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Managing Bots

Newly installed bots connect to RPA Manager automatically.

As a bot administrator, you can manage the following properties of a bot:

  • Name and describe a bot.

  • Assign service times to a bot to determine their office hours.

  • Restrict bots to project phases.

  • Set the maximum number of sessions a bot can use.

  • Update the bot to a newer version.

If a bot isn’t working properly, you can do the following:

  • Download the log files.

  • Restart the bot.

  • Delete the bot.

Before You Begin

  • At least one bot must be installed on a separate computer.

  • On the computer where you want to run automations and where a bot therefore is installed, check the system data:

    • Operating system

    • RAM

    • Terminal Server software

    • Login data for the bot

    • RPA Bot Configurator settings

  • If you want to use Secure Sessions, read and pass on the following information:

    • Before deploying a run configuration on a bot that has only one licensed secure session, do not disconnect the session, instead sign out the specified user.

    • If you want to assign more than one secure session to a bot, make sure that a terminal server software is installed on the computer of the bot and refer to the system and hardware requirements documentation to determine the maximum number of secure sessions for the bot.

    • Do not sign in to a computer where a bot with one licensed secure session is running a process.

  • If you want to use Desktop sessions, read and pass on the following information:

    • The specified user must be logged in to this session to deploy a run configuration. The console session must remain open and unminimized while the bot executes a process.

  • If you want to assign service times to a bot, you need to create them in the Service Times view of the Bot Management module first.

  • If you want to assign process applications to a bot, you need to create them in the Process Applications view of the Process Automation module first.

  • Ask an organization administrator in Access Management to assign you the required permissions:

    Action RPA Permission Deprecated RPA Permission

    Open the Bot Management module and view the bots.

    RPA Bots Manager, RPA Operations Viewer, RPA Operations Manager, RPA Administrator

    Bot Management Open

    License, edit, update, and remove bots.

    RPA Bots Manager, RPA Operations Manager, RPA Administrator

    Bot Management Administration

Assign Sessions to Bots

The bot runs a process configuration in a session on the computer where the bot is installed.

If bots should run processes in a hidden session, assign the bot at least one Secure Session.

The number of Secure Sessions that can be assigned and served by the bot depends on the hardware of the computer on which the bot is installed. Please refer to the system and hardware requirements topic to assess the maximum number of Secure Sessions for the bot.

Enabling the same setting via the RPA Bot Configurator, limits but not not overwrites this setting.

  1. In the Bots view of the Bot Management module, click Secure Session Assignment.

  2. Set the number of sessions the bot can use:

    • Session Assignment >= 1:

      • The bot consumes up to the the specified number of Secure Sessions.

    • Session Assignment = 0 The bot consumes the Desktop session.

  3. Click Save.

Assign Service Times and Process Applications to Bots

Assign service times to bots to determine when a bot may execute processes.

Service times are repeatable time intervals that define when a service is available. Assign them to bots to determine when a bot can execute processes. Specify the service time in one time zone. If the bot that you assign the service time to is installed on a computer that uses a different time zone, the service time interval is converted to the bot’s time zone. If you assign the service time to multiple bots in different time zones, all bots execute processes simultaneously. The time intervals might change, depending on daylight saving time.

For example, if you specify a service time that starts at 9:30 AM and ends at 5:30 PM in Buenos Aires time (ART (UTC -3)) and the bot is installed on a computer in Berlin (CET (UTC +1)), the bot executes processes between 1:30 PM and 9:30 PM in Berlin time.

Learn how to manage service times.

Assign process applications to bots that can access them.

You can deploy a process on a bot that has assigned the required applications.

Downtimes are repeatable time intervals that define when an application is unavailable. Processes whose applications are currently down are executed to completion and not restarted until the downtime period ends.

Specify a downtime in the time zone in which it occurs. If the bot that you assign the downtime to is installed on a computer that uses a different time zone, the downtime interval is converted to the bot’s time zone. If you assign the application to multiple bots in different time zones, all bots pause executing processes that use that application simultaneously. The time intervals might change, depending on daylight saving time.

For example, if you specify a downtime that starts at 1:30 AM and ends at 5:30 AM in Tokyo time (JST (UTC +9)) and the bot is installed on a computer in San Francisco (PST (UTC -8)), the bot does not execute processes between 8:30 AM and 12:30 PM in San Francisco time.

Learn how to manage applications.

  1. In the Bots view of the Bot Management module, click Edit (pen-to-paper symbol) in the row of the bot to edit.

  2. In the form <bot name> click on all service times and applications you want to assign.

  3. Click Save.

Update a Bot

Update your bots to the latest version to get the newest features, bug fixes, and security enhancements. The bot finishes all processes before updating and resumes them afterwards to avoid data loss.

Alternatively, you can update single bots manually by downloading and installing the newer version from the Download Applications pane in the Home module of RPA Manager.

You can automatically update bots that fullfil the following requirements:

  • The bot is in OK status.

  • The bot version is 1.5 or later.

To update one or more bots automatically:

  1. In the Bots view of the Bot Management module, click Update.

  2. In the Select Bots pane, select the bots to update.

  3. Click Update.

RPA Manager creates an update task for each bot to be updated as soon as possible.

You can view the status of the update task in the details view of each bot in the Bots view of the Bot Management module.

Edit a Bot

Edit a bot to change its properties. Hostname, IP address, version, and timezone are fixed values taken from the computer the bot is installed on.

  1. In the Bots view of the Bot Management module, click Edit (pen-to-paper symbol) in the row of the bot to edit.

  2. Edit the <bot name> form.

  3. Click Save.

Remove a Bot

After deinstallation or reconfiguration, a bot is still shown in the Bots view. You need to manually remove the bot from the view. Deleted bots are removed from process configurations. Any active processes are terminated.

  1. In the Bots view of the Bot Management module, click Remove (trash symbol) in the row of the bot to remove.

  2. Confirm the removal.

If you accidentally remove a bot that is running, the bot shuts down and the API Key is deleted on the bot’s computer. You must uninstall and reinstall the bot with a new API Key. In this case, reassign the licenses, name, description, assigned process applications and service times, and tasks.

See Also