Scheduling a Workflow Run :: Dynamic values

[Anish Somadevan]

I would like to run a workflow using Schedule trigger. I can see in the Schedule properties that all the fields need to be set manually. Is there a way where we can set the values of certain fields dynamically? For example, Start time - Can this be set with a value retrieved from a CPSC Request XML?

Please let me know if this is possible.

Thanks,

Anish

[Svetlana Kryukova]

Hi, Anish!

Unfortunately this is not possible, not directly.

You could implement a workaround by using a table to track requests to run process A, and another process ("checker" process) that runs periodically to check the table. The design could work something like this...

1) Define a global table-typed variable where you can record the request (with the time) to run the process

2) Define a "checker" process that runs on a schedule (let's say every 15 minutes) and checks to see if there is any data in the table. If there is data in the table, the process could check to see if any of the requests are for this interval (say for the last 15 minutes) and if there are then the "checker" process could start the process A "asynchronously" and remove the request(s) from the table.

3) The process that receives CPSC Request XML could then add rows to the global table variable with the time(s) when process A needs to run.

To make this be more efficient I would recommend that the "checker" process is configured to not resume/not archive, and that it is also configured to start if another instance is already running.

Thanks,

Svetlana

[Anish Somadevan]

Hi Svetlana,

Thanks for the information. Considering the approach you mentioned, I am trying to make it work through CPSC, so that the request for CPO is received based on the time given by the user during form submission. A plan is created in the service, which invokes the CPO workflow on the time which user had mentioned in the form.

Hopefully this works.

Thanks

Anish

[Paul Jeffrey · Accepted solution]

Hi Anish

What version of CPSC are you using? If you are controlling the schedule there then are other approaches you could look at:

1. Make use of scheduled tasks within the CPSC delivery plan, the scheduled task will read the scheduled date value from one of your form fields
2. Make use of the new Service Item policy features, you can create a service item policy that will trigger a new action (i.e. a new service request to trigger a CPO process) based on a date value specified in the service item.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Paul

[Anish Somadevan]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for providing me with availablke options. I can see there is a scheduled task which takes date as a parameter to validate the scheduled start condition. In addition to the date i require time too. I would like to triigger a CPO workflow, say for example power up a VM on a particular date and time.

I am currently implementing the Time based policy of Service item to accomplish this. Please let me know if there is a way to validate both date and time in the scheduled task of a Plan delivery.

Thanks,

Anish

[Anish Somadevan]

Hi Paul,

It actually worked!! I tried giving a date and time value in the Scheduled task of a delivery plan. And selected the radio button which ensures that the condition is evaluated only when task in plan becomes active. I can see that the entry for the requisition id is not available in Tansactions until the server date and time is equal to the value i give in form.

Thanks a lot!!