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Deploying Automations

The third phase of process automation is the Test phase. In this phase, you can test the implemented process model in different configurations. You can transition back to Build phase to change the implementation.

When the tests are successful, transition to Production phase.

The Production phase is the final phase in the life cycle of a process.

You have three ways to run a process:

  • Create and deploy a Scheduled Run Configuration to run the process automatically at defined times.

  • Create and publish an Invocable Run Configuration to use it within other Salesforce products.

  • Create an On-Demand Run Configuration to start the process run manually.

You can’t run processes openly in existing console sessions or run them hidden in Secure Sessions. In console sessions, only one process can run at a time. In Secure Sessions, different processes or several instances of the same process can run in parallel.

Before You Begin

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

    Action RPA Permission Deprecated RPA Permission

    Open the Process Automation module.

    RPA Automations Designer, RPA Automations Contributor, RPA Automations Manager, RPA Administrator

    Process Automation Open

  • At least one RPA Bot must be installed to deploy or publish a process.

    • Be aware that bots can reside in different time zones.

  • If you want to use the values of global variables or credentials as initial values for activity parameters, an RPA administrator must create them in the Global Variables or Credential Pool view first.

  • A project in test or production phase must exist in the Project Management view of the Process Automation module.

  • Obtain the needed permissions as a member of the process team in the project data sheet in the Project Management view of the Process Automation module.

  • To run a process in an existing console or RDP session, you must deploy it to a bot that is configured for console sessions, and the specified user must be logged in to this session when you deploy the run configuration. If the user is logged in more than once, the bot starts the process in the first session in which the user is logged in. The bot searches for the user in this order:

    1. Physical console session

    2. RDP session 1

    3. RDP session …​

    4. RDP session .

      Bots running an earlier version than 1.2.0 overtake an open console session without checking if the logged-in user matches the specified user.

    Don’t close or minimize the console session while the bot executes the process.

  • To run a process in a hidden session, you must deploy it to a bot configured for Secure Sessions. Before deploying a run configuration on a bot that has only one licensed secure session, don’t disconnect the session, instead sign out the specified user. Don’t sign in to a computer where a bot with one licensed Secure Session is running a process.

  • RPA Manager requires authentication to integrate RPA processes into other Salesforce products:

    • Use user API keys to use Salesforce Flows with RPA.

    • Use Connected Apps to configure an RPA connector in a MuleSoft Composer flow.

Test a Process Automation

Transition the project to the test phase and create test configurations to execute test runs.

Test configurations contain start values for the activity parameters defined in RPA Builder, users who process the user tasks, the configuration of the test environment, and the executing bots.

Transition the project back to the build phase to change the implementation.

Transition Process to Test Phase

Transition the fully implemented process to test phase for testing:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click Publish (Test).

  4. In the window Release to Test, add the needed applications.

  5. Check I confirm that the process should be released into the test phase and all responsible persons have agreed.

  6. Click Release to Test to confirm the transition.

Create a Test Configuration

To create a test configuration:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click Create new test plan.

  4. Complete the Create test plan wizard:

    • Activity Parameter

      The activity parameters for each process are created in RPA Builder and are given initial values there. You can overwrite these values with new initial values by double-clicking on the relevant field in the Value column.

      Set a value by entering text or by clicking on a checkbox, and complete your entry by pressing ENTER.

      The variables are typed. You can only enter or link values of the same type. The values entered here are start values, which can be overwritten by other values during the process run.

    • User Task

      User tasks are elements of a process model, which can’t be processed fully automatically by a bot, but which require the support of a human. Specify which users are to process the user tasks by clicking on the User Assignment or User Group Assignment icon. The number of assigned users and user groups is displayed in the table. You can specify both users and user groups at the same time. The user task is then displayed to each specified user until a user reserves it for processing.

      Select the checkbox Send email notification to all related users when the task is ready for processing if you want all specified users to receive an email as soon as they’re supposed to process a user task. This email contains the name of the user task, the process, and the project manager, as well as a prompt to review the pending tasks in the My RPA module.

    • Execution

      Decide whether to carry out the test run in an existing console or RDP session or in a Secure Session, and specify an appropriate user.

      You can link the user with a global credential variable by clicking on the Link a credential from credential pool icon.

      Use the syntax domain\username instead of username@domain.com for domain users and username for local users, regardless of whether you enter the username manually or link a global credential.

