Local output of a scheduled workflow

[Federica_FF]

Hello everybody,

I have a simple workflow/app that gets data from an API service and creates a .csv file locally, on the desktop of the server machine.

Since when I've published it on the gallery and shared with my collegues, I can't output the .csv on the desktop, I can only download the .csv from the Gallery/Workflow result window.

Is there any way to save locally the ouptut from an app/workflow published and used from the gallery/web browser?

I've notice from the logs that the .csv file is actually in the "external file" folder of the packaged workbook...(staging folders) but I need it to be saved in a specific folder on the server machine.

Thanks,

[MarqueeCrew]

You can push the output to a network drive.  You can modify the output tool to a specified file.  Does that work for you?

[Federica_FF]

Sorry, I'm an idiot!

Don't know why publishing the app, Alteryx changed all the output to the "external" folders, even if I initially set the Desktop as output folder of the Render tool.

I'll try to change all the path and I'll let you know if it works!

[Federica_FF]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I can't change the output path.

Before I publish the workflow, the output tool saves on the desktop:

If I publish the workflow on my Gallery, the path changes by itself:

If I try to open the workflow directly from the gallery (File --> Open --> My Gallery) I can see that the path in the Output tool is changed. I also tried to edit the Workflow Dependancies option, but as soon as I publish, the path change again.

Can someone tell me what am I doing wrong?

[patrick_digan · Accepted solution]

@Federica_FF It looks like it's getting packaged when you publish. When you go to publish:

Click on Manage Workflow assets. Then uncheck any assets that you don't want packaged and changed to the externals folder.

By default, this output was checked and would have been changed to the externals folder.

[Federica_FF]

Okay, that solved my problem.

Thanks!

[MichaelPilz]

Hello. I've been having exactly the same problem, and finally found this thread. I was very excited when I saw the solution,....until it didn't work for me.

I must be doing something wrong!!!

Im running a very simple test workflow that opens an excel file stored locally on my desktop (for now) and then stores the output into the same folder. I've unchecked both the input and the output file in the 'manage workflow assets' as suggested...

but then when I go to save I get the below error

An

Any suggestions would be so welcome because if I can get this to work, then I have some workflows that chain together to make my life, and that of some of my staff, so much simpler!

Thanks in advance...

Cheers Michael

[mszpot89]

I did the same (unchecked output) but same issue appears.

[fharper]

Consider the reason for Alteryx Server's default behavior.  When you publish it packages up everything and in most cases local drives are not accessible, especially if a username is part of the path, notice in these examples the file is under a folder structure "C\Users\*".  It assumes those are not shared locations and thus not valid for published flows and converts them to internal or external folder locations in the packaging...makes sense right?

I NEVER save anything to desktop, at least not for operational use.  It is bad practice generally because "desktop" is a folder under your username...when you publish it the flow has to run on a server, often under a under a service account id, or at least some other ID, and thus will not have access to local drives on personal machines, at least in any normal config.

Develop the habit of using folder structures on a NAS or SAN or folder structure replicated on each system so it looks accessible.

This will get you past this issue in most cases and you can address straggler issues through the packaging/publish function

[davidhenington]

This is totally helpful...why is this mistake so easy to make?