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1. What You Will Learn

This guide will show you through the process of running your first Workflow in the app and gives a first glimpse of the apps components in this process.

2. What is a Workflow?

A Workflow essentially is a collection of commands and is typically created using the PAK-Editor.
Workflows are defined as .bpmn files which describe the execution order for all commands provided in that Workflow.

3. Creating the Workflow

First Workflow

To create .bpmn-workflows you can use the provided PAK-Editor. As an example we will use a Workflow, which checks two predefined values if they are equal and writes the result a file. Download Workflow

4. Opening the Workflow

You can open a Workflow from the app under Open new Workflow > Folder Icon

First Workflow Open1

Now a file selector will open which allows you to navigate and select the Workflow file.

After opening the Workflow as described in the section above, it should be displayed like so:

First Workflow Open

(1) The view which displays the currently opened .bpmn file (the current Workflow). The view will update according to the progress of the run Workflow.

(2) The toolbar which is the main focus point for controlling the execution of a Workflow.

Reload: Is active after Workflow termination; Used to reload the current Workflow and prepare it for re-running
Run: Is active after Workflow opening / pausing and after a Workflow aborts e.g. due to an error; Used to start the current Workflow
Pause: Is active while a Workflow is running; Used to soft-pause the current Workflow after the current node was processed
Suspend: Is active while a Workflow is running or paused; Used to close the current Workflow and save its state for re-usage
Abort: Is active while a Workflow is running or pause; Used to terminate the current Workflow without saving its state

5. Information about a Workflow

The following app component offers information about the currently opened Workflow.

Manage Values App

(1) The Standard Workflow Indicator: Indicates whether the current Workflow is declared as ’standard‘.

A Workflow which is being used a lot of times can be declared as a ‚Standard Workflow‘ since these Workflows can be accessed faster via a specific menu, which can be seen here.

Standard Workflow Menu

Adding or removing a Workflow as ’standard‘ can be easily done by clicking the star icon as seen below:

Add Workflow To Standard

(2) The state of the current Workflow

35

The Workflow has been newly loaded

35

The Workflow was started and is running

35

The Workflow was paused and can be resumed

35

The Workflow was successfully finished

35

The Workflow was suspended and can be reloaded

35

The Workflow was aborted and can be reloaded with adjusted values

35

The Workflow is broken and can probably not be run anymore

The commands of a Workflow require values, to perform certain actions, which are either provided by the creator of the Workflow in the PAK-Editor or will be passed in the Workflow from previous commands. If neither of this is the case these values can directly set via the app in this view.

There are two types of values for commands:

Mandatory values: These values are needed to run the workflow.
Optional values: These values are not needed, the Workflow can be run without them.

(3) From here you can load a .json file which provides the values for the current Workflow.

(4) From here you will be able to provide the missing values of the Workflow.

Optional values only can be edited if it has been activated in the Executor’s configuration

6. Starting the Workflow

To start the Workflow hit the run-button in the upper left.
The view of represented Workflow will be updated while it’s been executed.

Start Workflow

These are the states of a Command and will be displayed for each Command once it has been reached in the process:

35

Indicates a currently run command.

35

Indicates that a command has been run successfully.

7. Reviewing Results

While and after a Workflow has been run, its progress will be displayed in the Log.

First Workflow LOG

Sonatype Nexus

PAK features connectors and commands for Sonatype Nexus. This means the software can directly interact with Nexus repositories for storing and managing artifacts. Through these connectors, PAK can automate tasks like uploading binaries or retrieving dependencies, ensuring efficient artifact management within Nexus.

Jenkins

PAK has connectors and commands for Jenkins. This allows the software to directly communicate with Jenkins servers, enabling the automation of CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) tasks. Through these connectors, PAK can trigger builds, fetch build statuses, or manage job configurations, streamlining the CI/CD processes within Jenkins.

Git Hub

PAK possesses connectors and commands for GitHub. This means the software can interface directly with GitHub repositories, facilitating actions like code pushes, pull requests, or issue tracking. Through these connectors, PAK can automate various GitHub operations, enhancing code collaboration and repository management.

Atlassian Confluence

PAK is equipped with connectors and commands for Atlassian Confluence. This enables the software to directly interact with Confluence spaces and pages. Through these connectors, PAK can automate actions such as creating, updating, or retrieving documentation, ensuring efficient content management and collaboration within Confluence.

