigger.
      AutomationEdge_ProcessList.jpg
    3. Enter the Process Correlation ID.
    4. Add the output from the Process Parameters as inputs to the Run AE process. 
  5. Add Get Automation Edge Process Status properties as shown in the following image:
    AE_get AE process status.png
  6. Add Receive Task properties as shown in the following image:
    AE_receive task.png
  1. Add Timer properties as shown in the following image:
    AE_timer.png
  1. Add Send User Message properties as shown in the following image:
    AE_send message.png
  1. Save the process.

Example: Using AutomationEdge callback to receive notifications about process completion

Ajay is an application business analyst at Calbro Services. He automates a task by using an RPA process in AutomationEdge. He wants to receive a notification about the process completion. Ajay performs the following actions to automate the task and receive notification about the completion or failure of the task:

  1. In your application, create the following process to automate the task:
    Callback AE.png
    1. Add the process properties to map the AutomationEdge process input variables as shown in the following image:
      Callback AE properties.png

    1. Add Run AE Process properties as shown in the following image:

      AutomationEdge_PropertiesPane_Callback.jpg

      Important

      In the AutomationEdge process that you use, make sure that you expose the callbackUrl, callbackAuthKeyOrUserName, callbackPassword, and processCorrelationId parameters and use these parameters to provide callback.

    2. Add Receive Task properties as shown in the following image:
      Callback AE Receive Task element.png
    1. Add Timer properties as shown in the following image:
      Callback AE Timer.png
    1. Add Send In App Notification properties as shown in the following image:
      Callback AE notify with process status.png
    1. Add Send In App Notification properties as shown in the following image:
      Callback AE notify on timeout.png
    1. Save the process.
  1. Create the following rule that is triggered by the AutomationEdge callback:
    Callback AE rule.png
    1. Add the following Trigger properties:
      Callback AE rule Trigger.png

    1. Add the following Qualification properties:
      Callback AE qualification.png

      AutomationEdgeConfig is the callback configuration name.

    2. Add the following Signal Process properties:
      Callback AE rule Signal Process.png
    1. Save the rule.

 

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