Difference between revisions of "Executing a workflow instance"

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__NOTOC__
 
__NOTOC__
{{Requirements|UserLevel=All users|Connectivity=Online and offline}}
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{{Requirements|UserLevel=Submission Moderator and higher|Connectivity=Online and offline}}
  
This document describes how to use a workflow in the infoex system.
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This document describes how to execute a [[Definitions#WorkflowInstance|workflow instance]] from an existing [[Definitions#WorkflowTemplate|workflow template]].
  
 
==Background==
 
==Background==
A workflow links together user-specified tasks into a logical order so that users can repeatedly move through the same steps. The following types of steps are available in workflows:
+
A workflow links together user-specified tasks into a logical order so that users can repeatedly move through the same steps. See the following documents for more background information on workflows:
 +
* [[Workflow overview]]
 +
* [[Creating a workflow template]]
 +
 
 +
Executing a workflow instance involves three main steps:
 +
# [[#Starting the desired workflow|Starting the desired workflow]]
 +
# [[#Starting the desired workflow|Completing the steps included in the workflow]]
 +
# [[#Saving the results of a workflow and sharing them with the InfoEx community|Saving the results of a workflow and sharing them with the InfoEx community]]
 +
 
 +
==Step-by-step description==
 +
 
 +
===Starting the desired workflow===
  
 
{|class="TblSteps"
 
{|class="TblSteps"
 
|-
 
|-
|class="StepNum" | Context:
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|class="StepNum" | 1.
|A 'context' step provides information about the workflow itself and offers a place to record the following information:
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|[[File:WorkflowMenuStartNew.png|300px|thumb|right|Fig. 1: Workflow menu for starting a new workflow instance.]]From the WORKFLOWS menu select the workflow you want to execute and click on 'start new'. You need to be a Submission Moderator to have access to this menu item. The system will now load the necessary information for executing the chosen workflow.
|-
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{{Note|It is desirable to have a live internet connection when you initiate a workflow. This allows the system to pre-populate the fields of the [[Snowpack module]], [[Hazard assessment module]], [[Run list module]] and [[Hazard comment module]] with the information from the last time a workflow was submitted for the location(s) associated with the chosen workflow.|NoteWithImage}}
|class="StepNum" | Webpage:
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{{Note|You can initiate a workflow when you are offline, and the fields will be filled with the latest cached information on the computer. This will be up to date unless workflows have been submitted using other computers since you were last online on the computer you are currently using. However PWLs cannot be created (but can be updated) whilst offline and the run list extension does not work offline.|NoteWithImage}}
|A 'webpage' step allows the workflow user to view a stored webpage without leaving the application.
 
|-
 
|class="StepNum" | Snowpack:
 
|A 'snowpack' step allows the workflow user to add a snowpack description in narrative form.
 
|-
 
|class="StepNum" | Observation:
 
|An 'observation' step allows you to fill out a customized infoex observation as part of the workflow.
 
|-
 
|class="StepNum" | Report:
 
|A 'report' step allows you to view a customized infoex report as part of the workflow.
 
|-
 
|class="StepNum" | Hazard comment:
 
|A 'hazard comment' step allows you to create and add a comment about avalanche hazard in narrative form as part of the workflow.  
 
|-
 
|class="StepNum" | Hazard assessment:
 
|A 'hazard assessment step allows you to create and add a hazard assessment as part of the workflow.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 +
|class="StepNum" | 2.
 +
|[[File:WorkflowProgressSteps.png|300px|thumb|right|Fig. 2: Workflow progress]]After the necessary information has been loaded, the workflow will begin with the first step. The list of workflow steps is presented at the top of the workflow screen below the workflow title.
 
|}
 
|}
Executing a workflow involves two main tasks:
 
*Selecting and initiating the desired workflow
 
*Saving and sharing the results of a workflow
 
  
__NOTOC__
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===Completing the steps included in the workflow===
{{Requirements|UserLevel= User|Connectivity=Online and partial offline}}
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{{Note|Once a workflow has been started, you do not need to be online for completing the data entry steps. However, you need to be online to view any external webpages or InfoEx reports that are part of your workflow.}}
 
 
This document describes how to execute a workflow in the infoEx system.
 
 
 
==Background==
 
 
 
 
 
==Step-by-step description==
 
  
 
{|class="TblSteps"
 
{|class="TblSteps"
 
|-
 
|-
 
|class="StepNum" | 1.
 
|class="StepNum" | 1.
|login to the infoEx system with any valid user account.
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|Complete the first step of the workflow as described in the relevant workflow module help document. See [[Documentation_overview#Workflow_modules|Workflow modules]] for more information on the functionality of individual workflow modules.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|class="StepNum" | 2.
 
|class="StepNum" | 2.
|if you are enabled in more than one operation you must select an operation on the first screen after logging in.
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|[[File:WorkflowProgressControls.png|300px|thumb|right|Fig. 3: Workflow controls]] To move between steps use forward and backwards arrows in the workflow controls at the top right of the workflow area (Fig. 3). If you have specified that the steps of this workflow template can be completed in any order (see [[Creating a workflow template]] for more details), you can also navigate among the steps by clicking on the step labels at the top of the workflow screen below the workflow title.
 +
{{Note|Once a workflow step has been completed, the workflow step label will be turned into a hyperlink and you can always directly go back to this step by clicking on its label.|NoteWithImage}}
 
|-
 
|-
|class="StepNum" | 3.
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|class="StepNum" | 3.  
|From the 'Workflows' menu select the workflow you want to follow. You may choose either 'start new' or 'view historical'. The rest of this page reviews starting a new instance of a workflow by selecting 'start new'. To view previously completed workflows consult: [[Viewing previously completed workflows]]
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|At any time during your workflow, you can click on the {{ButtonBlue|Discard & Exit}} button from the workflow controls (Fig. 3)  to exit the workflow and delete all of the information that has been entered.  
 
|-
 
|-
|class="StepNum" | 4.
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|class="StepNum" | 7.
|[[File:WorkflowProgressSteps.png|300px|thumb|right|Fig. 1 Workflow progress]]After selecting 'start new' the workflow will begin with the first step. The list of workflow steps is presented at the top of the workflow screen below the workflow title.  
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|[[File:WorkflowMenuStartResume.png|300px|thumb|right|Fig. 4: Workflow menu for continuing an existing workflow instance.]]If you want to exit the workflow, but save the information that has been entered into the workflow for future use (e.g., a lead guide prepares the workflow for an upcoming guides meeting), click on the {{ButtonBlue|Save & Exit}} button from the workflow controls (Fig. 3). This will save a copy of the workflow execution to your local computer for future use and redirect you to the report section.
 +
{{Note|The information of a partially completed workflow is only stored on the computer where the workflow was started. This information is ''not'' stored on the InfoEx server or shared among the computers of the same operation.|NoteWithImage}}
 +
To continue this particular workflow, click on the WORKFLOWS menu, select the particular workflow template and click on 'resume' (Fig. 4).
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===Saving the results of a workflow and sharing them with the InfoEx community===
 +
[[File:WorkflowProgressControlsSubmit.png|300px|thumb|right|Fig. 5: Workflow controls with submit button enabled.]] Any workflow that includes workflow modules with data submission (click [[Documentation_overview#Workflow_modules|here]] for list of workflow modules with data entry), automatically has a [[Workflow summary|summary step]] included at the end of the workflow. Once you get to the summary step at the end of your workflow, the {{ButtonDarkBlue|Submit}} button will become enabled.
 +
 
 +
{|class="TblSteps"
 
|-
 
|-
|class="StepNum" | 5.  
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|class="StepNum" | 1.  
|[[File:WorkflowProgressControls.png|300px|thumb|right|Fig. 2 Workflow progress controls]]To move between steps use the controls at the top right of the workflow area (see Figure 2).
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|On the workflow summary page, click on the {{ButtonDarkBlue|Submit}} button to save all of the associated observations and assessments and share the appropriate elements within the InfoEx community. See the documentation for the individual workflow modules for more information on what is shared.
{{Note|Only the advance arrow will be enabled if the workflow design specified 'steps need to be completed in order' (see [[Creating a workflow template]]).|NoteWithImage}}
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{{Note|Please note that it is not possible to permanently save a workflow without sharing its content with the InfoEx community.}}
 
|-
 
|-
|class="StepNum" | 6.  
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|class="StepNum" | 2.  
|At any time you can select {{ButtonBlue|Discard & Exit}} from the workflow controls (see Figure 2) this will delete all trace of the workflow execution and no information will be submitted to the infoEx server.
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|Confirm that you want to submit the information in the confirmation dialog.
 +
{{Note|Note that once a workflow and the associated observations are submitted, you will not be able to edit them anymore.}}
 
|-
 
|-
|class="StepNum" | 7.
+
|class="StepNum" | 3.  
|At any time you can select {{ButtonBlue|Save & Exit}} from the workflow controls (see Figure 2) this will save a local copy of the workflow execution to date as well as share the saved information between all enabled local computers within an operation. However, no information will be shared with the infoEx server.
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|Once you confirmed the submission, you will receive a series of system messages informing you about the upload status and the workflow navigation buttons will become disabled.
 +
{{Note|See [[Viewing previously completed workflows]] for how to access completed workflows.}}
 
|-
 
|-
|class="StepNum" | 8.  
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|class="StepNum" | 4.  
|When the {{ButtonGreyWhite|Submit}} button activates by turning blue {{ButtonBlue|Submit}} you may submit all entered information to the infoEx Server
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|You can then generate or email (to the email list designated in the workflow definition) a pdf view of the workflow summary. Any single step can also be generated or emailed as a pdf.
{{Note|Once information is submitted to the infoEx server it will be deleted from all local computers. You may review previously submitted workflows. See: [[Viewing previously created workflows]]}}.
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==Related documents==
 
==Related documents==
 +
* [[Workflow overview]]
 +
* [[Executing a workflow instance]]
 
* [[Viewing previously completed workflows]]
 
* [[Viewing previously completed workflows]]
* [[Workflow overview]]
+
 
  
 
