How to Access Workflow Log Data in order to Create an Error Report

[wendy_slepecki]

What my workflow does: My analytic app utilizes a batch macro to generate individual technical files for a list of part numbers provided by the user.  The workflow extracts relevant product content from our company content database and the batch macro within the workflow formats the content for inclusion in a PDF that is then provided to an end customer.  The raw product content is formatted for display on websites, and therefore it contains imbedded html tags.  I found that the Report Text tool renders this imbedded html and I have created a batch macro the generates individual PDF files as required by my users.

Problem: The html code imbedded within the content is not always clean and when there is problematic html tags within the content the Report Text tool does not always render the PDF correctly.  In those instances, the final PDF is generated but with only part on the product content included.  I would like to use the workflow log data to generate an error report of the instances where the PDF is not complete and needs further review.  I am looking for a solution on how to access the workflow log file or another method to identify these errors and generate the error report.

I have tried the Crew Runner tool, but it doesn't give me exactly what I need because it does not allow for users to input the workflow options using the various interface tools built into the complete tool.  Cleaning up the html is also not feasible because of the volume of data (millions of records) that is managed in our system.  This app must also run from the gallery.

I want to the workflow to access this info:

The two circled tools within the batch macro are the two tools where I would want to capture any error messages generated.

I have included the portion of the workflow relevant to this question and the batch macro.  Any help or insights would be much appreciated.

[braveraj]

Hi @wendy_slepecki 

I've run into a very similar problem looking to capture Error logs on gallery as well. The crew macro I can't get to work on the gallery and I have no way to change the error log file path for gallery also only locally. The almost complete workaround that I've found is to create a workflow configuration that emails only on errors (unless you want to capture all runs). It will email the workflow log in a text format. You can then create email rules to move the email to a specific folder so it doesn't clutter your inbox, and then create a power automate rule to extract the text from the email and save it to a file in OneDrive or sharepoint.

I know it may not be the most elegant method but this is the closest I've come to getting error logs from gallery. I hope this helps. Please keep me informed if you come up with a simpler or better solution since I'm in the same boat as you.

Good luck!

[ChrisTX]

See if any of these posts help:

See this text:

If you are running via a flavor of automation where you have either the Designer with Scheduler/API add-on license or a Server License you have the ability to run from the command line or powershell. you can dynamically build or have preset batch files to run your flow(s). you can define a logfile in the batch and capture the outputlog data by redirect to the logfile.

in this post: 

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Setup-Configuration/Log-File-Location-and-Variables/m-p/80884/highl...

Log File Location and Variables

and this 

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer/Reusing-reserved-variables-outside-Alteryx/td-p/18...

Reusing reserved variables outside Alteryx

and this Idea, with a few tips in the comment section:

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Ideas/Improve-Log-files-for-simpler-parsing/idi-p/...

Chris

[sd4w95sf8e]

Hey @ChrisTX, any idea where to find the "Log File Location and Variables" page now?  It's showing as archived.  I've used it in the past but can no longer find the variable details it had anywhere else.

[rohit782192]

Option-> User Setting-> Edit User Setting

Check the Default option.

Create a folder log at the location and pass the location.

Whenever you run the workflow your log will be created at that location.

[sd4w95sf8e]

Thanks for the response @rohit782192, I was mainly looking for the list of variables that can be used in the Event email messages.  I see the following when you create a new Email Event but I was thinking there were a few others that could be used too:

%AppName%

%User%
%ComputerName%
%WorkingDir%
%NumErrors%
%NumConvErrors%
%Warnings%

%OutputLog%

[ChrisTX]

Send an email to helpfeedback@alteryx.com and ask where you can get the information from the now-archived webpage 

Log File Location and Variables

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Setup-Configuration/Log-File-Location-and-Variables/m-p/80884/highl...

I searched the online help text, but didn't find anything.

Chris