HCL Workload Automation on HCL SoFy - The Operator's Perspective & Application Architect

Now that we have talked about the Business User & Scheduler’s Perspective in our previous blog post, this part will focus on the Operator’s perspective and the overall application architecture. 

As an operator, your mission is to stay in control with custom dashboards and KPIs. 

With the demo, you will learn to:  

• Monitor the workload from the dashboard 
• Resolve problems and restart the processing 
• Easily change the conditions to test alternative business flows 

Let’s start to take advantage of a single point of access and control. 

As a first step, login to the Dynamic Workload Console and modify some parameters on the demo flow to change its behavior. Search for alternate_process job stream and submit it.

Fig 1: Dynamic Workload Console

In the Workload Dashboard you have all the data regarding your workload execution in a single customizable page. Now that you can see there is one error in job, drill down into the job monitoring page. 

Fig 2 : Workload Dashboard

Open the job stream view for the job in error. 

Fig 3: Job Stream View

You are seeing a pipeline of three steps where the first step is changing the threshold value and the second step is in error state and preventing the third step from execution. 

Fig 4: Job Stream

Right Click on the red box to open the job log 

Fig 5: Job Log

Since it’s a Syntax error, you need to close the job log window. Check all the options that an operator has to make the flow going on once the problem is resolved: rerun, release or confirm it as successful 

Fig 6: Job Log Error

Cancel the Job as this operation will increase the dependency for the third step 

Fig 7: Cancelling the Job

Now you will see that the third step is executing and its automatically submitting the demo flow.

Fig 8: Submitting Demo Flow

Open the Job stream view and check that the non-relevant condition is met, and the relevant branch is suppressed. 

Fig 9: Job Stream View

Go back to the workload Dashboard and give a further look on the available statistics, you can easily try to create a new one on your own. 

Fig 10: Dashboard View

The Application Architect Perspective 

As an application architect, your mission is to Leverage APIs to easily change the workflow. 

With this demo you will learn to: 

• Use the Swagger UI 
• Explore and test the API services making the flow execution flexible to market’s changes without affecting the core workload definition 

Let’s get started and test the flexibility of API-driven scenarios. 

HCL Workload Automation provides a full set of rest API to interact with the workload object models and instances in the plan. 

Fig 11: SoFy Solution Console

HCL Workload Automation provides an easy swagger UI to document the API services and help you in creating your end-to-end scenario.  Login using the Dynamic Workload Console credentials. And take your time to explore the various services available. 

Fig 12: Swagger UI

Start the demo scenario selecting the get variable table service.  

Click on “try it out” and insert order_table as variable table name. 

Fig 13: Variable Table

Execute and review the API Call and copy the response body. 

Fig 14: Response Body

Now select the update variable table service, click try it out again and in the request body field paste the copied response body. 

Fig 15: Update Variable Table Service

Locate the variable where key name is MSG and customize the value and Copy the id of the variable table in the header and paste it in the required field. Execute the call. 

Fig 16: Execute the Call

Access again the workload designer and open the order_table object. 

Fig 17: Workload Designer

Verify that the message is updated and  Switch to the order_process job stream. 

Fig 18: Order Process Job Stream

Submit the job stream into the current plan from the action menu. 

Fig 19: Submit Job Stream

Monitor the submitted job stream and access the jobs page. Here you can see the status of all the jobs in the job stream, refresh the table and wait until the process_order job is in success state.

Fig 20: Jobs Page

Open its job log, you can check that the job has now changed its output. 

Fig 21: Job Logs

Fig 22: Job Log Details

Using rest API, you can also submit the workload, control its execution and more.  

You have learned that is possible to integrate automation operations with external systems using our API.  

With HCL Workload Automation you can automate anything, run anywhere. 

Read part 1 of this blog giving insights on Business User & Scheduler’s Perspective here

Click here to access the SoFy Demo page 

Click here to Try 90 Day Free Trial of HCL Workload Automation 

Listen to HWA Podcast series at https://workloadautomation.buzzsprout.com/

Authors Bio

Emanuela Zaccone, Product Manager, HCL Workload Automation

Emanuela Zaccone is the HCL Workload Automation Product Manager. She is an experienced marketer with strong product management skills and an addiction to innovation. As Digital Entrepreneur she founded TOK.tv. In 2019 she granted the inventor title by patenting social TV. She completed a PhD between the universities of Bologna (Italy) and Nottingham (UK).

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emanuelazaccone/