Alteryx Server Ideas

Good Day

We need a way to read a workflow log file while the workflow is running .. we want to peek inside the log file to see what is happening in the workflow, especially for the  case when the workflow seems to be "hung". This would be an invaluable troubleshooting tool.

Currently these worklfow log files are locked by Windows and are inaccessible by all but unapproved 3rd part utilities .. if at all.

Often these logs disappear if the workflow needs to be deleted in order to save the environment

It is noted that the service logs do not exhibit this behavior, so the request is to

1) allow the running workflow logs to have the same behavior as the service logs

2) provide a work around to allow reading of the running workflow logs

3) ?????

Thank you for thinking about this

Tom D

The search for replacing a workflow is poor (and I get that it is probably challenging to write on the back end) but as a result even if I type in the exact title of the workflow (aka copy and paste) Alteryx replace can't find it. Not only does this mean I have multiple workflows with the same name running around (loads of fun with lack of version control) but it also makes this entire thing more frustrating every time I update a workflow (as normally this also means the scheduling of said workflow breaks).

It would be awesome if instead of having to search by title for your workflow that you wish to replace with if you could instead use the URL where Alteryx Gallery put the workflow and then there wouldn't be any confusions about which workflow and you wouldn't have to type.

*This is an idea from @riverotoledo_21 from the Portuguese Community*

• How to bring user’s variables/information that we want to use within the workflow that will be published in the Analytic App in the Gallery (For example, I believe that all “non-sensitive” information from MongoDB related to the Gallery actual session should become variables)

*This is an idea from @cneivam  from the Portuguese Community*

- Gallery in all supported languages

*This is an idea from @cneivam from the Portuguese Community*

• Can’t use CReW macros in Server

Can we make API function available to assign specific worker node while submitting job request using api.

We are looking for the ability to use Alteryx as PaaS in the Azure cloud similar to how Databricks is working on Azure. So servers spin up when demand shows up and then they spin down.  Where we are not on the hook for server patching etc., but instead, we lease processing power/time from Alteryx in the cloud on an as needed basis. The licensing model will also need to be a scalable to support this type of usage.

The workflow execution log file is locked while execution is in progress. Can we look at making the log file available in read only mode while execution is in progress. This will to triage any performance issues on run time and track the progress on run time, rather than waiting for completion of entire process.

regression

Judging by the Community, it seems like the Alteryx business model is to crowdsource documentation. Do the same for a QA checklist. The 2019.4 release of Server shipped with some major regressions, notably:

DE21143 Workflow events no sending Email

DE22751 32-bit OCI connections not working in 2019.4 release

The QA team should publish the QA checklist and allow feedback from the community. The entire point of the community is to make the users and the product better. Let the users see which scenarios are tested and add ideas here for the QA team to utilize.

Admin settings for the Alteryx server are currently split between the Admin GUI in the gallery (screenshot 1 below) and a tool called "Alteryx System Settings" (screenshot 2 below).

Please could you move all of the system settings into the Admin section of the GUI.   Not only will this allow an admin to administer the settings remotely (rather than having to be logged into the actual server with an interactive login which is needed now) - it will also consolidate them into one place which makes things easier for admins to ensure that all settings are set up correctly.

This could be done progressively - a little bit in every release - over the next couple of releases, it does not need to be done in a big reengineering or a massive big-bang release (in fact - progressive release is much more favourable since you learn along the way and big-bang releases are well known to be failure prone).

cc: @TanyaS 

Situation:

As your analytics work grows - you find yourself using the power of Alteryx to create shared macros.    These act as an accelerator for a team because one team member can us a reusable solution created by another team member.   For example - many teams need to get data out of JIRA (or some other system) so you create a connector that everyone can use.

That's going well - and now you have 20 teams all publishing canvasses to your server (possibly 100s of canvasses running in production) which make use of your JIRA connector - all good so-far!

Problem:

BUT THEN - you discover an issue with the JIRA connector and you need to fix it and publish a new version!

It's at this point that you realise that the canvasses on your server which use your JIRA connector are NOT pointing to it, but they have made a copy and included this inside their canvas.   So when you fix the problem with the JIRA connector - no-one gets the fix!

This is because every application uploaded to the server is a yxzp file, which zips up a COPY of all the shared macros and uses this in an isolated way.

So - in order to get the new JIRA connector (with the defect repaired) used instead of the old one you now need to:

- Download EVERY canvas on your server

- Unpack them all to expose the sub-macros being used

- Inspect them to see if they are actually an instance of the JIRA Macro

- Make a list of the owner and application IDs

- reach out by e-mail or phone to every one of these folk to ask them to republish their Alteryx workflow with your new version of the JIRA connector.

Proposal:

Please can we revisit this - we really do need the power of shared macros - and we also need the ability to fix and manage these like a product over time.   This will have an impact on the engine (hence copying @AdamR_AYX ) 

Desired end-state:

- When you build a canvas using a shared macro - it doesn't store the macro itself, but rather a reference to the version on the server - unless you explicitly decide to break the connection and take a copy.

- When you check this canvas into the server - your application / yxzp does NOT include a copy of the shared macro - instead it has a reference link

- this means that Alteryx Server can now track which canvasses use this shared macro very simply

- When I fix this shared macro - I can then do an in-place update; or if the interface is not the same (i.e. different inputs or outputs) then this has to be a new version and the users will stay pointing to version 1.

This is how shared assets are managed in a micro-service world, which is the way that all of our architecture is going - and it seems important that we build this thinking into the Alteryx infrastructure too.

@AdamR_AYX ; @Treyson ; @SteveA @DerekK ; @BlytheE 

The mongo db back is a working process but I would like to replace individual workflows and not the entire server state.

I have a chained app that is running on the gallery/server. When I run it, I see status changing from Processing to Running, but the window doesn't show a meaningful message as to which app is running. Is it possible to show that in the Browser window which reflects what stage is currently running in the Chained App? 

See snapshot of window below.

This would be super useful to monitor the progress of the chained app currently executing on the server. 

Hello,

I've used a standard configuration to set up an Alteyx server. The gallery is available at https://alteryx.samplecompany.com/gallery

I'd would be really helpful if you enable to create a landing page at https://alteryx.samplecompany.com/ and add a possibility to host add extra pages. The easiest way to do this is to add an option to the Alteryx Server configuration wizard and read the pages from Alteryx workspace location.

Additionally, such landing page should have redirection from HTTP to HTTPs.

Best,

Piotr

Hey there,

Below you can see few of my suggestion to improve Alteryx Server. 

Idea for Alteryx Server monitoring:

• Increase data what could be seen on workflow results.
• Possibly create a report with filter option (to filter by user, gallery, workflow and etc.), which would at least contain data like:
  • Successfully ran workflows, count, percentage.
  • Failure rates, counts and etc.
  • Live data for monitoring purposes.
  • etc.
• Possibility to connect to workflow results data (live data) with other tools like Tableau or Power BI to create dashboards and etc. to monitor and act on the error as soon as possible.
• Give a chance for other users to check on the workflow statuses and etc same like workflow owner.

Give server more functionality with:

• Ability for server automatically retry workflow based on configurations: in example:
  • retry flow in specific time (for example in 30 minutes)
  • number of possible retries
  • based on specific workflow (other) results ability to trigger to run another workflow
  • (Maybe there is a better way) ability to run macros which would for example open MS Excel, and run macro inside it. I have some of the workflows where workflow opens excel, runs macro inside, that macro triggers special Add In which connects to Essbase, it pulls the data, saves excel file, and then alteryx continues working with the file. So if such or similar workflows could be run on Server that would be awesome.
  • This is extremely exiting one: possibility to create environment for self-service users, which it would not be something like gallery (because gallery is more suitable for Alteryx Designers/users).
    • in that one environment admin could grant access for user and tick what specific user could see and run.
    • so for admin it would be one environment, and user would see only what is needed for him/her.
    • in that environment user would also be able to schedule self-service workflows to be received in example by email, or BOX drive or any other way. Scheduled workflow would have to be approved by an admin before it would be actually scheduled. 
  • I have not tried this one myself, but that would also be great if all alteryx server environment could be accessed by mobile devices (of course, some features would be limited).

 Hopefully you will find these suggestions interesting and useful. 

Regards,

Aurimas

The admin (aka curator) needs to be given more control. The admin should have greater control than the users of the system.

My organization is in the Healthcare industry and we have HIPAA laws to abide by when it comes to data. Not all users should be able to see all data. Developers should not have complete control over the data they publish.

Private studio

• admin should be able to control if users can publish to Alteryx gallery (compliant issues occur when our organization's data is shared to outside users)
• admin should be able to control if user can publish to public gallery (compliant issues occur when all users can all see and run workflows)
• admin should be able to delete subscriptions and users

Collections

• admin should be able to create collections so they can manage the collections and what users have access to (devs should not be able to give any user access to their workflows)
• admin should be able to control if users can create new collections (again, compliance issues)
• admin should be able to grant and remove download of workflow rights
• admin should be able to delete connections

Get tips from Tableau as they have admin controls down with their permissions process.

Hey Alteryx Dev Gurus - 

I've got a situation wherein the user runs something in Gallery, and complains.  I have to log in as that user to view the output files that came back out.  As a super user, I should be able to have all seeing ability!  Thanks!

brian

Please provide support for sharing a (gallery/Stored) Workflow Credential with a Group.  

Current capability appears only to support Users/Studios.

The Admin Gallery api needs to have the ability to get questions,execute jobs, get outputs. Currently I can only get questions, execute jobs and get outputs of my private gallery flows, I need to be able to do this for other Artisan flows without having to have their key/secret.