      Ensure that the bot that you want to execute the process is configured for the execution type, because you can’t save the test configuration otherwise.

      The bot can overtake the console or RDP session only if the specified user is logged in at runtime. If no user or another user is logged in at runtime, the process run results show the failure No active session with the user '<user name>' could be found on the system.

      Bots running an earlier version than 1.2.0 overtake an open console session without checking if the logged-in user matches the specified user.

      If you want to watch the execution of the process in the Process Streaming view of the Process Monitoring module or if the process uses elements of the Windows operating system like the start menu or the task bar, check Enable Taskbar (Start menu, taskbar buttons).

    • Bots

      Select all RPA Bots that are to carry out the test configuration.

      Select the checkbox Show bots not enabled in this phase to also show bots that aren’t intended for use in this phase.

      When you select a bot, ensure that it’s configured for the required session type, that it’s allowed to be deployed in the relevant phase, and that it can operate the required applications.

      If one of the selected bots isn’t configured appropriately, RPA Manager displays a notification, and you can’t proceed with the test configuration. Hover the mouse pointer over the info label to display more detailed information about the cause of the warning or error in the form of a tooltip.

  5. Click Finish.

Run Tests

Run all tests in parallel. RPA Manager shows a warning in case of deployment problems.

View the results in the Test Results panel:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click Start tests.

  4. In the window Select Configuration to deploy, check all test configurations you want to run.

  5. Click Execute.

View Test Results

View the test results to decide if the project can transition to production phase. In case of errors, download an analysis package and open it in RPA Builder.

To view the test results and to download an analysis package:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. In the panel Test Results, select a time interval and click Update.

  4. View the run results in the table.

  5. If you want details on a result, click a number.

  6. In case of errors, click the Download icon.

Deploy a Process Automation

Transition the project to the production phase to deploy a run configuration to a bot. The process runs fully automated from now on.

Sometimes it’s necessary to start a process manually when something happens that only a human can evaluate. For example, the goods inwards inspection process can only start after the banana delivery ship reaches the pier wall. For this purpose, use the Run Now option.

You have three ways to run a process:

  • Create and deploy a Scheduled Run Configuration to run the process automatically at defined times.

  • Create and publish an Invocable Run Configuration to use it within other Salesforce products.

  • Create an On-Demand Run Configuration to start the process run manually.

You can run processes openly in existing console sessions or hidden in Secure Sessions. In console sessions, only one process can run at a time. In Secure Sessions, different processes or several instances of the same process can run in parallel.

Pause or revoke configurations to stop the execution temporarily. Transition the project back to the build phase to change the implementation.

You can’t delete projects of processes that a bot has already run productively.

Transition Process to Production Phase

Transition the tested process to production phase for running it fully automatically or for publishing it to Anypoint Exchange:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click Publish (Production).

  4. In the window Release to Production, add the needed applications.

  5. Check I confirm that the process should be released into the production phase and all responsible persons have agreed.

  6. Click Release to Production to confirm the transition.

Create a Run Configuration

A run configuration consists of a name, a description, initial values for the Activity Parameters, one or more bots, and conditions for deployment of the automation with this configuration.

There are three types of run configurations:

  • Scheduled run configurations define intervals for the runs.

  • Invocable run configurations are called from other products. Automations can have one invocable run configuration.

  • On-demand run configurations are started manually.

You can publish an invocable run configuration after you save it.

You can create a new configuration or copy an existing one.

To create a new run configuration:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click New > <Type> Run Configuration.

  4. Complete the Create production configuration form. The shown parameters depend on the configuration type:

    • Settings

      • Priority

        Enter a number between 1 and 200 to specify the priority of the process run. Deployed processes are inserted in a session queue according to their priority. Process configurations with lower numbers are considered higher priority and are executed before configurations of lower priority. Invocable and on-demand run configurations always have highest priority.

    • Activity Parameter

      The activity parameters for each process are created in RPA Builder and are given initial values there. You can overwrite these values with new initial values by double-clicking on the relevant field in the Value column.

      Set a value by entering text or by clicking on a checkbox, and complete your entry by pressing ENTER.

      The variables are typed. You can only enter or link values of the same type. The values entered here are start values, which can be overwritten by other values during the process run.

