Automation Engine (v12)

ONE Automation Foundations

English - eLearning program

Supporting document

automic.com
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3
Product: Concepts ..................................................................................................................... 3
Interface ..................................................................................................................................... 7
Objects: Concepts...................................................................................................................... 8
Objects: Demo ..........................................................................................................................11
Operations ................................................................................................................................12
Miscellaneous ...........................................................................................................................14

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Introduction
Hello, and welcome to this online learning program by AUTOMIC.

My name is Karel Von Ascheberg, I am an instructional designer and eLearning developer.

This is the supporting documentation for the ONE AUTOMATION FOUNDATIONS COURSE.

We recommend you download this document for your convenience. It provides an outline of the
course, a breakdown of each section and module with the main learning objectives and points.

Product: Concepts
Module Overview

Module outline
1. Solution overview
2. Functional capabilities
3. Technical architecture
4. Components

Solution Overview

ONE Automation
Suite of products for automation of IT Operations:
- Workload Automation (AWA)
- Release Automation (ARA)
- Service Orchestration / Provision (ASO)

Automation Engine
Technical solution: Baseline for all ONE Automation products
AE natively assumes AWA responsibilities
ARA and ASO are “add-ons” to the Engine

Automic Workload Automation

Whereas AE is the technical solution, AWA is the functional tool
AWA provides complete workload automation (batch, operations...)
From a technical standpoint, AE and AWA are the same thing

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Functional Capabilities: AWA

This course is a basic introduction to AE and AWA

AWA handles workload automation across many platforms, for ERPs, databases...

Core objects
Clients, Jobs, File Transfers, Workflows, Calendars, Schedules

Synchronization capabilities
Conditions, Dependencies

Scripting language

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Technical architecture – Overview

Core Automation Engine components

Automation Engine: Core functions (WPs, CPs)
Database repository: SQL-Server, Oracle…

Host components
Agent software on hosts with automation
Specific agent software exists based on:
(a) OS agents: Windows, HPUX, AIX…
(b) Application agents: SAP, SQL-Server…

Interface
Web interface

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Components

Components
1. Database
2. Engine
3. Agents
4. Web Interface (AWI)

Takeaways

1. You understand the basic definition of:

- ONE Automation
- Automation Engine (AE)
- Automic Workflow Automation (AWA)
2. Are you familiar with the ARA and ASO acronyms
3. You understand the basic capabilities of AWA
4. You are familiar with the Automation Engine’s architecture and various parts

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Interface
Module Overview

General presentation of the AWI environment

1. URL, access and logging in
2. Navigation
3. Environment
4. Perspectives
5. Dashboards and Widgets
6. Refresh / logging out

Takeaways

1. You are comfortable navigating the AE / AWA user interface

2. You can log in, change colors, find help, use messages, search and log out
3. You understand Perspectives, Dashboards (public and private) and Widgets
4. You understand Widget types
5. You know that, if something seems wrong with your display: Just refresh

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Objects: Concepts
Module Overview

Core objects
Definition: Folders – Jobs – File Transfers – Workflows
Automation: Events – Calendars – Schedules

Orchestration
Dependencies
Conditions

Interactions
Notifications
PromptSets

Operations
Queues

Core Objects

Object-based model
One Automation model relies on objects

Folders
They structure and organize the environment
They file objects in dedicated locations

Naming convention examples

• Folders (“FOLD”)
• Jobs (“JOBS”)
• File Transfers (“JOBF”)
• Calendars (“CALE”)
• Workflows (“JOBP”)
• Schedule (“JSCH”)

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Automation: Model

Core objects
Folders – Jobs – File Transfers – Calendars – Workflows – Schedules

Orchestration

Orchestration
Mechanisms to prevent executable jobs from executing unless certain conditions are met

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Interaction

Interaction
Two objects to interact with system

Notifications (”CALL”)
Messages (requests, alarms, emails) sent to users informing them of certain events

PromptSets (”PRPT”)
Interactive screens - Allow users to feed values to the system

Queues

Queues
Separate spaces in which executable processes are submitted
Provide added controls: Processes can be sorted out, separated, controlled...

