Creating Automated Tasks

To execute tasks automatically by the Fabasoft Folio AT Service and so be able to send escalation messages, an Automated Task has to be created and assigned to the Task List (object of the object class Task List) of the user executing the Fabasoft Folio AT Service.

To assign a Task List to a user, perform the following steps:

1. In the Domain Administration navigate to the object list User Objects and switch to the “List of Automated Tasks” tab.
2. Depending on whether the Fabasoft Folio AT Service has already been started, there are two possibilities:
   • If the Fabasoft Folio AT Service has already been started, a task list (object of the object class Task List) has been created automatically. On the “View” menu click “Refresh” to get all available task lists.
   • If the Fabasoft Folio AT Service has not been started yet, manually create a Task List (COOAT@1.1001:TaskList)).
3. Edit the properties of the task list.
   • On the “Object” tab the Name can be edited.
   • On the “Security” tab, select as Owner the user in whose context the task list should be executed (the user executing the Fabasoft Folio AT Service). Thereby the user gets the right to change the task list and so to be able to add tasks to the task list.
     
   • On the “List of Automated Tasks” tab, Automated Tasks (COOAT@1.1001:Task) can be entered in the Tasks area. An object of this object class defines a task to be executed by a Fabasoft Folio AT Service. A task specifies what action is executed on which object and when it is executed.
     Click “Create” to create an Automated Task.
     
   • Type a name for the task and click “Next”.
   • Now edit the properties of the Automated Task.
     • In the Start on/at field enter a date for the beginning.
     • In the dropdown list Object create an object of the object class List of Background Activities (COOWF@1.1:BackgroundActivities). Type a name for the created object and click “Next”.
     • In the Action field, find the action “Check expired activities in background” (COOWF@1.1:CheckExpiredActivities) to search for expired activities in the background.
       The search for expired activities uses the search area Query for Worklist (COOWF@1.1:WorkListQuery). As search criteria the properties
       Activity State (COOWF@1.1:actinststate),
       Period of Time for Submission (COOWF@1.1:actinstsubmitdeadline),
       Period of Time for Start (COOWF@1.1:actinststartdeadline) and
       Period of Time for Completion (COOWF@1.1:actinstenddeadline) are used.
     • Tasks for checking the escalation of activities are triggered periodically. Enter a value for Repetition and a Repetition Type (e.g. “Minutes After Ending”).
       Note: An escalation is triggered by an automated task. If in the automated task a longer period is defined for repeating the task than in the Escalation Definition for repeating the escalation, the escalation is triggered when the automated task is executed.
     • Additionally can be determined which information should be logged (Configuration for History) and how many entries are displayed in the History field (Maximum Number of History Entries).
       
     • Switch to the “Security” tab. In the Owner field select the user to which the task should be assigned (the user executing the Fabasoft Folio AT Service).
     • Click “Next” to save the settings for the automated task. Now the task is in the Tasks area of the Task List object.
       
4. Click “Next” to save the metadata settings of the List of Automated Tasks.

To assign the list of automated tasks to the user object of the user executing the Fabasoft Folio AT Services, perform the following steps:

1. In the Domain Administration navigate to the object list User Objects and switch to the “Users” tab.
2. Open the context menu of the user to which the list of automated tasks should be assigned and click “Properties”.
3. On the “Advanced” tab, in the List of Automated Tasks field search for the List of Automated Tasks you have been creating in the previous description.
4. Click “Next” to save the user settings.

Note: After the first start of the Fabasoft Folio AT Service, the task “Check list of background activities” is added to the List of Automated Tasks automatically. It is created automatically and checks whether workflow activities are available that should be executed in the background.