Codebeamer

PAK features connectors and commands for Codebeamer. This allows the software to seamlessly integrate with Codebeamer’s ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) platform. Through these connectors, PAK can automate tasks like issue tracking, test management, or requirements tracing, enhancing the coordination and management of software development processes.

JFrog Artifactory

PAK has connectors and commands for JFrog Artifactory. This means the software can directly interface with Artifactory repositories, enabling actions like artifact storage, retrieval, and management. Through these connectors, PAK can automate tasks such as deploying artifacts or managing repository configurations, streamlining the integration and management of binary artifacts within Artifactory.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

PAK has connectors and commands for Amazon Web Services (AWS). This means the software possesses specialized interfaces to directly interact with AWS services and execute actions on the AWS platform. Through these connectors, PAK can automate AWS-specific commands, such as launching EC2 instances, managing S3 buckets, or configuring Lambda functions. This allows for efficient integration, management, and automation of AWS resources and services directly from PAK.

Atlassian Jira

PAK features integration tools and capabilities for Atlassian Jira. These tools allow for a direct connection to Jira and the execution of specific actions. Using these integration tools, PAK can automate Jira actions such as adding comments or changing ticket priorities, ensuring seamless handling and coordination of Jira processes.

Git

PAK has connectors and commands for Git. This means it has interfaces to directly communicate with Git and execute actions. Through these connectors, the software can automate Git commands such as retrieving changes or creating branches, enabling efficient integration and management of Git tasks.

Generic Human Tasks

PAK offers you a standard set of commands which require creative input from the user. Enables you to start with automating your workflows, that still need abit of human input.

Generic Commands

PAK offers a standard set of commands giving you the first steps to automate your workflows.

Nexus Maven Command Pool

Nexus is an artifact repository manager for storing binaries, libraries, and artifacts, supporting formats like Maven. Maven, a software project management tool, is based on the Project Object Model (POM) and allows developers to consistently define projects and dependencies. Our Command Pool offers commands for interactions between Maven and Nexus, such as artifact uploads or dependency retrieval.

Artifactory Maven Command Pool

Artifactory allows developers to store, retrieve, and manage binary files and artifacts, providing a
central source for all binaries used in a development process. Apache Maven is a software project
management and comprehension tool that enables developers to consistently describe a project and
its dependencies. Our Command Pool offers a collection of commands used to facilitate interactions
between Maven and Artifactory, such as uploading artifacts or retrieving dependencies.

Open API Command Interpreter

The OpenApi Command Interpreter allows you the automatic parsing of commands from an OpenApi defintion. No additional code needs to be written anymore, just add the address to the definition and our framework does the rest!

Kotlin Command Interpreter

The Kotlin Command Interpreter allows you the parsing and execution of commands within a Kotlin environment to automate various tasks or processes.

Bpmn Interpreter

Workflows come in many shapes and forms. The BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) Interpreter enables the parsing of worklows defined in the BPMN format into the PAK intern model.

Human Task Interpreter

The Human Task Interpreter allows you the parsing and running of commands within a HTML and Javascript environment. Use this to build commands which need the creative input of a workflow user!

Java Command Interpreter

The Java Command Interpreter allows you the parsing and execution of commands within a Java
environment to automate various tasks or processes.

Core

The heart of the PAK-Framework. Contains the means to run workflows with the PAK engine, but also the possibility to enrich the frameworks interfaces with your own implementations and solutions.

RocksDB Persistence

Data that is generated by a workflow run needs to be saved for short or longer terms. Our solution to the Persistence Interface of the PAK-Framework is to use the high-performance, key-value based RocksDB developed by Facebook.

PAK online

PAK Online is a web based application and provides an Open API based REST API. It enables you to upload workflows and run them periodically or on REST demand.

Command Line App

Run tasks and workflows on the console or as part of a CI/CD Pipeline with our Command Line Interface.

Workflow Editor

With our specially developed editor, a wide variety of workflows can be easily modeled in the wide known BPMN process format.

Workflow Executor

The Workflow Executor is the application to run your workflows. It features a multilingual UI and easy managment of your favorite workflows.

Support

We offer a community website where you can exchange ideas and support each other. For our Pro packages we also offer full support via email.