Alteryx Server Ideas

We have a MongoDB connection string that we plug in to RuntimeSettings.xml during install.  Upon startup, the Mongo connection fails because RuntimeSettings.xml expects the connecting string to be encrypted.  The fix for this, is for someone to manually update the MongoDB connection via the Alteryx UI.  We would like a way to encrypt the MongoDB connection string for RuntimeSettings.xml before we start Alteryx for the first time.

Hi Alteryx Team,

I understand that the Timeout feature on all Workers is only available for the workflows scheduled on Alteryx Server.

In a heavily used server environment and depending on how workflows are configured, can we have a timeout feature available for non-scheduled workflows (adhoc workflow runs/manually triggered workflow runs) as well on all the Workers on Alteryx Server ?

Thank You,

Nishi Jain

Hi,

I have an existing app in my company's gallery. I updated the app in the gallery to not allow others to download. I just made changes to the desktop version of the app and saved it to the gallery, then went thru the steps of replacing my existing gallery app with the new version (this part I like). BUT, after updating the app, when I went back into the app settings, the option for others to download was checked again. To me, the app should inherit anything that was manually done to it in the gallery, like making it not downloadable. Is it possible to have this changed in a future release?

Thanks!

Aliases are a really powerful tool, particularly when you have multiple environments (EG Test, Prod) and need a published workflow to work without any code changes (In particular in an IT or Release/Change Control model).  By configuring a system alias on your Test and Prod servers, code will dynamically point to the correct server.

However, aliases can be somewhat cumbersome if you have a lot of databases on a server, and those database names change by environment.  Effectively, you end up needing an alias for each Database, which runs into naming convention and standardization issues.

Having the ability to configure a "database value" or a "database alias" would do a lot to help this.  This could either be a file that would be attached (allowing for easy config changes without risk of modifying the underlying code structure) or a secondary tier of aliases, so that a connection string might go from:

aka:SQLSERVER (contains sqlserver and database information)

to:

aka:SQLSERVER||aka:database - so that at runtime Alteryx would evaluate the SQLSERVER alias and the database alias to create the correct connection string for that environment.

It would be great if we can set the priority of a job when scheduling a workflow through either the Designer UI or through AlteryxService addtoqueue command

In my organization we primarily schedule jobs through these avenues and this would bring them up to par with the scheduling capabilities of Gallery

For example:

AlteryxService https://help.alteryx.com/current/server/alteryxservice-commands

addtoqueue=path,host[:port],secret[,true]

^ add an optional parameter that takes enum value {Low, Medium, High, Critical}

Designer UI

Add a dropdown that takes an enum {Low, Medium, High, Critical}

Alteryx Server API should be allowed to publish the workflow in the gallery. 

Hello Alteryx Devs - 

So, I'm poking around the Atlerxy Gallery API stuff with an eye toward building a set of classes that can interact with workflows without exposing Gallery proper to the community at large.  That being said, I was a little dismayed to find that all interactions require inclusion of *user specific* API Keys and Secrets.  It can be dealt with, but ultimately it means that configuring a middleware tier between the real world and Alteryx server requires an additional hierarchical level; i.e., understanding which of the developers came up with workflow X and having *their* API Key / Secret attached at configuration time.  

Anyways, it might be easier to just have a global trusted key / (super) secret.  If you get that, you can execute a workflow.  

Maybe we have a special studio that people could clone to, and in this way, you'd only have to track a single key/secret outside.  

I mean, the existing system works OK for one offs, but if you wanted to have a (semi) modular system in place, dependence on understanding publishing entity specifics seems to muck things up for no discernible benefit.  Of course, maybe in some places there is benefit to this scheme (?), but it is causing me to craft some weird work arounds early in development, which gives me a sinking feeling.

Or am I doing it wrong? 

Thanks for listening. 

brian

It would be GREAT if we could have an optional notes field in the gallery. When many tools are uploaded to a collection, the titles alone are not descriptive enough for end users. I have to publish a separate "menu" for reports that are available in the gallery. In some cases I have to number them. I wish users could just browse for themselves to find the application that is suitable for their use case. 

I think it would be good to arranged the Workflow results into tabbed pages by completion status, e.g. a tab for failures, warnings, success, all.  We run about 200 jobs in the morning and have to page through all the workflow results to find failures.  

Also would be useful to search workflow results by completion status, e.g. find all workflows that have failed.

I know that the documentation shows that you can setup a worker to a specific QoS so that it will only pick up work for a particular workflow or app, but there could be a greater use for it.

For example if the Admin could control what QoS means for each definition.

I.E. Application, vs a workflow that runs over an hour, vs in-database tools. Then it will allow the admins to self guide where the work is going.

Right now there is only three levels

• Normal workflow execution: QOS = 0
• Chained application execution: QOS = 4 (all apps in the chain aside from the last)
• Workflow validation requests: QOS = 6

This was great for Alteryx public, but for private Galleries we need to distribute the work better than FIFO.

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 @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

In prior projects (before the gallery started acting more like a management console (still would like to see a few more features there too ;) ) , we were able to automate the deployment of the workflows. But there's no good way to automate the deployment of the schedules.

The best I've heard is doing a complete dump of the mongo instance on the lower environment and moving that file and ultimately restoring that to the prod environment (messy).

Even using the Gallery, there will still need to be an admin who goes through the process of setting up schedules to deployed apps. 

There should be a REST call to export and import schedules of apps from one environment to the next within the gallery. 

Best,

dK

Hi,

I have missing this functionality in alteryx gallery where we can see the runtime status of running app.

In Workflow result option we can view only post completion of app run.

Is Alteryx looking at implementing some kind of feature to provide a preview of impacted objects (lineage view) & understand dataconnections' changes impact before it's implemented ?

Benefits:

• Help users understand the ramifications of any changes they make on other cards, DataFlows, or DataFusions.
• Search and explore data lineage.
• Easily find broken dataflows.
• Quickly determine the impact of dataconnection changes on the rest of your Site, Collections, Application etc.

DOMO has this well done in their platform, check it out rather than me explaining here..

Search for Data Lineage & Impact Analysis.

https://knowledge.domo.com/Connect/Managing_DataSets/Viewing_the_Impact_of_Changes_to_DataSets_-_BET...

 Java Version upgrade requires LLS settings to be changed manually and LLS service to be restarted. 

so every time there is a java version upgrade,  users have to be notified of the downtime  (even though they could move into 7 day grace period) and then the flexnetls.settings file has to be updated with Java home path.  

Local License Server settings has to pick up the latest Java installation and not require manual Config change and service restart. 

@Kosi @SeanAdams 

Installation/upgrade of java in all servers are usually firmwide Tech team activity - which are outside of Server admins control. 

Java support by Alteryx - is version 8.0.212 - while the latest version available in our premise is 8.0.241. support for latest version of java - which is required for functioning of Local License Server should be prioritized. 

@Kosi @SeanAdams @ydmuley @RajK @LizaNemchynova @Arianna_Fuller @MPistone