Takeaways

1. You have a basic understanding of core AWA objects

2. You can structure these objects in main functional groups (definitions, orchestration...)
3. You know the difference between a dependency and a condition
4. You understand what a Queue is

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Objects: Demo

Module Overview

Visual presentation of core objects and functions

Part 1
1. Folders, Jobs and File Transfers
2. Workflows
3. Dependencies & Conditions
4. Calendars
5. Schedules

Part 2
6. Notifications
7. PromptSets
8. Queues

Takeaways

1. You have a basic understanding of core AWA objects

2. You can structure these objects in main functional groups (definitions, orchestration...)
3. You have an understanding of the main objects in AWA

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Operations
Module Overview

General presentation of the operational environment

Service Catalog Perspective

Executions and Reporting tools
Comments
Statuses
Actions
Cyclical executions
Forecast

Five Major Status Groups

ANY ABEND (RED)

Executed objects, completed with abnormal status
Aborted, canceled manually

BLOCKED (ORANGE)
Executed objects but incomplete
Processing stopped, Agent stopped, Workflow blocked...

WAITING (BLUE)
Objects posted but not executing
Waiting for start time, manual release, preconditions...

ACTIVE (GREEN)
Statuses of objects currently executing
Started, active, escalated...

ANY OK (GREY)
All objects completed with normal status
Completed, skipped...

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Actions

Cancel and Cancel (recursive) : Cancels running tasks / If RECURSIVE:

Cancels its subordinate tasks

Comments : Opens a task’s comment window - Notes can be written - Can never be removed

Deactivate : Removes tasks that have finished

Removes Workflows that do not include active tasks
Includes all subordinate tasks

Delete Entry : Deletes tasks waiting for start of group - Uncommon (Job Group object)

Detail : Displays task’s status Detail window - Provides information about status

Edit : Opens corresponding object for processing

Changes apply for all executions, not just current one

Enforce Pre-Condition evaluation : Restarts evaluation of preconditions of task

Only available for Workflow tasks - Task should have “Waiting for Preconditions” status

Forecast : Creates forecast for task

Go and Go Recursive : Restarts a Workflow after it was stopped with the STOP command

Ignore Pre-Conditions : Task preconditions no longer checked or deactivated

Only available for tasks that have not started

Modify status manually : Changes task’s current status - Handle with care !
Statuses should not be changed manually - This should be exceptional

Open Generated Job : Displays result of a generated Job

The job should not have started But it should be generated

Restart : Repeat object execution - Opens restart options window

Stop and Stop recursive : Stops an entire Workflow

No new task will be started within this Workflow - Running tasks will not be canceled
This stops Workflows temporarily - Can be resumed with GO

Take Over Task : Tasks run under user who started them
They can be taken over by another user - This requires appropriate privileges

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Takeaways

1. You understand the basic responsibilities of an end-user and the functions at your disposal
2. You know why the Service Catalog perspective is your go-to environment in AWI
3. You understand the concept of personal and team Favorites
4. You know what a Job report and Workflow Monitor are
5. You can add comments to an execution
6. You are comfortable with the five key status groups and use actions to manage an execution
7. You can set up a recurring execution without a Schedule execution

Miscellaneous

Module Overview

Other functions
ARA Perspective
ARA Widgets
Analytics Widgets

Takeaways

1. You know that AWA works natively with an AE instance, while ARA and ASO require add-ons
2. You know that ARA is an AWI Perspective, and what an ARA-specific AE looks like
3. You know that ARA also has its own Widget type
4. You understand the purpose of Analytics, which are a Widget type

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 Automic is the world’s most comprehensive platform in
automating businesses. Founded 1985, Automic pioneered
the largest, independent, globally deployed automation
platform which powers the enterprise, application and
infrastructure. Now, as the consumerization of IT accelerates,
Automic is reimagining how organizations integrate next
generation service models such as cloud, DevOps and big
data. We challenge conventional thinking, enabling our
customers to be faster, smarter, in control. Automic – the
standard in business automation.

www.automic.com
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