Grouping Criteria in Executables - UC_CUSTOM_ATTRIBUTES

This Automation Engine AE variable is for defining entries that can be used as grouping criteria for tasks in the Process Monitoring perspective.

Use the Custom Attributes in the Metadata section of the General page of executable objects to assign grouping criteria including a value. An object variable belongs to each grouping criterion which you can access in the object in read-only mode. Select the grouping criteria in the Process Monitoring perspective and filter according to the grouping criteria values.

Key	Value 1	Value 2	Restart necessary
The name of the object variable. It is irrelevant whether the variable name is specified with or without a preceding '&' character. Example: &TEST# Use this variable to read the grouping criterion's value in the object. You cannot change this variable in the object (for example, by using a script).	The name of the VARA object that supplies the reference values. You can specify static or dynamic VARA objects. If you use a static reference variable, the system uses the Key column; if you use a dynamic reference variable, the system uses the result column (or the first value column if there is no result column). You must define a value when you assign a grouping criterion to an executable object (using the Custom Attributes in the Metadata section of the General page). Either enter this manually or select it from the reference values. Alternatively, read the value directly from the object variable. The grouping criterion can be selected in the Process Monitoring perspective. The left area lists all reference values and user-defined values of the grouping criterion according to which you can filter your tasks. No reference values are available when there is no reference VARA object. This means that you cannot use the grouping criterion in the Process Monitoring perspective. The same applies when you use a dynamic variable that cannot be resolved (incorrect login info or invalid SQL). The system first searches the reference VARA object in the current client even if you use the system client's UC_CUSTOM_ATTRIBUTES variable. If the reference VARA object is not available in the current client, the system searches for it in client 0000.	The name of the grouping criterion. If the variable includes multiple entries with the same grouping criterion, the system always uses the first entry that is finds (the variables are processed from top to bottom). Values of the same grouping criteria are not combined.	Automic Web Interface

Key

Value 1

Value 2

Restart necessary

The name of the object variable.

It is irrelevant whether the variable name is specified with or without a preceding '&' character.

Example: &TEST#

Use this variable to read the grouping criterion's value in the object.

You cannot change this variable in the object (for example, by using a script).

The name of the VARA object that supplies the reference values.

You can specify static or dynamic VARA objects. If you use a static reference variable, the system uses the Key column; if you use a dynamic reference variable, the system uses the result column (or the first value column if there is no result column).

You must define a value when you assign a grouping criterion to an executable object (using the Custom Attributes in the Metadata section of the General page). Either enter this manually or select it from the reference values. Alternatively, read the value directly from the object variable.

The grouping criterion can be selected in the Process Monitoring perspective. The left area lists all reference values and user-defined values of the grouping criterion according to which you can filter your tasks.

No reference values are available when there is no reference VARA object. This means that you cannot use the grouping criterion in the Process Monitoring perspective. The same applies when you use a dynamic variable that cannot be resolved (incorrect login info or invalid SQL).

The system first searches the reference VARA object in the current client even if you use the system client's UC_CUSTOM_ATTRIBUTES variable. If the reference VARA object is not available in the current client, the system searches for it in client 0000.

The name of the grouping criterion.

If the variable includes multiple entries with the same grouping criterion, the system always uses the first entry that is finds (the variables are processed from top to bottom). Values of the same grouping criteria are not combined.

Automic Web Interface

Description

By default, this Automation Engine variable is supplied in the system client 0000 but you can also transport it to other clients. If the current client already includes this Automation Engine variable, the client's variable is used. Otherwise, the system client's Automation Engine variable is used.

Assigning Grouping Criteria to an Object

To assign grouping criteria to an executable object:

Open the General page.
In the Metadata section, select the following from the two drop-down lists:
- A grouping criterion that is defined in UC_CUSTOM_ATTRIBUTES - value column 2
- A matching value. This value is used when you filter your tasks in the Process Monitoring perspective. You can either enter the value manually or select it from the drop-down list. The drop-down list includes the reference values from the reference VARA object, which is defined in UC_CUSTOM_ATTRIBUTES - value column 1.
Click the Add button in order to assign the grouping criterion with the defined value and the object variable to the object.

To change a custom attribute's matching value, select the attribute, change the matching value and click .

To remove a custom attribute, click the icon for that attribute.

If the same grouping criterion is assigned to an object multiple times, the defined values are combined. The object variable returns all the grouping criterion's values separated by commas. When you filter the Process Monitoring perspective, you will find the object (task) under each of these values.

Object variables derived from this variable are always inherited to the subordinate tasks (regardless of the setting that is defined in the Variables & Prompts page). If there is an object variable in the subordinate task that is derived from the same grouping criterion, its values are not overwritten but summarized instead (the entries are separated by commas).

The object variables are read-only and cannot be changed at runtime (script). The value is set once by using the Custom Attributes in the Metadata section of the General page.

Example

This example shows one custom attribute defined in the UC_CUSTOM_ATTRIBUTES variable:

Reference VARA object:

The VARA.DEPT variable object,defined in Value 1 of the attribute in UC_CUSTOM_ATTRIBUTES includes the keys and values for several departments.

Assignment via the Custom Attributes in the Metadata section of the General page of executable objects:

Grouping in the Process Monitoring Perspective

Also see:

Tabular Overview of all AE Variables
Variable