==Functionality tested by==
 
==Functionality tested by==
* Date: Tester / Server / Application version (e.g., Oct. 23: Pascal Haegeli / QA Server / Test Version 0.28.00)
+
*Dec. 31, 2013: Pascal Haegeli
 
+
[[Category:Super User]][[Category:Operation Administrator]][[Category:Submission Moderator]][[Category: Offline]][[Category:Workflows]][[Category:Version 3.4.0]]
[[Category:Help Files]]
 
[[Category:Super User]][[Category:Operation Administrator]][[Category:Submission Moderator]][[Category:User]]
 
[[Category:Offline]]
 
[[Category:Administration]][[Category:Locations]][[Category:Observations]][[Category:Workflows]][[Category:Reports]]
 
[[Category:Software Issues]][[Category:Version 0.31.00]]
 

Latest revision as of 14:49, 27 May 2019

REQUIREMENTS
Permission Submission Moderator and higher
Connectivity Online and offline

This document describes how to execute a workflow instance from an existing workflow template.

Background

A workflow links together user-specified tasks into a logical order so that users can repeatedly move through the same steps. See the following documents for more background information on workflows:

Executing a workflow instance involves three main steps:

  1. Starting the desired workflow
  2. Completing the steps included in the workflow
  3. Saving the results of a workflow and sharing them with the InfoEx community

Step-by-step description

Starting the desired workflow

1.
Fig. 1: Workflow menu for starting a new workflow instance.
From the WORKFLOWS menu select the workflow you want to execute and click on 'start new'. You need to be a Submission Moderator to have access to this menu item. The system will now load the necessary information for executing the chosen workflow.
NOTE It is desirable to have a live internet connection when you initiate a workflow. This allows the system to pre-populate the fields of the Snowpack module, Hazard assessment module, Run list module and Hazard comment module with the information from the last time a workflow was submitted for the location(s) associated with the chosen workflow.
NOTE You can initiate a workflow when you are offline, and the fields will be filled with the latest cached information on the computer. This will be up to date unless workflows have been submitted using other computers since you were last online on the computer you are currently using. However PWLs cannot be created (but can be updated) whilst offline and the run list extension does not work offline.
2.
Fig. 2: Workflow progress
After the necessary information has been loaded, the workflow will begin with the first step. The list of workflow steps is presented at the top of the workflow screen below the workflow title.

Completing the steps included in the workflow

NOTE Once a workflow has been started, you do not need to be online for completing the data entry steps. However, you need to be online to view any external webpages or InfoEx reports that are part of your workflow.
1. Complete the first step of the workflow as described in the relevant workflow module help document. See Workflow modules for more information on the functionality of individual workflow modules.
2.
Fig. 3: Workflow controls
To move between steps use forward and backwards arrows in the workflow controls at the top right of the workflow area (Fig. 3). If you have specified that the steps of this workflow template can be completed in any order (see Creating a workflow template for more details), you can also navigate among the steps by clicking on the step labels at the top of the workflow screen below the workflow title.
NOTE Once a workflow step has been completed, the workflow step label will be turned into a hyperlink and you can always directly go back to this step by clicking on its label.
3. At any time during your workflow, you can click on the Discard & Exit button from the workflow controls (Fig. 3) to exit the workflow and delete all of the information that has been entered.
7.
Fig. 4: Workflow menu for continuing an existing workflow instance.
If you want to exit the workflow, but save the information that has been entered into the workflow for future use (e.g., a lead guide prepares the workflow for an upcoming guides meeting), click on the Save & Exit button from the workflow controls (Fig. 3). This will save a copy of the workflow execution to your local computer for future use and redirect you to the report section.
NOTE The information of a partially completed workflow is only stored on the computer where the workflow was started. This information is not stored on the InfoEx server or shared among the computers of the same operation.

To continue this particular workflow, click on the WORKFLOWS menu, select the particular workflow template and click on 'resume' (Fig. 4).

Saving the results of a workflow and sharing them with the InfoEx community

Fig. 5: Workflow controls with submit button enabled.

Any workflow that includes workflow modules with data submission (click here for list of workflow modules with data entry), automatically has a summary step included at the end of the workflow. Once you get to the summary step at the end of your workflow, the Submit button will become enabled.

1. On the workflow summary page, click on the Submit button to save all of the associated observations and assessments and share the appropriate elements within the InfoEx community. See the documentation for the individual workflow modules for more information on what is shared.
NOTE Please note that it is not possible to permanently save a workflow without sharing its content with the InfoEx community.
2. Confirm that you want to submit the information in the confirmation dialog.
NOTE Note that once a workflow and the associated observations are submitted, you will not be able to edit them anymore.
3. Once you confirmed the submission, you will receive a series of system messages informing you about the upload status and the workflow navigation buttons will become disabled.
NOTE See Viewing previously completed workflows for how to access completed workflows.
4. You can then generate or email (to the email list designated in the workflow definition) a pdf view of the workflow summary. Any single step can also be generated or emailed as a pdf.

Related documents


Functionality tested by

  • Dec. 31, 2013: Pascal Haegeli