Key Terms

This topic provides an alphabetical list of the most relevant Automic Automation terms and concepts.

[A] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [I] [J] [M] [N] [O] [P] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W]

A

activation

Component: Automic Automation core

During execution, objects go through four stages. The activation stage is the first stage.

For more information, see:

Administration perspective

Component: Automic Automation core

The user interface is divided in perspectives, which are functional areas that address particular user roles. The Administration perspective is the main working area for administrator users.

For more information, see:

agent

Component: Automic Automation core

Agents are programs that run on a target system or application and establish the connection to the Automic Automation.

For more information, see Agents (HOST).

autoforecast

Component: Automic Automation core

The autoforecast functionality gives you a preview of the activities that are to run in your system within a specific time frame.

For more information, see Autoforecast.

Automic Web Interface

Component: Automic Automation core

Browser-based application. It is the user interface of Automic Automation.

For more information, see:

C

canvas

Component: Automic Automation core

Area in the Workflow editor and in the Workflow monitor where you add objects, edit, move, connect them, and so forth.

For more information, see:

child object

Component: Automic Automation core

Some executable objects can contain or trigger the execution of other objects. For example, Workflows, Job Groups, Schedules, and so forth. The objects contained in them are their children.

communication process

Component: Automic Automation core

Communication processes are contacted by work processes, other communication processes, the Automic Web Interface, agents and so on. They perform the actual communication between these components.

For more information, see:

current version

Component:Automic Automation core

Current (base) version refers to your system's version when performing and upgrade. It is the version from which you start the upgrade.

For more information, see:

See also new version

D

dashboard

Component: Automic Automation core

Dashboards are views that can be customized to better fit a user role. They consist of widgets that can contain different kinds of static or interactive content.

For more information, see:

E

executable object

Component: Automic Automation core

Objects are the automation building units in Automic Automation. They are combinations of individual steps that can be assigned and linked to each other. An executable object is an object that you can process manually or automatically through other objects.

For more information, see Object Types.

See also:

execute

Component: Automic Automation core

Command that you run on executable objects so that they are processed automatically.

For more information, see Executing Objects.

executions list

Component: Automic Automation core

List of past runs of a task. It provides detailed information about each run.

For more information, see Execution Data.

F

forecast

Component: Automic Automation core

Forecast allow you to calculate the expected execution times and estimated runtimes of executable objects.

For more information, see Forecasts.

See also:

G

generation

Component: Automic Automation core

During execution, objects go through four stages. The generation stage is the second stage.

For more information, see:

See also activation

I

IT service administrator

Component: Automic Automation, especially with service orchestration integrations

A person in an organization who ensures that the proper infrastructure is available to provide IT services to users. This person typically provides some services directly, especially services that are part of the IT standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the organization, and can also provide IT support. An IT service administrator can play an important role in implementing automated service orchestration in an organization.

For more information, see:

See also service orchestration

IT service owner

Component: Automic Automation, especially with service orchestration integrations

A person in an organization who is responsible for providing and maintaining IT services for users in the organization. This person identifies the kind of IT services that the users in the organization need and ensures that those services are provided. As such, an IT service owner plays a key role in successful IT service management (ITSM). This person is also important in defining and implementing automated service orchestration in an organization.

For more information, see:

See also service orchestration

J

Java Communication Process (JCP)

Component: Automic Automation core

The JCP is a communication process (CP) but with the technical configuration of a Java work process.

For more information, see:

See also:

Java Work Process (JWP)

Component: Automic Automation core

The JWP is a work process implemented in Java and it is used to host special services.

For more information, see:

See also work process

M

monitor

Component: Automic Automation core

Many executable objects have a monitor, for example Workflows, Schedules, Jobs, Service Level Objective objects, and so forth. The monitor is available after a task has started. It provides detailed information about the progress of the task and it lets you manipulate the task to some extent.

For more information, see:

N

new version

Component:Automic Automation core

New (target) version refers to the version to which you want to upgrade your system.

For more information, see:

See also current version

notification

Component: Automic Automation core

Notification (CALL) objects are customized messages and requests. They can be assigned to executable objects.

For more information, see:

O

object

Component: Automic Automation core

Objects are entities that work together to form coherent automated sequences. Processes in Automic Automation are combinations of those objects.

For more information, see:

P

parent object

Component: Automic Automation core

Some executable objects can contain or trigger the execution of other objects. For example, Workflows, Job Groups, Schedules, and so forth. These objects are the parents of the objects that they contain.

perspective

Component: Automic Automation core

A perspective is an area in the user interface that contains the functions to which a particular user role should have access to.

For more information, see:

Process Assembly

Component: Automic Automation core

The user interface is divided in perspectives, which are functional areas that address particular user roles. The Process Assembly perspective is the main working area for developers and object designers.

For more information, see:

Process Monitoring

Component: Automic Automation core

The user interface is divided in perspectives, which are functional areas that address particular user roles. The Process Monitoring perspective is the main working area for operators and managers.

For more information, see:

provisioning

Component: The entire Automic system

Provisioning in its simplest sense means providing something or making something available. The Automic system has functionality that enables you to provision services, environments, virtual machines, and any kind of software component, application, server, or infrastructure. You provision these for users or for systems, that is, you make them available to users or systems.

R

REST process (REST)

Component:Automic Automation core

The REST process provides a REST endpoint for the Automation Engine

For more information, see:

See also:

S

server process

Component: Automic Automation core

Server processes are the technical foundation of the Automation Engine. They are either work processes (WPs) or communication processes (CPs). However, there is a further subdivision within these two categories.

For more information, see:

ServiceManager

Component: Automic Automation core

The ServiceManager allows you to start ,stop and access components or agents from a central point.

For more information, see:

service orchestration

Component: Automic Automation with integrations

Service orchestration is the automated coordination of processes that span multiple domains or applications and may also include manual steps, such as human approval or intervention, to provide a service. At the heart of service orchestration is the Workflow. The overall process typically involves multiple Workflows for individual tasks. Nevertheless, one main Workflow orchestrates the tasks across the entire infrastructure.

For more information, see About Service Orchestration.

T

task

Component: Automic Automation core

The term task is used to refer to the following:

  • Objects that are being or that have been executed
  • Objects that have been inserted in Workflows or Schedules

For more information, see Tasks.

See also: object

U

utility

Component: Automic Automation core

Utilities are tools that allow you to manage and maintain your Automation Engine database. They allow you to keep the database size to a minimum, reorganize the repository to minimize integrity losses, keep the system more responsive and so on.

For more information, see:

V

VARA object

Component: Automic Automation core

VARA objects have the same function as variables but they are objects themselves and, as such, they have their own attributes. There are various types of VARA objects.

For more information, see:

variable

Component: Automic Automation core

Variables store and pass values when objects are executed. There are various types of variables.

For more information, see:

W

work process

Component: Automic Automation core

Work processes perform the actual server work, such as activating, generating, and executing tasks. The primary work process performs central tasks that must not be distributed.

For more information, see:

Workflow

Component: Automic Automation core

A Workflow is a container for objects that must be executed in a specific sequence and with specific parameters.

For more information, see: