Catalytic is now PagerDuty Workflow Automation

Workflow Instances

When a Workflow is built, an instance of it is started to manage a specific process instance. For example, if you’re running a “Vacation Request Approval” Workflow, one instance would be started for each vacation request.

Instances are started manually or with a trigger. Once an instance is started, all of the task actions in the instance are listed on the instance details page, including automated tasks or tasks assigned to other users or groups. All the tasks are organized chronologically.

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This is an example of an instance detail page.

On an instance detail page, you can see a summary of the instance, with the owner, date started, and a progress overview at the top that shows the number of tasks done, percent complete, number of active tasks, and number of completed tasks—with a progress bar showing the percent complete.

Select a completed or upcoming task to see details about the task, or select an in progress task that’s assigned to you and complete the work from this page.

💡   Tip: You can comment on an instance to interact with other members of your team, ask a question, or cheer on a Workflow!

How to start an instance of a Workflow

Pushbot instances can be started manually or with a trigger. Not all Workflow’s can be started manually, but if it can, manually triggering a Workflow is simple and done from the Workflow’s details page.

  1. Select Workflows from the top navigation bar
  2. Choose a Workflow to start, this will open the Workflow detail page
  3. Select
  4. Complete all fields, as necessary
    1. Name: Default is the instance name and a timestamp.
    2. Deadline: This is a deadline for the entire instance and is not required.
    3. Owner: The default owner is whoever starts the instance, but some Workflow’s may be contingent on the owner being a specific user; if you’re unsure, check with the Workflow creator.
    4. Instance Fields (if applicable): Instance Fields are special fields sometimes added to the start an instance screen and may be required to start an instance.
  5. Select

💡   Tip: If you cannot find the Workflow you would like to start, it is likely because of the Workflow’s permissions. See Give a user permissions for more information on permissions.

How to view an instance detail page

  • Find and select from the latest instances you’re involved in from the instance section of your home screen
  • Find and select an instance from a task by opening a task, and selecting the instance name above the task title
  • Find and select from all instances for a specific Workflow from the Workflow detail page
  • Search for an instance by selecting on the top right of any page

Check all instances for a Workflow

After you’ve created a Workflow, you can check the Workflow detail page to view and manage it. Every instance that starts is tracked and listed on the Instance tab of the Workflow’s detail screen. When an instance starts, it appears here. For each instance, you can see a summary of the details, including the instances current milestone. Click any instance to open the Instance detail page and see progress for each step.

You can quickly check on the health or status of an instance based on it’s milestone.

Understanding instance status and milestones

Every instance has a status, such as Completed or In Progress. The status tells you what’s going on in your process.

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Instance status Description
The instance is active, with steps still waiting to complete.
The instance was completed.
The instance has been ended manually or by an action. This is different than completed.

You can also create unique, custom statuses called milestones using the Workflow: Create a milestone for your Workflow action. For example, you could set up your onboarding Workflow to cycle through statuses like “Screening”, or “Interview” to express how far along or what phase the process is in.

How to end an active instance

If there’s an issue with a process, instances can be ended manually. Never design processes to need to be manually ended—it should only be used if a process becomes stuck or was started accidentally.

  1. Click the button from the top navigation bar, and select Instances from the menu.
  2. Browse and select the instance you wish to end. Adjust the filters to Status is in progress to narrow down the instances.
  3. Select the in the top right and select End Instance. Select OK.

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How to edit the Workflow you’re viewing

When you’re viewing an instance, you can quickly jump to editing that Workflow from the instance detail page. When viewing an instance:

  1. Select the button in the top right.
  2. Select “Open in Builder”.

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