Variable Monitor Task
Overview
The Variable Monitor task allows you to monitor the value of a Global Variable.
The Variable Monitor task lets you monitor for:
Current value of a Global Variable.
Change in the value of a Global Variable.
Both current value and change in the value of a Global Variable.
If the Variable To Monitor exists and its current value matches the Variable Monitor conditions, the Variable Monitor task instance will transition to a Success status; otherwise, it will transition to a Failed status.
If the Variable To Monitor does not exist (or the Execution User does not have Read permission for the Global Variable) and the Value Condition field is undefined, the Variable Monitor task instance will transition to a Success status; otherwise, it will transition to a Failed status.
The Variable Monitor task instance will not check the current value of the Variable To Monitor, but it will monitor for changes to the Variable To Monitor value. If a change to the Variable To Monitor value matches the Variable Monitor conditions, the Variable Monitor task instance will transition to a Success status; otherwise, it will to continue to monitor for changes to the Variable To Monitor value.
The Variable Monitor task instance will monitor indefinitely for the Variable Monitor conditions to be met unless you specify a value in the Time Limit field. The Variable Monitor task instance will transition to a Failed status if the Variable Monitor conditions are not met within the specified Time Limit.
Note
A Variable Monitor task instance will not detect changes to a Global Variable Value if the Execution User does not have Read permission for the Global Variable.
Setting the Global Variable Value to the same value from the Universal Controller user interface, CLI, or web service is not considered a change.
Only changes to the Global Variable Name (case-insensitive) and Global Variable Value will be considered a change in value to the Global Variable. That is, changes to the Description and/or Member of Business Services fields alone will not be considered a change in value to the Global Variable.
If the Variable To Monitor exists and its current value matches the Variable Monitor conditions, the Variable Monitor task instance will transition to a Success status; otherwise, it will continue to monitor as though Variable To Monitor is Change.
If the Variable To Monitor does not exist (or the Execution User does not have Read permission for the Global Variable) and the Value Condition is undefined, the Variable Monitor task instance will transition to a Success status; otherwise, it will continue to monitor as though Value Monitor Type is Change.
When the Variable Monitor conditions are met, the following built-in variables will be set for the Variable Monitor task instance:
Step 1 | From the Automation Center navigation pane, select Tasks > Variable Monitor Tasks. The Variable Monitor Tasks list displays a list of all currently defined Variable Monitor tasks. |
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Step 2 | Enter/select Details for a new Variable Monitor task, using the field descriptions below as a guide.
To display more of the Details fields on the screen, you can either:
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Step 3 | Click the button. The task is added to the database, and all buttons and tabs in the Task Details are enabled. |
Note
To open an existing record on the list, either:
Click a record in the list to display its record Details below the list. (To clear record Details below the list, click the New button that displays above and below the Details.)
Clicking the Details icon next to a record name in the list, or right-click a record in the list and then click Open in the Action menu that displays, to display a pop-up version of the record Details.
Right-click a record in the a list, or open a record and right-click in the record Details, and then click Open In Tab in the Action menu that displays, to display the record Details under a new tab on the record list page (see Record Details as Tabs).
The following Variable Monitor Task Details is for an existing Variable Monitor task.
Depending on the values that you enter / select for these fields, and whether or not the Variable Monitor task has ever been launched, more (or less) fields may display. See the field descriptions, below, for a description of all fields that may display in the Variable Monitor Task Details.
Variable Monitor Task Details Field Descriptions
The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in the Variable Monitor Task Details.