    • User Task:

      User tasks are elements of a process model that a bot can’t process fully automatically and require human intervention. Specify which users are to process the user tasks by clicking on the User Assignment or User Group Assignment icon. The table displays the number of assigned users and user groups. You can specify both users and user groups at the same time. The user task is then displayed to each specified user until a user reserves it for processing.

      Select the checkbox Send email notification to all related users when the task is ready for processing if you want all specified users to receive an email as soon as they’re supposed to process a user task. This email contains the name of the user task, the process, and the project manager, as well as a prompt to review the pending tasks in the My RPA module.

    • Execution:

      Decide whether to carry out the productive run in an existing console or RDP session or in a Secure Session, and specify an appropriate user.

      You can link the user with a global credential variable by clicking on the Link a credential from credential pool icon.

      Use the syntax domain\username instead of username@domain.com for domain users and username for local users, regardless of whether you enter the username manually or link a global credential.

      Ensure that the bot that you want to execute the process is configured for the execution type, because you can’t save the run configuration otherwise.

      The bot can overtake the console or RDP session only if the specified user is logged in at runtime. If no user or another user is logged in at runtime, the process run results show the failure No active session with the user '<user name>' could be found on the system.

      Bots running an earlier version than 1.2.0 overtake an open console session without checking if the logged-in user matches the specified user.

      If you want to watch the execution of the process in the Process Streaming view of the Process Monitoring module or if the process uses elements of the Windows operating system like the start menu or the task bar, check Enable Taskbar (Start menu, taskbar buttons).

    • Schedule:

      Invocable and on-demand run configurations don’t have schedules.

      For a scheduled run configuration, choose the schedule type:

      Interval and Cron expression scheduling are supported by bots running version 1.7.0 or later.

      • Interval Enter the interval to repeat the process. The process starts once at the beginning of each interval.

        The intervals are equidistant in the defined time frame. For example, Repeat my process every 10 minutes.

        If you need a more complex interval, use Cron expression.

      • Cron expression

        Enter a Cron expression to repeat the process. The process starts once at the beginning of each interval.

        The intervals aren’t equidistant. For example, Run my process on minutes 3, 11, and 48 of every hour between 08:00 AM and 10:42 PM, only on Monday and Friday, from February to April, and in November.

        If you need a simpler interval, use Interval.

        You can use the Cron expression helper to compile the expresssion and check the natural language schedule summary.

      • Calendar Scheduling

        Use this option to edit run configurations that already use calendar scheduling.

        Add one or more fixed schedules within which RPA continuously executes the productive run. For each schedule, define time intervals within which RPA executes the process. RPA Manager combines all schedules to compute the execution times.

    • Bots:

      Select all RPA Bots that are to carry out the production configuration.

      Select the checkbox Show bots not enabled in this phase to also show bots that aren’t intended for use in this phase.

      When you select a bot, ensure that it’s configured for the required session type, that it’s allowed to be deployed in the relevant phase, and that it can operate the required applications.

      If one of the selected bots isn’t configured appropriately, RPA Manager displays a notification, and you can’t proceed with the configuration. Hover the mouse pointer over the info label to display more detailed information about the cause of the warning or error in the form of a tooltip.

      Set the number of Secure Sessions for each bot. On-demand run configurations have only one session.

  5. Click Save.

Copy a Run Configuration

Copy a run configuration if you need to change only a few parameters.

You can also copy a scheduled or an invocable run configuration as an on-demand run configuration.

To copy a run configuration:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click the Copy icon (copy symbol) in the table row of the run configuration to copy.

  4. Select the type of the copy.

  5. Enter a new name for the copy of the run configuration. The copy contains all assets of the original. For on-demand run configurations, the number of sessions of all bots is set to 1.

  6. Click OK.

You can edit the copy after saving.

Deploy Configurations

Deploy configuration to run them fully automatically in a productive environment:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click Select action.

  4. From the dropdown, select Deploy process.

  5. In the window Select Configuration to deploy, check all configurations to run.

  6. Click Execute.

Run a Configuration Once

The configuration to run once must either be invocable or marked as Start Manually.

To start the single process run:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click Select action.

  4. From the dropdown, select Run once.

  5. In the window Select Configuration to Run once, check all configurations to run.

  6. Click Execute.

The run starts directly. If an invocable configuration is triggered at the same time using the same session, the run waits for the invocable run to complete before starting.

