Workflow Activities

Workflows are created and edited using the Workflow Designer which includes many building blocks (Activities) for submitting Jobs, updating JAMS Variables, and many more JAMS specific tasks.

Below is a listing and a brief description of the Activities available in JAMS Workflow Designer. Each Activity is organized by grouping, with some containing links to their corresponding class and property descriptions in the Developers Guide.

JAMS Grouping

AskQuestion	Used to halt an executing workflow until user input is provided. This Activity sends the question to the JAMS Scheduler and displays the question in the Monitor View. Users with Manage access for the Job can respond to the question using the Monitor View detail window.
GetVariable	Gets the value of a JAMS variable.
ManageActivity	Provides an execution scope in which Activities can be canceled or retried.
Repeat	Hosts one Activity that is repeated at an interval.
SetJAMSContext	This is necessary only if you are using JAMS Activities in a non-JAMS environment. When a JAMS workflow is executed, the JAMS Context is automatically established. If using Activities outside of JAMS, you can either set the JAMS Server in each Activity or add a SetJAMSContext activity to the workflow allowing all subsequent JAMS Activities to utilize the JAMS Server.
SetVariable	Sets the value of a JAMS variable.
TimeLimit	Executes it’s child Activity until completed or if a set time limit is reached.
SetToday	Sets the value of “today” in the workflow.
Comment	Allows its child Activity to be enabled or disabled.
SubmitEntry	Submits another JAMS Job or Setup. The Activity can wait for the completion of the submitted Job or Setup and can take different actions depending on the success or failure of the entry.

SQL Grouping

OdbcScript	Runs SQL commands through an ODBC connection.
OleDbScript	Runs SQL commands through an OLEDB connection.
SQlScript	Runs SQL commands
SQLStoredProc	Executes a SQL stored procedure.
SQLQueryScalar<T>	Runs a query on a SQL Server database and outputs the first results into a Workflow variable of the specific Type.

Oracle Grouping

OracleQueryScalar<T>	Runs a query on a Oracle database and outputs the first results into a Workflow variable of the specific Type.
SQL*Plus Script	Runs a SQL*Plus script on an Oracle database.

Execution Grouping

CMDScript	Runs a command script.
ExecuteCMD	Executes a single command using CMD.EXE.
ExecuteProcess	Executes any process or executable.
Cancelable	Includes an option to send a cancellation request to its body Activity.

PowerShell Grouping

PSWrapper	Wrapper around a PowerShell function or command.
PSRunspace	Defines the scope of a PowerShell runspace.
PSScript	Runs a PowerShell script.

Communication Grouping

SendEmail

Sends email using SMTP.

Files Grouping

ForEachFile	Finds the designated files within a directory matching a wildcard pattern.
UnzipFiles	Unzips a .Zip file.
WaitforFile	Waits for events on a specified file.
ZipFiles	Creates a .Zip file.

Files Transfer Grouping

FtpDownload	Downloads a file using FTP or SecureFTP (SFTP)
FtpUpload	Uploads a file using FTP or SFTP
SftpDownload	Downloads a file using Secure FTP (SFTP)
SftpUpload	Uploads a file using Secure FTP (SFTP)
ScpDownload	Downloads a file using Secure Copy Protocol (SCP)
ScpUpload	Uploads a file using Secure Copy Protocol (SCP)
S3Download	Downloads a file using Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3)
S3Upload	Uploads a file using Amazon's Simple Storage Service (S3)

File Transfer Session Grouping

SFTPSession	Hosts an SFTP connection for other FileTransferSession Activities.
FTPSession	Hosts an FTP connection for other FileTransferSession Activities.
ScpSession	Hosts an SCP connection for other FileTransferSession Activities.
S3Session	Hosts an Amazon S3 connection for other FileTransferSession Activities.
FileTransferSessionUpload	Uploads a file within the current file transfer session.
FileTransferSessionDownload	Downloads a file within the current file transfer session
FileTransferSessionDelete	Deletes a file within the current transfer session.
FileTransferSessionRename	Renames a file within the current transfer session.
FileTransferSessionChangeDirectory	Changes the working directory in the current file transfer session.
FileTransferSessionGetCurrentDirectory	Gets the working directory in the current file transfer session.
FileTransferSessionGetFileList	Gets the listing of files in a directory for the current file transfer session.
FileTransferSessionGetFileCreationDate	Gets the files creation date for the current file transfer session.
FileTransferSessionGetFileLength	Gets the files size for the current file transfer session.
FileTransferSessionSendCommand	Sends a command during the current file transfer session.

Mail Server Session Grouping

IMAPSession	Creates an IMAP Session that host a mail server connection.
POPSession	Creates an POP Session that host a mail server connection.
DeleteMailMessage	Deletes a mail message on a mail server with a corresponding header.
GetMailHeaderList	Gets a collection of mail headers on a mail server that matches the specified mask. The returned collection is a list of JAMSMailMessageInfo objects.
GetMailMessage	Gets a JAMSMailMessage object for the specified header on a mail server.
GetMailServerFolder	Gets the current folder on a mail server.
ProcessEmails	Looks for one or more emails matching a specified mask and invokes the body Activity for all matching email.
SaveMessageAttachments	Saves attachments on a mail message to the file system.
SetMailServerFolder	Sets the current folder on the mail server.
ForEachMailMessage	Looks for one or email messages matching a mail specification and invokes the body Activity once for each matching message.
ForEachAttachment	Looks for one or more mail messages matching a mail specification, then downloads the attachments to the specified working directory and invokes the body Activity for each matching file.

