Abort Actions

Overview

The Abort Action allows you to abort a task instance under the following circumstances:

  • If a task instance is in a status less than Queued (40), the task instance is eligible for being skipped, and an Abort Action will skip that task instance.
  • If a task instance is in a status greater than or equal to Queued (40) and less than Skipped (180), the task instance is not eligible for being skipped, and an Abort Action will Force Finish the task instance (with halt and cancel options configurable).

(For more details on the statuses and their numerical ordering, see Task Instance Status Types.)

Additionally, for running task instances, the Abort Action provides the ability to Force Finish and Cancel by using the Cancel Process if Active option and/or override the exit code of the Force Finished task instance by using the Override Exit Code option.

You can trigger this action based on one or more of the following events associated with the task instance:

  • Status or statuses of the task instance
  • Exit code(s) generated by the program (along with at least one status)
  • Late start
  • Early or late finish

You can create one or more Abort Actions for any Universal Controller task. For Workflow tasks, you can also specify whether you want the Abort Action instructions to apply to the workflow itself, the workflow and/or its tasks, or to the tasks only.

Creating an Abort Action

Step 1

Display the Task Details of the task for which you are creating the Abort Action.

Step 2

Click the Actions tab. A list of any defined Actions for that task displays.
 

Step 3

Click the  button that displays on the Abort Actions row. The Abort Action Details pop-up displays.
 

Step 4

Using the field descriptions, below, as a guide, complete the fields as needed.

Step 5

Click the  button to save the record in the Controller database.

Step 6

If appropriate, repeat these steps for any additional Abort Actions you want to create.

Abort Action Details Field Descriptions

The following table describes the fields and buttons that display in the Abort Actions Details.

Field Name

Description

Action Criteria

This section contains criteria for performing the action.

Action Inheritance


For Workflow tasks only; the records that this action applies to.

Options:

  • Self
    The action applies only to the workflow; it is not inherited by its children tasks. For example, if the action is defined for the Defined status, when the workflow where the action is specified transitions into the Defined status, the action will run for the workflow. When children tasks within this workflow transition into the Defined status, the action will not run.
  • Self/Children
    The action applies to the workflow and any children under the workflow (it is as if each child under the workflow had the action specified on itself). For example, if the workflow or any of its children transition into the Defined status, the action will run.
  • Children
    This action applies only to the children under the workflow and not the workflow itself. For example, if any child of this workflow transitions into the Defined status, the action will run. However, when the workflow where this action is specified transitions into the Defined status, this action will not run.

Status

The status of this task, by itself or together with an exit code, that will trigger the Abort action. You can specify as many statuses as needed.

Exit Codes

Specifies one or more exit codes that will trigger the event. If you specify an exit code, you must also specify at least one status. Use commas to separate multiple exit codes; use a hyphen to specify a range. Example: 1, 5, 22-30.

On Late Start

Generates the action or notification if the task started late, based on the Late Start Time specified in the task.

On Late Finish

Generates the action or notification if the task finishes late, based on the Late Finish time specified in the task.

On Early Finish

Generates the action or notification if the task finishes early, based on the Early Finish Time specified in the task.

On Projected Late

Execute the Action when the task instance is projected to be late based on critical path projected end times. Only applicable when a Late Start Time, Late Start Duration, or Late Finish Time is specified for the task instance.

Note

This field displays in the Details only if the Controller is configured for critical path calculations with an enabled Critical Path Calculations Permitted Universal Controller system property.

Description

Description of this action.

Action Details

This section contains additional details about the action.

Cancel Process if Active

If enabled, instructs the Controller to Cancel the process that was launched by this task before Force Finishing the task.

Halt On Force Finish

If enabled, instructs the Controller to Force Finish (Halt) a running task instance, rather than just Force Finish.

Override Exit Code

Overrides the exit code returned by the process with the exit code specified in this field. This enables you to you Force Finish a task instance with a specific exit code so that you can force the workflow to take a conditional path using Conditions.
 

Note

If you run the Abort Action against a task that has not yet started, the task will be skipped, and the Override Exit Code is not applicable.

Buttons

This section identifies the buttons displayed above and below the Action Details that let you perform various actions.

Save

Saves a new Action record in the Controller database.

Save & New

Saves a new record in the Controller database and redisplays empty Details so that you can create another new record.

Save & View

Saves a new record in the Controller database and continues to display that record.

New

Displays empty (except for default values) Details for creating a new record.

Update

Saves updates to the record.

Delete

Deletes the current record.

Refresh

Refreshes any dynamic data displayed in the Details.

Close

Closes the Details pop-up of this action.