Create and design global processes

You can create a global process and then design its sequence of steps in the process designer.

Create a global process

When creating a global process, you specify its basic details.

Permissions:

  • To view your global processes, you need a Web UI role with the Processes permission. See Web UI roles and UI security.

  • To create global processes and modify, import, or inactivate the processes you created, you need a DA Server role with the Create Processes permission. See Server roles and system security.

To create a global process:

  1. In Deployment Automation, navigate to Management > Processes.

  2. Click Create. The Create Process dialog box opens.

  3. Specify the following details:

    Field Description
    Name Enter a name for the process.
    Description (Optional) Enter additional information about the process.
    Default Working Directory Specify the location for temporary file storage. This location is used by the agent that runs the process. The default directory resolves to <agent_directory>\work\<component_name_directory>.

    The default location works for most components. You may need to change it if a component process cannot run at the agent's location.
    Execution Timeout Specify how long the process runs until it times out, in hours and minutes.

    To run the process indefinitely, accept the default value, 00:00.

  4. Click Save.

    To create another global process, click Save and New.

    To design the steps for the global process you just created, click Build Out.

After creating a global process, design its flow, as described next.

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Design a global process

After creating a global process, design its flow in the process designer. Drag process steps from the Tools pane onto the design space, set the steps' properties, and join the steps into a sequence.

To design a global process:

  1. From the list of global processes, select the process you created earlier. The process designer opens.

  2.  (Optional) Use the process designer's toolbar to help you design the process:

    Action Description
    Scale the view. Use the Zoom In, Zoom Out, or Actual Size icons.

    Copy, duplicate, or delete selected steps and connections.

    Use the Copy, Paste, Duplicate, or Delete icons.

    Tip: You can also use keyboard shortcuts and keys: CTRL+C to copy, CTRL+V to paste, CTRL+D to duplicate, and the Delete key to delete.

    Revert the changes you made to the process.

    Use the Undo or Redo icons.

    Tip: You can also use keyboard shortcuts: CTRL+Z to undo and CTRL+Y to redo.
    Move the process around in the design space. Select Show Outline Box. In the Outline Map box, drag the outline corner inward or outward.
    Display all available options for connections between steps. Select Show Connection Options.
    Hide annotations. The annotations added to the process are displayed by default. To hide annotations, clear the Show Annotations option.

  3. In the Tools pane, select a process step. Use search to find steps by name.

    For details about available steps, see Global process utility steps.

  4. To add a step to the process, drag the step onto the design space. You can place the step anywhere on the design space and reposition it later.
  5. In the step's Properties pane, specify the properties for the step.

  6. (Optional) Add more steps as needed.

    Tip: You can reuse steps by copying them. For details, see Copy or duplicate process steps.

  7. Connect the process steps in a sequence. Hover over an originating step to view a connection tool. Then drag the connection tool and release it over a target step.

    Connect other steps in the same way. For details on how to create connections with conditions, see Use conditions and switch steps.

    Tip: If the connection options are not displayed, select each connection to view its options. Connections are color-coded for the process path: Success (green), Failure (red), and Always (gray).

  8. After configuring and connecting the steps, click Save .

For details on how to run the process, see Run global processes.

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Copy or duplicate process steps

To reuse one or more steps in a process, copy or duplicate them. These actions create the step's exact replica named <source-step-name> (copy).

Guidelines and limitations:

  • You can copy steps from any process version to the latest version. The option of copying between processes is not available.

  • You can copy or duplicate any steps except the Start step.

  • You can copy and duplicate step connections. A connection can be copied only if you copy both steps joined by the connection.

  • You cannot copy steps from one browser tab or window to another.

  • If a step uses an old plugin version which is not available on your Deployment Automation server, you cannot copy the step.

To copy steps in the process designer:

Action Description
Select multiple steps and connections. Hold CTRL and select steps and connections in the design space one by one.
Select all steps and connections in a specific area.

Hold CTRL and use your mouse to select an area containing steps and connections.

If a connection points to or from a step that is not in the selected area, the connection is not selected.
Copy and paste steps.

Right-click the step in the design space and select Copy from the menu. Then right-click anywhere in the design area and select Paste here from the menu.

Tip: You can also use the Copy and Paste icons in the toolbar, or standard keyboard shortcuts such as CTRL+C to copy and CTRL+V to paste.
Duplicate steps.

Right-click the step and select Duplicate from the menu.

Tip: You can also use the Duplicate icon in the toolbar, or the keyboard shortcut CTRL+D.

Note: Exiting the process designer clears all items copied to clipboard.

To finish designing your process, see Design a global process.

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See also: