1 Overview
2 Using Simulation Mode
3 Customizing Simulation Behavior
- 3.1 Simulation Details
- 3.2 Simulation Details Field Descriptions
4 Task Type Specific Simulation Mode Behavior

Overview

Simulation allows you to validate the execution of a workflow, a specific set of tasks within a workflow, or a standalone task in the Universal Controller without actually having to execute the underlying operation of each task instance.

Using Simulation Mode

Outlined below is the basic procedure and processing flow for using Simulation Mode:

Step 1

Designate a task for Simulation Mode by enabling the Simulate option on any Task Form.

If enabled at the workflow-level, all tasks within the workflow will inherit the option and run in simulation mode.

To customize simulation behavior of a task running in a specific workflow, you must select both the task and the specific workflow.

If you only specify the task, the custom simulation behavior applies only to the task running standalone.

By default, when an instance is running in simulate mode:

The instance will complete with a status of Success.
The instance will complete with an exit code of 0 (or 200 for the Web Service task).
The instances Status, Late Start, Late Finish, and Early Finish events are not published to running task monitor instances.
The instances Actions are not executed.

A simulated instance will transition through the same Status changes as a non-simulated instance, and honor virtual resource limits, mutually exclusive constraints, execution limits, etc.

Authorization constraints, such as permission to execute on a particular agent, or execute using particular credentials, are also validated in simulation mode.

Step 2

To simulate a Task Instance without the Default Simulation Mode Behavior, see Customizing Simulation Behavior.

Step 3

Launch the Task.

In the Activity or Task Instance List, you can add the Simulate field to determine if an instance is running under simulation mode.

Customizing Simulation Behavior

Step 1

From the Services navigation pane, select Other > Simulation. The Simulation list displays:

To the right of the list, Simulation Details for a new Simulation record displays.

Step 2

Enter / select Details for a new Simulation, using the field descriptions below as a guide.

Required fields display an asterisk ( * ) after the field name.
Default values for fields, if available, display automatically.

To display more of the Details fields on the screen, you can either:

Use the scroll bar.
Temporarily hide the list above the Details.
Click the
button above the list to display a pop-up version of the Details.

Step 3

Click a

button. The Simulation record is added to the database, and all buttons and tabs in the Simulation 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
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).

Simulation Details

The following Simulation Details is for an existing Simulation. See the field descriptions, below, for a description of all fields that display in the Simulation Details.

Simulation Details Field Descriptions

The following table describes the fields, buttons, and tabs that display in the Simulation Details.

Field Name	Description

Field Name	Description
Details	This section contains detailed information about the Simulation.
Task	Specifies the task you are configuring simulation options for. The simulation configuration only applies when the task is launched with the Simulate option enabled. When specified without a workflow, the simulation configuration only applies to the task when running outside of a workflow. When specified with a workflow, the simulation configuration only applies to the task when running within the specified workflow.
Workflow	Specifies that the simulation configuration only applies to the task when running within the specified workflow.
Vertex ID	Specifies if the simulation configuration applies to a specific vertex of the specified task within the specified workflow or any vertex of the specified task within the specified workflow. Only applicable when a workflow is specified.
Status	Status for the Simulated Instance once completed.
Exit Code	Specifies the Exit Code that the simulated task instance should complete with. By default, an instance will complete with an Exit Code of 0 (or 200 for the Web Service task).
Simulation Variables	Specifies variables that should be added for simulation purposes, including any built-in monitor variables starting with "ops_trigger_". The Simulation Variables are for adding variables that the simulated instance would have normally produced, therefore, are only available after the instance is already Queued or Running.
Publish Status	Specifies if Status events should be published to task monitor instances and subscriptions for the UAC - Task Status Changed (uac_task_status_changed) Universal Event.
Publish Late Start	Specifies if Late Start events should be published to task monitor instances and subscriptions for the UAC - Task SLA (uac_task_sla) Universal Event.
Publish Late Finish	Specifies if Late Finish events should be published to task monitor instances and subscriptions for the UAC - Task SLA (uac_task_sla) Universal Event.
Publish Early Finish	Specifies if Early Finish events should be published to task monitor instances and subscriptions for the UAC - Task SLA (uac_task_sla) Universal Event.
Execute Abort Actions	Specifies if Abort Actions should be executed for the simulated instance.
Execute Email Notification Actions	Specifies if Email Notification Actions should be executed for the simulated instance.
Execute Set Variable Actions	Specifies if Set Variable Actions should be executed for the simulated instance.
Execute SNMP Notification Actions	Specifies if SNMP Notification Actions should be executed for the simulated instance.
Execute System Operations Actions	Specifies if System Operation Actions should be executed for the simulated instance.
Other Options	Specify Other Options for the Simulation record. z/OS JCL Resolution
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.
Buttons	This section identifies the buttons displayed above and below the Simulation Details that let you perform various actions.
Save	Saves a new Simulation 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.
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	For pop-up view only; closes the pop-up view of this task.
Tabs	This section identifies the tabs across the top of the Script Details that provide access to additional information about the script.
Output	If you need to simulate that an instance produces output, you can specify one or more Output records on the Simulation record from the Output tab. When running an instance in simulation mode, output specified on the Simulation record will be generated for the instance at completion time, specifically, when the simulated instances transitions to Success or Failed status.