View Run Results

View the run results to check if everything runs as predicted. In case of errors, download an analysis package and open it in RPA Builder. You can always transition the project back to build phase.

To view the run results and to download an analysis package:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. In the panel Run Results, select a time interval and click Update.

  4. View the run results in the table.

  5. If you want details on a result, click a number.

  6. In case of errors, click the Download icon.

Publish a Process Automation

Transition the project to the production phase and publish an invocable run configuration to use the process out of MuleSoft RPA, for example with one of the following products:

  • Anypoint Exchange

  • MuleSoft Composer

  • Salesforce Flow

You can’t delete projects once they’re used in production.

Deleted invocable run configurations aren’t deleted in Anypoint Exchange. Edited and updated invocable run configurations are published as new versions in Anypoint Exchange.

Salesforce Flow always uses the newest version of a process. Invocable run configurations deleted in RPA are also deleted in Salesforce.

Invocable configurations can run only if the following requirements are met:

  • The project is in the production phase.

  • At least one of the assigned bots is in the OK state.

Transition Process to Production Phase

Transition the tested process to production phase for running it fully automatically or for publishing it:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click Publish (Production).

  4. In the window Release to Production, add the needed applications.

  5. Check I confirm that the process should be released into the production phase and all responsible persons have agreed.

  6. Click Release to Production to confirm the transition.

Create an Invocable Run Configuration

You can publish an invocable run configuration after you save it.

To create an invocable run configuration:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the name of the category of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click New > Invocable Run Configuration.

  4. Complete the Create production configuration form:

    • Activity Parameter:

      The activity parameters for each process are created in RPA Builder and given initial values there. You can overwrite these values with new initial values by double-clicking on the relevant field in the Value column.

      Set the value by entering text or by clicking on a checkbox, and complete your entries by pressing ENTER.

    • User Task:

      User tasks are elements of a process model, which can’t be processed fully automatically by a bot, but which require the support of a human. Specify which users are to process the user tasks by clicking on the User Assignment or User Group Assignment icon. The number of assigned users and user groups is displayed in the table. You can specify both users and user groups at the same time. The user task is then displayed to each specified user until a user reserves it for processing.

      Select the checkbox Send email notification to all related users when the task is ready for processing if you want all specified users to receive an email as soon as they’re supposed to process a user task. This email contains the name of the user task, the process, and the project manager, as well as a prompt to review the pending tasks in the My RPA module.

    • Execution:

      Decide whether to carry out the invocable run in an existing console or RDP session or in a Secure Session, and specify an appropriate user.

      You can link the user with a global credential variable by clicking on the Link a credential from credential pool icon.

      Use the syntax domain\username instead of username@domain.com for domain users and username for local users, regardless of whether you enter the username manually or link a global credential.

      Ensure that the bot that you want to execute the process is configured for the execution type because you can’t save the run configuration otherwise.

      The bot can overtake the console or RDP session only if the specified user is logged in at runtime. If no user or another user is logged in at runtime, the process run results show the failure No active session with the user '<user name>' could be found on the system.

      Bots running an earlier version than 1.2.0 overtake an open console session without checking if the logged-in user matches the specified user.

      If you want to watch the execution of the process in the Process Streaming view of the Process Monitoring module or if the process uses elements of the Windows operating system like the start menu or the task bar, check Enable Taskbar (Start menu, taskbar buttons).

    • Bots:

      Select the RPA Bots to carry out the invocable configuration.

      Select the checkbox Show bots not enabled in this phase to also show bots that aren’t intended for use in this phase.

      When you select a bot, ensure that it’s configured for the required session type, that it’s allowed to be deployed in the relevant phase, and that it can operate the required applications.

      If one of the selected bots isn’t configured appropriately, RPA Manager displays a notification, and you can’t proceed with the configuration. Hover the mouse pointer over the info label to display more detailed information about the cause of the warning or error in the form of a tooltip.

  5. Click Save.

Publish an Invocable Run Configuration

You can publish an invocable run configuration to Anypoint Exchange or Salesforce.

To publish an invocable run configuration:

  1. Open the Process Management view of the Process Automation module and click on the category name of your project.

  2. Click on the name of a project to open it.

  3. Click Publish (cloud with arrow up symbol).

  4. Select the publication target.

If you edit your process or project, republish it to Anypoint to create a new version there.

If you edit your project name, republish to Salesforce to update the existing version there.

See Also