Step Properties
When you add a step to a Human task, you identify the users who can work on the step and you set the duration of the step. Use the Properties view to configure a step.
You configure the following options for the step:
- •General. Sets the name and text description for the step.
- •Participants. Specifies the users who will work on the tasks that the Data Integration Service creates for the step.
- •Permissions. Specifies permissions on task data and metadata. The permissions apply to the users who will work on the tasks for the step.
- •Configuration. Review steps only. Identifies the Exception step or Cluster step that users will review.
- •Timeout. Sets the time frame within which all users must complete task instances for the current step. You set the timeout value as a period of minutes, hours, and days. The timeout period begins when the workflow runs.
Note: The Human task uses the timeout period to calculates a deadline for all task instances associated with the step. A user who performs a task instance sees the deadline date and time and not the timeout period.
- •Notifications. Identifies the users who can be notified when a task instance associated with the step changes status.
General Options
Set the General options to identify the step in the Human task. Enter a name and an optional description for the step.
The following table describes the general options of a step:
Property | Description: |
|---|
Name | The name of the step in the Human task. |
Description | Optional. The description of the step. |
Configuration Options
Use the Configuration options to specify how a task performer can update a value in a task that corrects or reviews exception records. Additionally, use the configuration options in a Review step to identify the step that passes task data to the current step for review.
The following table describes the configuration options of a step:
Property | Description |
|---|
Step to review | Identifies the step that passes data to the current step for review. Select the step from the menu in a Review step. |
Disallow empty error cells | Specifies whether the task performer must update any null or empty cell that the task identifies as an exception. The option applies to any user who works on the task. By default, the task performer can change a cell value to an empty or null value and can complete a task that identifies a null or empty cell as an exception. To specify that the task performer must update every exception with a data value, select the option to disallow empty error cells. Note: The option does not apply when the task does not grant edit permission to the task performer. |
Participants Options
Use the Participants options to identify the users or groups who can work on the task instances that the current step defines. You can select users or groups to act as task performers and business administrators.
The following table describes the participant options of a step:
Property | Description |
|---|
Task Performer | Identifies the users or groups who can work on the task instances that the Data Integration Service creates for the current step. The Data Integration Service ignores the task performers on the step when you specify the following configuration options: - - You select a step that defines task instances to correct exceptions or duplicate records.
- - You configure the Task Distribution properties in the Human task to divide tasks by data value.
The Task Distribution properties that you set identify the users and groups who can work on the task instances that the step defines.
|
Business Administrator | Identifies the users or groups who can perform task management operations for the task instances that the Data Integration Service creates for the current step. Business administrators can also work on task instances. You can also select business administrators when you configure the Human task. Any business administrator that you select for the Human task is a business administrator for the task instances that each step in the Human task defines. |
Permissions Options
Set the Permissions options to specify the data that users can view and the types of action that users can perform in the Analyst tool. The permissions apply to all users who can view or edit a task instance that the current step defines.
You can set viewing permissions and editing permissions. The viewing permissions define the task instance data that the Analyst tool displays. The editing permissions define the actions that users can take to update record data or cluster data. The permissions that you set do not affect the users' ability to view or update status information for a record, cluster, or task instance.
Exception steps and cluster steps support different types of permissions. The permissions that you set in a review step depend on whether the preceding step is an exception data step or a cluster step.
Consider the following rules and guidelines when you set permissions on a step:
- •The viewing permissions take precedence over the editing permissions. If a user cannot view a column of data in a task instance, the user cannot edit the data in the column.
- •If a user cannot view a data column in a task instance, the user cannot view the column in the audit trail.
- •The step that you configure might read the output from another step in the Human task. Set permissions that allow Analyst tool users to view and edit the appropriate data from the task instances that the preceding step generates.
Viewing Permissions
The following table describes the viewing permissions that you can set in each step:
Permission Value | Description | Step Type |
|---|
View all data | Analyst tool users can view all of the data in a task instance. Default option. | All step types. |
View selected columns | Analyst tool users can view data in the columns that you select in a task instance. | All step types. |
Editing Permissions
The following table describes the editing permissions that you can set in each step:
Permission Value | Description | Step Type |
|---|
Edit all data | Analyst tool users can edit all of the visible data in the task instance. Default option on steps that read exception data. | Exception step Review step for exception data |
Edit selected columns | Analyst tool users can edit the data in one or more columns that you select if the columns are visible in the task instance. | All step types |
Edit exception data only | Analyst tool users can edit any visible value in the task instance that the workflow identifies as a data quality issue. | Exception step Review step for exception data |
Perform all actions | Analyst tool users can perform all actions on the visible data in the task instance. Default option on steps that read cluster data. | Cluster step Review step for cluster data |
Perform cluster actions only | Analyst tool users can define a preferred record in each cluster in a task instance. Analyst tool users can create clusters and move records from one cluster to another. Analyst tool users cannot the edit data values in the cluster records. | Cluster step Review step for cluster data |
Perform review actions only | Analyst tool users can perform any action to update the status of the task instance and the records or clusters in the task instance. Analyst tool users cannot edit the data values or the preferred records in the task instance. | Review step for exception data Review step for cluster data |
Timeout Options
Use the Timeout options to set a time frame during which the task performers must complete the task instances that the step defines. If a task instance does not complete in the time frame that you specify, the Analyst tool lists the task as overdue. The workflow can reassign overdue tasks to users or groups that you specify in the step.
The following table describes the timeout options of a step:
Property | Description |
|---|
Duration | The time period for completion of all task instances associated with the step. The time period begins when the Human task creates the task instances. Specify a time period in days, hours, and minutes. |
Name | Lists the users or groups who can receive task assignments. If you expect that more than one task will fail to complete on time, consider adding multiple users or groups to the list. |
Reassign Task | Indicates whether a user or group will receive a reassigned task. If you clear the Reassign Task option, the workflow does not reassign overdue tasks to the user or group. |
Notifications Options
Set the Notifications options to notify users or groups when a task instance that a step defines changes status. The Human task sends an email notice to the users or groups that you identify.
Before you can configure a Human task to send emails, an administrator must enable and configure the Email Service in the Administrator tool.
The following table describes the notification options of a step:
Property | Description |
|---|
Task Events | Lists the types of status change for which a user can be notified. You can choose one of the following values: - - Create. A Human task creates a task instance associated with the step.
- - Complete. A user completes a task instance.
- - Escalated. A user or group does not complete a task instance on time.
- - Reassign. A business administrator reassigns a task instance to another user.
Note: You can configure the Notifications options to send a different notification for each task event. For example, you can notify a user when a Human task creates the task instance, and you can notify another user when the task instance is complete. You can also enter a different email subject and message for each task event. |
Recipients | Lists one or more users to notify for the status change that you select. You can select or clear the option to notify the task owner in addition to any recipient that you select when the task instance changes status. The option applies when a single user owns the task instance. When you select the option to notify the task owner, you can optionally leave the Recipients field empty. |
Subject | Lists the contents of the subject line for the email notifications. You can edit the subject line. |
Mime Type | Specifies the content type for the email. Select one of the following values: - - Plain. Send a message in plain text.
- - HTML. Send HTML content. You can include lists and hyperlinks in HTML content.
The HTML view provides basic a HTML structure by default. If you edit the HTML, you cannot restore the default structure. |
Message | Displays the email content as you type. |
Preview | Displays the email content as it will appear to the recipients. |
Workflow Variables in Task Instance Notifications
You can use workflow variables to write information about a Human task instance to an email notification. The variables store information about the task instance when a user completes, escalates, or reassigns a task instance. To display the list of variables, click in the subject line or the notification message body and press the $+CTRL+SPACE keys.
The notification can display the following variables:
- $taskEvent.eventTime
- The time that the workflow engine performs the user instruction to escalate, reassign, or complete the task instance.
- $taskEvent.owner
- The owner of the task instance at the time that the workflow engine escalates or completes the task. Or, the owner of the task instance after the engine reassigns the task instance.
- $taskEvent.status
- The task instance status after the engine performs the user instruction to escalate, reassign, or complete the task instance. The status names are READY and IN_PROGRESS.
- $taskEvent.taskEventType
- The type of instruction that the engine performs. The variable values are escalate, reassign, and complete.
- $taskEvent.taskId
- The task instance identifier that the Analyst tool displays.
Rules and Guidelines for Step Permission Options