Control Containers to Create a New Workbook & Update Different Sheets on the same workbook

[vivaisun11]

Hello.

I am trying to create a workflow where a new workbook is created (in a shared network drive) with current date, and the same workbook has sheets updated with other parts of the workflow.

Recently came across Control Containers and thought it would do the job, but its been a hit or miss, where sometimes it runs without issues, but most of the time, I get the error that "The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process."

Below is a sample of the workflow I am using.

Thanks.

[alexnajm]

I'd put the other tools in each of their respective control containers and see if that fixes it!

[vivaisun11]

Tried that earlier as well, but didn't have any difference in the order of execution.

[alexnajm]

Gotcha. Personally what I'd do instead is have a Block Until Done tool right after that Select tool and have each of the three branches going out of the 1, 2, and 3 anchors respectively

[vivaisun11]

That was my first option. But for some reason, even after using a Parallel Block macro, it still updates the next sheet before the first process completes.

The workflow is updating into a shared network folder, where I am creating a new file based on the current date, with sheet 1 data of 100K records. I have the same formula for the sequential workflows that create a new sheet in the same file and update with just about 100 records.

Could it be the difference in number of records that's causing it? Or that it's writing onto a shared drive? Or maybe because I have the same~ formulas for creating the file name using formula tool for multiple sheets?

I have tried the following, but not sure if I'm making a mistake someplace.

1) Regular Block until done

2) Union with dynamic output tool

3) Parallel Block until done macro

4) Control container

Thanks.

[alexnajm]

Is AMP Engine turned on with the Block until Done option? I would turn it off. Otherwise getting screenshots of your configurations would be great

[vivaisun11]

Tried it with the AMP Engine ON and OFF as well for the Block Until Done part.
Attached the configuration, and the File Writing Config, which is the same config (with different Tab Names) for all 3 outputs.

[alexnajm]

A few things:

1) that workflow looks a lot different to the original workflow. What a screenshot with your workflow configured with the block until done tool only?

2) it looks like you are doing create a new sheet - that will work the first time but not each subsequent run (I’m assuming your path is updating based on the say) - overwrite sheet should work better. 
3) I’m not sure those are parallel block until done macros as they are different icons so I can’t confirm if those have the correct logic

[alexnajm]

The network drive could be part of the issue - you could try the wait a second tool for each stream to help out. Otherwise, I don’t know how much further I can help unless you send over the packaged workflow!

[vivaisun11]

I'll try the wait a second tool and get back to you! Thanks so much for all the help and suggestions! :)

Do you know if the Wait a second macro would be OK to use on the Alteryx Server? Or will there be restrictions?

Thanks.