Alteryx Events -- Batch Job Run -- Question

[smoskowitz]

Hi All --

I am having an issue that might either be a bug in my workflow or a bug in the system (maybe).

1.  I build a workflow that total run time is 2:11 minutes. 
2.  I then add a batch file to run before the workflow.
   • I add the batch file in Events. -- all this batch file does is 2 xcopy's to backup files that I am going to overwrite. The batch is set to run before the workflow does.
3. If I re-run the very same workflow, I see my batch file run, but then the rest of the workflow takes over 11 minutes to run. It seems to get stuck at the macro that I have built in.

At this point, I can share the workflow, but not the data files as these are non-public numbers at this point, but I am not convinced its the workflow.

Anybody have any thoughts or experiences with this?

Thanks,

Seth

[HenrietteH · Accepted solution]

Hi @smoskowitz

Is it possible to share the workflow with the macro and the batch file you run with some "fake" data files? 

Does the macro use the files you are backing up? 

To help trouble shoot, take a look at the performance profiling of the workflow and the macro messages, both can be enabled in the workflow configurations: 

[smoskowitz]

HI @HenrietteH --

It seems to be running fine now. It runs the batch file and then the rest of the workflow in an acceptable amount of time. I am not sure why I had an issue, but it seemed to have "fixed" itself. :)

To answer your questions -- yes -- the workflow does use the files that I am backing up.

Have a great day and thank you for reaching out.

Thanks,

Seth

[fharper]

I know this is long past but in case anyone else finds this looking for answers....when you run another flow or a batch file from an Event, before or after event, the "parent" or "launching" flow will wait for the launched event to complete.  In one case it took 11 minutes instead of the expected 2 or 3 and chances are that the batch file doing the xcopy was waiting on a resource that was unavailable.  We often have a file open when testing and forget then close it and the batch file waiting for that file then progresses with the copy of that file not that it is "unlocked".

Batch files won't necessarily fail right off and may wait for resources, thus extending run time.  An Alteryx flow will generate a fail code for a locked file thus ending early.

This points out another issue developers should consider, error checking before continuing with the next step.

Without actually having details on this person's situation I can only propose this a likely cause for unexpected long runs in such a scenario.