Execute activities automatically

To reduce the manual work that a user has to do in a case activity list, you can configure activities to be executed automatically. You can apply automatic execution in two ways by assigning either the AUTO role or the L-AUTO role to the activity, depending on when you want the activity to be executed. The activity will be executed by a system user.

Note: If there are more than 50 automatic activities executed in a loop or just sequentially in the DCR process, an error will be triggered at the 51st activity with the error message: "Maximum number of loop iterations of graph execution reached. Loops or automatic execution flows with more than 50 executions are not allowed."

This restriction helps prevent endless loops which can result in Case Activity processes remaining locked in the Running status.

AUTO

Activities with the AUTO role assigned will be executed automatically once as soon as the activity is included. This means:

  • If an AUTO activity is successfully executed automatically, it will be set to manual for any additional executions.
  • If an AUTO activity fails to be executed automatically, it will be set to manual for any additional executions.

If an activity fails to execute automatically, it will stay active and the user can execute it manually. If the activity is executed manually, the default values as set in the DCR process are shown in the form. The user can then change the values and execute the activity.

L-AUTO

Activities with the L-AUTO role assigned are executed soon as they are included and pending. Pending in this context means that the activity is required before the process can be considered completed. If the activities become pending again later in the process, they will be executed automatically again.

You can also assign the L-AUTO role to activities if you want to align the behavior of your WorkZone case activities with the simulation in DCR Design Portal using the lazy user role. See the DCR documentation.

The L-AUTO role itself does not execute an activity automatically. You need to design the process so that the activity becomes included and pending (the Pending check box is selected on the activity or the activity has a Response connection—a blue arrow in the process).

Note:

  • If you assign the AUTO or the L-AUTO role to the CopyDocument activity, you cannot use the value UP (Personal draft) for the DocumentState parameter. As it is a system user who executes activities automatically, only the system user will be able to see the document. See CopyDocuments.
  • If you assign the AUTO role or the L-AUTO to an UpdateEntities activity or a ValidateEntities activity, you cannot use the @Me or @Unit notations. @Me and @Unit will fail because it is a system user that executes activities automatically. See Current user and organizational unit.
  • Assigning the AUTO role or the L-AUTO to a StartProcess activity only works for processes without parameters. See the StartProcess activity type.
  • In DCR terminology, "Pending" means that the activity must be executed before the whole process (the case activity list) can be considered complete.