Write to File or Database - Value does not persist on the Gallery

[RquanEvernorth]

1. I set the directory of an output file to a Network Share Drive to which I have access.
2. The workflow executes successfully from my desktop.
3. I Save the workflow to the Gallery with directory selected in "Manage workflow assets".
4. When executing from the Gallery, the file/directory changes to _externals\1\

I want it to persist as I’ve defined it so that it will write the file to the Network Share from the Gallery.

The Gallery has permissions to write to the directory.

[NikyN]

Hello @RquanEvernorth,

OneDrive is really specific -- it is not share drive. You need to provide credentials before entering. Alteryx Flow is running on different user than on the desktop.

For interacting with OneDrive you will need to use OneDrive Tools - see below more details.

https://help.alteryx.com/20214/designer/onedrive-output-tool

Best Luck!

Niky

[danilang]

Hi @NikyN 

If you are writing to a network drive, don't include output files in the Manage Workflow Assets.

This way the path in the output tool will not be changed to \externals.  

You may end up with a new issue.  When you run a workflow in the gallery, it runs in the context of the account that is running the Alteryx service on the Gallery server.  This account will need to get the write permissions to target directory.  By default, the account used for the Alteryx Service on the gallery is Local System.  This doesn't have any permissions outside of the server file system.  

Check with your Gallery Admin/IT Dept to ensure that

1. the Alteryx service runs with a domain account

2. this account has permissions to write to the target directory.

Dan

[NikyN]

Hi @danilang,

Yes you are totally right! I do not know why, I was thinking we are talking about OneDrive outputs. My bad!

Thank you

Enjoy Sunday

Best Luck!

Niky

[RquanEvernorth]

Thanks Dan.  This worked.  We use role based security and the account on the server executing the workflow has permissions to write to the network share.

For educational purposes, what is occurring with the server when I select the output as an asset?

Best Regards.

RQ

[danilang]

Hi @RquanEvernorth 

When you select an output file as an asset when exporting or saving to an Alteryx server, the file "filename.ext" is moved to  the path "_externals\n\fllename.ext" where n is an integer generated by an internal algorithm.  Any Output tool that references this path is modified so the original path, i.e. "c:\temp\fllename.ext" becomes "_externals\n\fllename.ext".  In general you should not include output files as assets when saving to a server, since they get written to a staging directory on the server which is erased after the workflow is finished.

This process can be used for both input and output asset files.  It's most useful when you have a Dynamic Input tool that uses a file as a template.  The template file will be replaced in the normal course of running the workflow, but it needs to be there or the workflow throws an error when saved.   When specifying that the file should be an asset, it's packaged up with the workflow in the "_externals" path and is always available.

Dan