Output properties and data transfer between workflows

The output of a workflow can be defined to key-value pairs. You can export these output properties and utilize them as variables in other workflows. This type of data transfer is facilitated through subflow tasks that contains nested workflows.

You can transfer the data either from the main workflow to subflow tasks (nested workflows) using variables, or between subflow tasks using variables and output properties. To transfer data between workflows, they must be referenced within subflow tasks that are nested within a single workflow. For more information, see Managing a subflow task from the OCLI. Configure the main workflow in such a way that the subflow tasks are not run simultaneously. Create an internal dependency so that the subflow task with output properties is run initially. You can then transfer this output to a successor task using output properties and variables. If both tasks run simultaneously, the predecessor task's output property is not available initially, causing the successor task to fail because it depends on that output to resolve its task definition.

Data can also be exported between other task types in a single workflow using the syntax ${jobs.<job_name>.<property_name>}. For more information, see Passing properties from one task to another task in the same workflow instance.

Setting output properties for a workflow

In HCL Universal Orchestrator, the task output is combined to a single JSON file. You can query and export information from a task output using JSONata4Java. For more information, see Data exchange and transformation.

The output properties defined for a workflow definition are evaluated only when it ends in a final status such as SUCC, ABEND, or SUPPR. For any other status, the output properties are not evaluated.

You can define the output of a workflow in key-value pairs. For each workflow you can specify a property name, and value, a JSONata expression that is resolved during the run time of the workflow, as output properties. You can optionally provide a description for each key-value pair. To create a workflow definition with output properties, complete the workflow definition template as follows:

kind: JobStream
def:
  folder: Folder_name
  name: workflow_name
  workstation: Workstation_name
  outputProperties:
  - name:
    value:
    description:
  - name:
    value:
    description:
  - name:
    value:
    description:
  jobs:
  -name: task_name

Data transfer from main workflow to subflow tasks

You can transfer data from the main workflow to subflow tasks using variables. Variables are optional attributes, key-value pairs, that you can add to each subflow tasks in a workflow. This key-value pairs are are resolved when the task runs. Any terms in the subflow task definition that match keys in the key-value pair is replaced with their corresponding values, effectively resolving the subflow task definition. To create a subflow task with variables, see Managing a subflow task from the OCLI.

Data transfer between subflow tasks in a workflow

You can export the output properties of a subflow task to resolve a successive subflow task definition, leveraging dynamic output data to complete subsequent tasks. If output properties are defined for a nested workflow, they are automatically mapped as output properties for the subflow task that contains the nested workflow.

To export the data, configure the output properties of a subflow task as variables (key-value pairs) in a successor subflow task. Specify a key, and add the output property name preceded by the subflow task name as value. When the predecessor task is completed, the output properties are passed to the successor task through these variables. Any terms in the successor task definition that matches the key is replaced with their corresponding values (output property value), effectively resolving the subflow task definition. Thus the dynamic output properties a workflow is passed to a successive workflow through variables to resolve the definition.