This page is for data modellers, application designers and system administrators. It explains how to create a task , and the different types of PhixFlow Tasktask. It also explains strategies for tasks that affect tables.

Overview

TBC

See Also

When working with data, applications and IT systems, there are routine processes that you need to run. A task is a specific job, often linked to a table. You do not run tasks directly. You must add them to a task plan; see Task Plans.

The task properties tab is not available from the repository. It opens from the task plan properties tab.

For information about how tasks and task plans work together, and about types of task, see Using Tasks and Task Plans 

See Also

• Training 14 Creating Tasks and Task Plans

The tasks are run in the configured order.

Creating a Task

1. In  In a task plan propertiesproperties → TasksTasks section, click 

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   add

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   . 
2. Select one of the task types from the menu; see  see Types of Task, below.
3. PhixFlow opens a new task properties tab.
4. Enter a name in Basic Settings → Name. Insert excerpt_save_savenopaneltrue.
5. Optionally set other properties and add streams; see Task Properties, below.

Mandatory Tasks

The tasks are run in the configured order. 

You can specify that a task in a task plan is mandatory This means the task must complete before the next task in the sequence can run. If a mandatory task fails, PhixFlow will not run the following tasks. You must resolve the issue preventing the task from running and then restart the task.

Structuring Tasks

When setting up task plans with tasks that affect streams, you must consider whether the streams have any dependencies. This affects your options when structuring tasks in task plans.

Either each task affects one stream

If there are dependencies between streams, configure PhixFlow to have one task per stream and configure each task to be mandatory. 

1. Create a set of tasks.
   • Each task works on a single stream.
   • Set the tasks to be mandatory.
2. Add the set of tasks to the task plan.

PhixFlow processes the tasks, and therefore the streams, in order. PhixFlow must finish a task successfully before it starts to update the next stream. This is the safest way to set up tasks that affect streams. Always use this method when there are dependencies between streams.

Or one task affects multiple streams

If there are no dependencies between streams, you can add multiple streams to the task. In this case you have no control over the order in which streams will be processed. Only use this method if there is you are sure there are no dependencies between the streams.

1. Create a task
2. Add multiple streams to a task
3. Add the task to the task plan. 

This has the advantage that you only need to configure one task to change multiple streams.

See Also

1. Specify the order in which the task must be run. This is important if a table depends on the data in other tables.

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   .
3. Optionally set other properties and add tables.

Task Properties

Basic Settings

Tables

This section is available when Task Type is Analysis Task or Table Data Delete Task.

Use this section to specify the tables that the task affects. This section has:

• a grid that shows the list of tables assigned to the task.

There are different ways

to add

tables to the list.

• In the section toolbar, click 

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  . PhixFlow shows all the tables in the repository. Drag a table into the grid.
• From a model, hover your mouse pointer over

• the table to display the

• popup toolbar. Click 

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   and drag it into the grid.
• From

• a model, double-click on a table to open its properties. From the table properties, drag the table icon from the top left of the properties tab into the grid.

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If you add multiple

tables to the task, PhixFlow will process the

tables in any order when the task runs. Only use this method

you are sure there are no dependencies between the

tables.

Additional Sections for Configuration Export Tasks

The following sections are only available when Task Type is Configuration Export Task. 

Items to Export

This section has:

• the Export Full Configuration check box
• a grid that shows the list of items to export.

All the specified items will be saved into a single zip file. Specify the file name and description in the File Settings section.

User Groups

The grid contains a list of user groups whose members can either run the task or access the generated files in the download area. To add a user group to the list:

1. Click

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    to list all the user groups in the repository.
2. Drag user groups into this list to add them to the task. 

To remove a user group from the role, use the

File Settings

Mandatory Tasks

The tasks are run in the order they are listed in the the task plan.

You can specify that a task is Mandatory. If a mandatory task fails, PhixFlow will not run the following task in the task plan. You must resolve the issue preventing the task from running and then restart the task.