Dashboard

The Workflow dashboard in the Dalet Flex console provides an overview of the status of your workflow instances. This section provides an overview of the information available.

Recent Workflow Activity

The Recent Workflow Activity section provides a real-time update of all events occurring in relation to workflow instances. Roll over each entry to display further information on the event with links to the underlying workflow object.

Workflow Summary

This section shows a summary of the status of the workflow instances that are visible to you. For all numerical values that are greater than zero you can click through to see the results in the search results view. If you have the right permissions, you can click on a workflow definition name to see the workflow definition details.

Shortcuts

This section shows all Shortcuts to Workflows.

Saved Searches

This section shows all searches you have saved from the Workflow Search section.

Failed Workflow Instances

Click on the Failed Workflow Instances link to display a workflow instance search results screen with search fields pre-populated to show all failed workflow instances. From this view it is easy to enable bulk actions to cancel or retry one or many failed workflow instances.

Workflow Details

The Workflow Details screen displays information about an individual workflow instance. This screen also includes a link to the workflow definition that the instance relates to. The tabs and relevant fields are described below. From the Workflow Details screen, you can use the sub-tab navigation to browse.

The Workflow Toolbar

As well as the usual Follow, Shortcut, and Comment options in the Workflow Details view, you might also see a Retry and Cancel option.

Retry: If a workflow instance has failed or timed out, then one of the Jobs it has executed has failed. Click Retry to request that the job scheduler retry the failed or timed out job again. If the failed or timed out job completes, then the workflow instance will continue to run.

Cancel: If a workflow instance is running, failed, or timed out then click Cancel to be set the workflow instance to “Cancelling”. Once all running jobs have been cancelled or completed, the state will be changed to “Cancelled”.

Graph Tab

The Graph tab displays the run-time view of the workflow instance. As nodes are executed in the workflow instances, the colour of the nodes update from white to either green (complete) or red (error).

Workflow Nodes

If you click on a node in the workflow instance graph, a pop-up displays, that provides more information on the node. The information displayed, depends on the type of node (user task, action, structural), as well as whether the node has been executed by the workflow engine.

Details

Nodes that have been executed provide more information to the user. If a node has been executed, a job or a task instance will have been created and there will be a history of events.

History

A History view is available for all nodes that were executed by the workflow engine. You are provided with a real time view of all events generated by the node, as well as the associated task instance or job.

Action Node Pop-up Details

The action node pop-up displays the following details:

  • Node Type: Whether this is an action type of node or a user task type node.
  • Name: The name given to this node.
  • Node Description: The description given to this node (assuming it has been set).
  • Action Type: Provide the action type for this node: for example: transcode.
  • Action: The action associated with this node. (You will see a rollover if you have permissions to view this action).
  • Asset Context: The context of the asset (if it has been set).
  • Entered: The time that this node was entered by the workflow engine.
  • Exited: The time that this node was exited by the workflow engine (assuming it has been exited).
  • Duration: The time the node took to complete (entered time-exited time).
  • Progress: Assuming the associated job is running and the job support provision of progress information, a progress bar will be shown.
  • A Link to the Job: If the node has been executed, a job will have been created and a link to this job will be shown. Clicking on this link will take you to the Job Details section for this job.

Task Node Pop-up Details

The Node Task pop-up will provide the following details:

  • Node Type: Whether this is an action type of node or a user task type node.
  • Name: The name given to this node.
  • Node Description: The description given to this node (assuming it has been set).
  • Task Type: Provides the task definition for this task.
  • Asset Context: The context of the asset (assuming it has been set).
  • Entered: The time that this node was entered by the workflow engine.
  • Exited: The time that this node was exited by the workflow engine (assuming it has been exited).
  • Duration: The time the node took to complete (exited time - entered time)
  • A Link to the User Task
  • Instance: If the node has been executed, a user task instance will have been created and a link to this task instance will be shown. Clicking on this link will take you to the task details section for this task instance.

Structural Node Pop-up Details

A structural node pop-up will provide the following details:

  • Node Type: Whether this is an action type of node or a user task type node.
  • Name: The name given to this node.
  • Node Description: The description given to this node (assuming it has been set).
  • Entered: The time that this node was entered by the workflow engine.
  • Exited: The time that this node was exited by the workflow engine (assuming it has been exited).
  • Duration: The time the node took to complete (exited time - entered time)

Non-executed Node Details

Nodes that have not been executed will merely comprise details about the node itself.

Workflow Definition

From the top right hand corner of this screen, the workflow definition that is linked to the workflow instance can be selected.

Clicking through takes you to the workflow definition for the workflow instance and shows you the structure of the workflow.

Asset View

If the workflow instance has an asset associated with it, then a link will be visible at the top right hand corner of this screen. This Link will take you to the Asset Details section for the asset that this workflow instance is currently working on.

This section explains how to search for workflows instances in the workflow section of Dalet Flex. Here we focus on the elements of search that are specific to workflow searches.

Workflow Options

The Workflow Options drop down shows fields relevant to searching for workflow instance object types. The fields available are:

  • Workflow Definition and Workflow Version: This feature allows for searching Workflow Instances by workflow definition. Only once you have selected your chosen workflow definition, can you select the workflow version.

  • Position: The Position drop down defines which node (step) within the workflow instance, that you would like to search on. You must have chosen a workflow definition and a workflow version before you can select a position. Using this field will ensure that Dalet Flex only returns resultant workflow instances that are currently at the node (step) you have selected.

  • Status: Workflow statuses are explained in the Workflow Summary section.

  • Started and Completed: These fields help you to search workflow instances by when they started and by when they completed.

  • Variables: These fields allows you to search by variables that exist in the workflow context.

  • Search Results: Executing a search in the workflow instance search section will return zero or more results. Users can view the workflow instance details using the List view. Users can also toggle bulk actions to display the toolbar and enable actions to be carried out against one or more workflow instances. Clicking on an item in the workflow search results will take you to that workflow instance’s Workflow Details screen.