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Version: 10.2.8

Configure Bot Sources

Bot Sources in BEP execution mode​

In the diagram below, you can see Bot Sources within the execution framework.

The interaction with BEP components occurs on three levels, involving Control Tower, Task Dispatcher Service, and Bot Workers.

  • Control Tower is where you configure Bot Sources. On the Control Tower side, a specific Bot Source marker allows you to assign task messages and channels of Business Process (BP) steps using constraints.
  • Task Dispatcher Service checks the available Bot Source capacity and priority settings (if any) in task metadata. From the Task Dispatcher Service, tasks go to the Bot Worker queue according to the Bot Source limitations from ZooKeeper.
  • A Bot Worker rechecks the task node status if it is a task with a Bot Task configuration. If the check fails, the failure result for this task is sent to Control Tower, and an exception occurs.

Configuration​

In Control Tower, you can create or edit Bot Source configurations. This capability gives you full control over the Bot Task concurrency settings, as well as over the execution flow and access to resources. The best practice is to set a specific Bot Source for each Bot Task within a BP.

All Bot Sources are available in System Settings > Bot Sources.

note

You should link each Bot Source to a Bot Configuration.

Add Bot Source​

To create a new Bot Source, follow the instruction below:

  1. In Bot Sources, click Create.

  2. In the displayed popup, in the Name field, specify the Bot Source name.

  3. In the Description field, add an optional description (up to 1,000 characters).

  4. Specify Concurrency Settings. The settings are crucial for optimal process performance. They allow you to limit the number of threads accessing the data source. The feature is useful if the data source allows a certain number of requests from one server.

    To set up the feature, specify the following values:

    • In the Thread Count field, set how many Bot Tasks are to be executed in parallel across the same Bot Source. By default, Bot Source has five threads.
    caution

    By default, the Thread count field is empty. Use the Thread count functionality only if you need to limit the concurrent task execution. Mind that limiting the thread count decreases performance for bot steps working with a Bot Source and leads to significant system overhead.

    • In the Fleet drop-down box, set up a fleet. For more information about fleets, read the Work with fleets topic.

  5. If needed, select the Finish Earlier Started Runs First checkbox to prioritize those runs that were started earlier.

    In the Bot Sources list, prioritized Bot Sources have True in the Prioritize earlier runs column:

    Priority works within one Bot Source. For example, if you have two BPs where a prioritized Bot Source is configured for a specific step, tasks for the earlier step are finished first, while tasks from other steps wait.

    note

    Dynamic reconfiguration of the Bot Source priority setting is supported. However, it can cause a delay in task forwarding for the Bot Source after you apply the change.

  6. Click Save. A success message confirms that the Bot Source is created.

All created Bot Sources are available in System Settings > Bot Sources, where you can either edit or delete them.

Edit Bot Source​

To edit a Bot Source, follow the instructions below:

  1. In Bot Sources, click the Bot Source you need to edit. The Edit Bot Source dialog appears.

  2. Make the required changes and click Save.

caution

Due to synchronization issues, when you update a Bot Source setting, task processing settings can differ from the updated values for a period of time, depending on the previous configuration.

Delete Bot Source​

To delete a Bot Source, follow the instruction below:

  1. In Bot Sources, select the Bot Source you want to delete.

  2. Click Delete.

  3. In the confirmation dialog, click Delete to confirm the deletion.

warning

You cannot remove a Bot Source if it is used at least in one Bot Config even when a BP with that Bot Config is completed or deleted. In this case, to complete the deletion, unbind the Bot Source from each Bot Config it is associated with, then retry the operation.

Apply Bot Source to Business Process​

Once Bot Sources are created and configured, assign a specific Bot Source to each Bot Task within a BP:

  1. Go to Business Processes and select a BP where you want to add a Bot Source.

  2. Navigate to the Workflow tab of the selected BP and double-click the Bot Task you want to link to the Bot Source.

  3. In the Bot step configuration menu, on the Design tab, click Show advanced settings to expand the options.

  4. In the Bot Source drop-down list, select a Bot Source.

    Once you select the Bot Source, you can proceed to its settings by clicking Edit.

troubleshooting

For troubleshooting tips, refer to the following support guides: