Workflow

Description

The Workflow action executes a previously defined workflow as a sub-worflow of the current one.

For ease of use, it is also possible to create a new workflow within the dialog, pressing the New Workflow button.

Use the Workflow action to execute a previously defined workflow.

This allows you to perform "functional decomposition." That is, you use them to break out workflows into more manageable units.

For example, you should not write a data warehouse load using one workflow that contains 500 actions.

It is better to create smaller workflows and compose them.

See also:

Options

workflow Specification Tab

Option Description

Action name

Name of the action.

Workflow Filename

Specify the XML file name of the workflow to execute. Click to browse through your local files.

Advanced Tab

Option Description

Copy previous results to args?

The results from a previous workflow can copied as arguments of the workflow using the "Copy rows to result" transform. If "Execute for every input row" is enabled then each row is a set of command line arguments to be passed into the workflow, otherwise only the first row is used to generate the command line arguments.

Copy previous results to parameters?

If "Execute for every input row" is enabled then each row is a set of command line workflow arguments to be passed into the workflow, otherwise only the first row is used to generate the command line arguments.

Execute for every input row?

Implements looping; if the previous workflow action returns a set of result rows, the workflow executes once for every row found. One row is passed to the workflow at every execution. For example, you can execute a workflow for each file found in a directory.

Remote slave server

The slave server on which to execute the workflow

Pass workflow export to slave

Pass the complete workflow (including referenced sub-workflows and sub-pipelines) to the remote server.

Wait for the remote workflow to finish?

Enable to block until the workflow on the slave server has finished executing

Follow local abort to remote workflow

Enable to send the abort signal to the remote workflow if it is called locally

Expand child workflows and pipelines on the server

When the remote workflow starts child workflows and pipelines, they are exposed on the slave server and can be monitored.

Logging Settings Tab

By default, if you do not set logging, Hop will take log actions that are being generated and create a log record inside the workflow. For example, suppose a workflow has three pipelines to run and you have not set logging. The pipelines will not output logging information to other files, locations, or special configuration. In this instance, the workflow executes and puts logging information into its master workflow log. In most instances, it is acceptable for logging information to be available in the workflow log. For example, if you have load dimensions, you want logs for your load dimension runs to display in the workflow logs. If there are errors in the pipelines, they will be displayed in the workflow logs. If, however, you want all your log information kept in one place, you must set up logging.

Option Description

Specify logfile?

Enable to specify a separate logging file for the execution of this workflow

Append logfile?

Enable to append to the logfile as opposed to creating a new one

Name of logfile

The directory and base name of the log file; for example C:\logs

Create parent folder

Create the parent folder for the log file if it does not exist

Extension of logfile

The file name extension; for example, log or txt

Include date in logfile?

Adds the system date to the filename with format YYYYMMDD (eg 20051231).

Include time in logfile?

Adds the system time to the filename with format HHMMSS (eg 235959).

Loglevel

Specifies the logging level for the execution of the workflow. See also the logging window in Logging

Arguments Tab

Option Description

Arguments

Specify which command-line arguments will be passed to the sub-workflow.

Parameters Tab

Specify which parameters will be passed to the sub-workflow:

Option Description

Pass all parameter values down to the sub-workflow

Enable this option to pass all parameters of the workflow down to the sub-workflow.

Parameters

Specify the parameter names that will be passed to the workflow.

Stream column name

Allows you to capture fields of incoming records of a result set as a parameter.

Value

Allows you to specify the values for the sub-workflow’s parameters. You can do this by:

  • Manually typing some text (Ex: ETL workflow)

  • Using a parameter to set the value (Ex: ${Internal.workflow.Name})

  • Using a combination of manually specified text and parameter values (Ex: ${FILE_PREFIX}_${FILE_DATE}.txt)