Field Name | Description |
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General | This section contains general information about the task. |
Name | User-defined name of this task (Maximum = 255 alphanumeric characters); variables supported. It is the responsibility of the user to develop a workable naming scheme for tasks. |
Version | System-supplied; version number of the current record, which is incremented by the Controller every time a user updates a record. Click the Versions tab to view previous versions. For details, see Record Versioning. |
Description | Description of this record. Maximum length is 255 characters. |
Member of Business Services | User-defined; Allows you to select one or more Business Services that this record belongs to. (You also can Check All or Uncheck All Business Services for this record.) You can select up to 62 Business Services for any record type, and enter a maximum of 2048 characters for each Business Service. If the Business Service Visibility Restricted Universal Controller system property is set to true, depending on your assigned (or inherited) Permissions or Roles, Business Services available for selection may be restricted. |
Resolve Name Immediately | If enabled, the Instance Name of the task instance will be resolved immediately at trigger/launch time. |
Time Zone Preference | User-defined; Allows you to specify the time zone that will be applied to the task. Options:
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Hold on Start |
If enabled, when the task is launched it appears in the Activity Monitor with a status of Held. The task runs when the user releases it. |
Hold Reason |
Information about why the task will be put on hold when it starts. |
Virtual Resource Priority | |
Hold Resources on Failure | |
Mutually Exclusive With Self | |
Simulate | |
Variable Monitor Details | This section contains assorted detailed information about the task. |
Variable to Monitor | |
Value Monitor Type | |
Value Condition | |
Value | |
Time Limit | If Value Monitor Type = Change or Current/Change; Used for Variable Monitor tasks not associated with a trigger; Amount of time (in units specified by Time Limit Unit) to monitor for the Variable Monitor conditions to be met. The Time Limit duration is always relative to the start time of the Variable Monitor task instance. Note If the Variable Monitor task was created from a Variable Monitor trigger, Time Limit is not allowed, since Variable Monitor Type is Change and cannot be updated. |
Time Limit Unit | If Value Monitor Type = Change or Current/Change; Unit of time to use for Time Limit.
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Expiration Action | |
Wait / Delay Options | This section contains specifications for waiting to start and/or delaying on start the task. |
Wait To Start | |
Wait Time | |
Wait Day Constraint | |
Wait Duration | |
Wait Duration In Seconds | |
Delay On Start | |
Delay Duration | |
Delay Duration In Seconds | |
Workflow Only | |
Time Options | This section contains time-related specifications for the task. |
Late Start | |
Late Start Type | |
Late Start Time | |
Late Start Day Constraint | |
Late Start Nth Amount | |
Late Start Duration | |
Late Finish | |
Late Finish Type | |
Late Finish Offset Type | |
Late Finish Percentage Offset ( + ) | |
Late Finish Duration Offset ( + ) | |
Late Finish Duration Offset Unit | |
Late Finish Time | |
Late Finish Day Constraint | |
Late Finish Nth Amount | |
Late Finish Duration | |
Early Finish | |
Early Finish Type | |
Early Finish Offset Type | |
Early Finish Percentage Offset ( - ) | |
Early Finish Duration Offset ( - ) | |
Early Finish Duration Offset Unit | |
Early Finish Time | |
Early Finish Day Constraint | |
Early Finish Nth Amount | |
Early Finish Duration | |
User Estimated Duration | |
Critical Path Options | This section contains Critical Path-related specifications for the task. |
CP Duration | |
CP Duration (Resolved) | |
CP Duration Unit | |
Workflow Execution Options | This section contains Execution Restriction specifications for the task if it is within a Workflow. |
Execution Restriction | |
Restriction Period | |
Before Date | |
Before Time | |
After Date | |
After Time | |
Date List | |
Statistics | This section contains time-related statistics for task instances of the task. |
First Execution | |
Last Execution | |
Last Instance Duration | |
Lowest Instance Time | |
Average Instance Time | |
Highest Instance Time | |
Number of Instances | |
Metadata | This section contains Metadata information about this record. |
UUID | Universally Unique Identifier of this record. |
Updated By | Name of the user that last updated this record. |
Updated | Date and time that this record was last updated. |
Created By | Name of the user that created this record. |
Created | Date and time that this record was created. |
Buttons | This section identifies the buttons displayed above and below the Task Details that let you perform various actions. |
Save | Saves a new task 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 task. |
Update | |
Launch Task | |
View Parents | |
Copy | Creates a copy of this task, which you are prompted to rename. |
Delete | Note You cannot delete a task if it is either:
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Refresh | Refreshes any dynamic data displayed in the Details. |
Close | For pop-up view only; closes the pop-up view of this task. |