Can I use Automic output scans or conditions to send notifications about job status?

[JasonGilbert]

I would like to use Automic (UC4/Applications Manager/AppWorks) to review batch-process output and send notifications to staff.  However, it seems that the only thing I can do with Output Scans is change the status of a process flow, which I don't want to do.  Conditions can pull values from output and . . . do something with notifications?  But I'm not sure what.

 

Here is the main example:  We use Automic to automate Banner database processes.  During the GLBLSEL process, some students get dropped because they don't have a valid address.  One of the output files will list the students who don't get a letter because of this.  When this happens, I want Automic to send an email to FinAid staff with a heads up that some students didn't get a letter.  But I don't want to the process flow to stop.

 

Anyone doing this or understand how to this?

[Juergen Lechner]

Hi,
I might have missed some details. But normally you do such things with ACTIVATE_UC_OBJECT. You can directly activate a CALL object. Settings like a file attachment can be handed over using a promptset. If the preparation of the email includes more tasks, you could also call a workflow that is doing things like the compilation of a distribution list and the start of a CALL within.
I am currently working on a central email workflow for CDA to notify users about planned, finished or failed deployments using this command. The WAIT parameter will allow you to start the notification and immediately resume the processing.

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Juergen Lechner
Senior Consultant
setis GmbH
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[Pat Richards]

if the output file is only created if/when students with no valid address exist then you could use a check file condition to trigger an action to send the email alert

if the scenario is that the output file may or may not contain a list of students with no valid address, but the presence of a list can be detected by a simple text search, then the 'extract value' condition action could be used to set a subvar the value of which would then be used to determine whether the alert email needs to be generated

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Regards
Pat
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[Carmen_Gonzalez]

Hi Jason,
Yes, you can use Automic (Applications Manager) Output Scans, Conditions and Notification objects to notify about a jobs status without stopping the flow. Check out these steps:

1. Create a new Output Scan Rule and give it a meaningful name such as 'NO_LETTER'
- Text: "enter some string from the output that indicates students didn't get a letter"
- Files: Select All Output (to search for the text string)
- Action: Select Succeed
- Status: Display as: NO_LETTER

*** You may not want to change the job's status, but I find it useful to change the status when searching history for those jobs that reported a unique status.  However, you can also enter 'FINISHED' as the status to Display as well if you really don't want to change the status.

2. Create a Notification Object and name it 'NO_LETTER' and enter your Custom Text message to the FinAid staff:
- Notification Object Detail:
- Select 'First Time' button
- Status Trigger: Select 'Finished' button
- Enter Custom text message
- Email Recipients: enter mail recipients (separated with semi-colon if more than one)
- Optionally select to send them the output attached to the email


3. Assign the 'NO_LETTER' Output Scan to the job GLBLSEL (or job component if it's in process flow)

4. Add an 'After Condition' to the job as follows:
Timing: AFTER
Condition: STATUS
If status = NO_LETTER (enter the exact format you set for the Output Scan Status Display)
Then > Command: Select 'SEND NOTIFICATION' and select the 'NO_LETTER' Notification you created.
Action Timing: The first time the condition is true

Test your job. 


* Note:  Provided the job does the not abort for some other reason, by assigning the Action to Succeed (which acts the same as the default FINISHED status) in the Output Scan the process chain or job should not stop.

Good Luck.
Carmen