Hi, We have a workflow that we want to schedule 3 times a day but we only want it to execute when all of the required data files are present. I've set up a workflow that does everything I want except for keep checking until the condition is met. Here's what I have so far: * Looks at a file that contains the day, required start time and number of files expected. For that I just set up a simple Excel file. * Based on the current time, it determines which day routine to check (i.e. Mon, Tues, etc.) and which Start Time is relevant. It then takes the Start Time and Number of Files values as its thresholds. * Reads in all of the available files in a directory that meet a specific format (e.g. DS@CommonSMCBIdata@*.xlsx) and checks their time stamps against the Start Time. If they're within an hour of the desired Start Time, then it flags them to include in the run. * It counts all of the files that have been flagged to run. So long as that total is less than the Number of Files threshold, it just ends. Once that total reaches the Number of Files threshold, it kicks off the full workflow. On that last item, if the total number of available files is less than the Number of Files threshold, what I'd like it to do is not end but rather wait a couple minutes and then check again and loop through that step until the Number of Files is reached. I assume that is possible but I can't figure out which combination of tools would be required to do that.

Hi Patrick, Looks like I might not be clever enough to make the iterative macro work. :-) But I did stumble upon another approach which seems to work quite well. I've simply added a section to the workflow that references a text file to tell it whether another instance of the same workflow is already running. Specifically: * It checks a specified text file * If the text file contains the single word "Running" then the current instance stops * If the text file contains the phrase "Not Running", then the current workflow continues and updates the text file with the word "Running", which then prevents any subsequent instances from running. * Once a full workflow has completed, it updates the text file with the phrase "Not Running" so that subsequent workflows can run. Thank you for your suggestions. Even though I didn't end up using them exactly, they got me to think beyond my current approach and come upon one that gets the job done.

How to check for a condition before executing a scheduled workflow?

mix_pix

Hi,

We have a workflow that we want to schedule 3 times a day but we only want it to execute when all of the required data files are present. I've set up a workflow that does everything I want except for keep checking until the condition is met.

Here's what I have so far:

Looks at a file that contains the day, required start time and number of files expected. For that I just set up a simple Excel file.

Based on the current time, it determines which day routine to check (i.e. Mon, Tues, etc.) and which Start Time is relevant. It then takes the Start Time and Number of Files values as its thresholds.

Reads in all of the available files in a directory that meet a specific format (e.g. DS@CommonSMCBIdata@*.xlsx) and checks their time stamps against the Start Time. If they're within an hour of the desired Start Time, then it flags them to include in the run.

It counts all of the files that have been flagged to run. So long as that total is less than the Number of Files threshold, it just ends. Once that total reaches the Number of Files threshold, it kicks off the full workflow.

On that last item, if the total number of available files is less than the Number of Files threshold, what I'd like it to do is not end but rather wait a couple minutes and then check again and loop through that step until the Number of Files is reached. I assume that is possible but I can't figure out which combination of tools would be required to do that.

check module.png

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mix_pix

Hi Patrick,

Looks like I might not be clever enough to make the iterative macro work. :-) But I did stumble upon another approach which seems to work quite well. I've simply added a section to the workflow that references a text file to tell it whether another instance of the same workflow is already running. Specifically:

It checks a specified text file

If the text file contains the single word "Running" then the current instance stops

If the text file contains the phrase "Not Running", then the current workflow continues and updates the text file with the word "Running", which then prevents any subsequent instances from running.

Once a full workflow has completed, it updates the text file with the phrase "Not Running" so that subsequent workflows can run.

Thank you for your suggestions. Even though I didn't end up using them exactly, they got me to think beyond my current approach and come upon one that gets the job done.

sales analytics flow.png

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michael_treadwell

You are looking for the Conditional Runner macro which is part of the CReW macro pack.

http://www.chaosreignswithin.com/

Set up an Alteryx module to test your conditions and pass a record to Conditional Runner only if all conditions are true.

mix_pix

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the reply. However, I believe I'm already doing what the Conditional Runner is doing, i.e. kicking off a module only after a condition is met. What I don't know how to do is loop the module that checks for the condition.

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