Coordinators Grouping

ClearEvent	Sets the specified event to false.
SetEvent	Sets the event time.
WaitforEvent	Waits for the specified event to be set by a SetEvent Activity. If the event has already been set, the WaitForEvent Activity completes immediately.

Control Flow Grouping

DoWhile	Executes the Activity contained in its body at least once until a specified condition evaluates to false.
ForEach<T>	Executes an Activity action once for each value provided in the values collection.
If	Provides a conditional if-then-else condition.
Parallel	Is a container object that executes multiple child Activities at the same time. This class cannot be inherited.
ParallelForEach<T>	Enumerates a collection and executes an Activity for each element of the collection in parallel.
Pick	Contains a collection of PickBranch Activities where each PickBranch is a pairing between a Trigger and an Action Activity. At execution time the triggers for all branches are executed in parallel. When one trigger completes its corresponding action is executed and all other triggers are canceled.
PickBranch	Each PickBranch is contained within a branch of the Pick Activity and can be executed based on an incoming event that serves as a trigger.
Sequence	Is a container object that executes Activities one after another. Sequences can incorporate more than one child Activity. Sequences can only execute forward, not backward.
Switch<T>	Evaluates a specified expression and executes using a collection of Activities whose associated key matches the value obtained from the evaluation.

Flowchart Grouping

Flowchart	Is a container object that executes multiple child activities one after another. Similar to a Sequence, a Flowchart is more flexible allowing control to return to an earlier step. Sequences can only execute forward, not backward.
FlowDecision	Is a conditional node that provides a branch for the flow of control into one of two alternatives based on whether a specified condition is satisfied. If the flow requires more than two branches, use FlowSwitch instead.
FlowSwitch<T>	Is a conditional node that provides branching for the flow of control based on matching criterion when more than two alternative branches are required. If the flow branching requires only two paths, use the FlowDecision activity instead.

Messaging Grouping

CorrelationScope	Provides implicit CorrelationHandle management for child messaging Activities.
InitializeCorrelation	Initializes correlation without sending or receiving a message.
Receive	Receives a message.
ReceiveAndSendReply	Receives a message as part of a request/reply message exchange pattern.
Send	Sends a message to a service.
SendAndReceiveReply	Sends a message as part of a request/reply message exchange pattern.
TransactedReceiveScope	Scopes the lifetime of a transaction which is initiated by a received message. The transaction may be flowed into the workflow on the initiating message or created by the dispatcher when the message is received.

RunTime Grouping

Persist	Saves a workflow to disk, if possible. This Activity cannot be executed in a non-persistence zone, for example, within a TransactionScope Activity.
TerminateWorkflow	Terminates the execution of a workflow.

Primitives Grouping

Assign	Assigns a value to a variable at the current scope.
Delay	Puts one path of execution into an idle state, possibly allowing the workflow to be unloaded.
InvokeMethod	Executes a public method of a CLR object.
WriteLine	Writes a specified string to the console or a specified TextWriter object.

Transactions Grouping

CancellationScope	Specifies an Activity for execution and cancellation logic for that Activity.
CompensableActvity	Supports compensation of its child activities.
Compensate	Used to explicitly invoke the compensation handler of a CompensableActivity.
Confirm	Invokes the confirmation handler of a CompensableActivity.
TransactionScope	Demarcates a transaction boundary.

Collection Grouping

AddtoCollection<T>	Adds an item to a specified collection.
ClearCollection<T>	Clears a specified collection of all items.
ExistsInCollection<T>	Determines whether a specified item exists in a particular collection.
RemoveFromCollection<T>	Removes an item from a specified collection.

Error Handling Grouping

Rethrow	Throws a previously thrown exception. This Activity can only be used in a Catch handler in the TryCatch Activity.
Throw	Throws an exception
TryCatch	Contains Activities to be executed by the workflow runtime in an exception handling block.

SYM (Symitar) Grouping

DataFiletoPC	FTP download from the “DATAFILES” folder on the Symitar server.
DeleteLetterFile	Removes a letter file from the “LETTERSPECS” folder on the Symitar server.
EmailReports	Attaches one or more reports to an email message and sends it to the designated recipient(s).
FiletoPC	Generates an FTP download from any Symitar directory to a local PC.
LetterFiletoPC	FTP download from the “LETTERSPECS” folder on the Symitar server.
PCToDataFile	FTP upload to the “DATAFILES” folder on the Symitar server.
PCToEditFile	Initiates an FTP from a PC to the Symitar edit file.
PCToFile	Creates a generic upload to any directory on the Symitar system.
PCToLetterFile	FTP upload to the “LETTERSPECS” folder on the Symitar server.
ReportsFileToPC	FTP download from the “REPORT” folder on the Symitar server.
RunJobFile	Runs a job file in the specified SYM (e.g. Sym222).
SymConfig	The parent activity that allows users to set the configuration settings (e.g., Server Name, SymUserId, Symitar logon credentials) for all Symitar activities contained within it. Each child activity can override the settings in the SymConfig.

Getting Started with Custom Activities

Creating Custom Workflow Activities

Runtime Workflow Interaction

Creating a PowerShell Module and Integrating it with JAMS Workflows