Mastering Advanced Triggers in UiPath Orchestrator

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Advanced Triggers in Orchestrator
2. Scheduling Triggers in Orchestrator
   • Understanding the Processes Page
   • Different Tabs in Orchestrator
   • Adding a Trigger
   • Running a Process via Queue Action
   • Time-based Triggers
3. Advanced Scheduling with Non-working Days Restrictions
   • Creating a Non-working Days Calendar
   • Adding Holidays to the Calendar
   • Applying the Calendar to Triggers
4. Using Cron Expressions for Advanced Scheduling
   • What is a Cron Expression?
   • Generating Cron Expressions with Freeformatter.com
5. Conclusion
6. Highlights
7. FAQs

Introduction to Advanced Triggers in Orchestrator

In this article, we will explore the topic of advanced triggers in Orchestrator. Triggers are a crucial component of automation workflows as they determine when a process should run. Orchestrator provides various options for scheduling triggers, including time-based triggers and advanced scheduling using non-working day restrictions. We will also discuss the use of cron expressions for even more advanced scheduling capabilities. So let's dive in and learn how to effectively utilize these features to optimize your automation workflows in Orchestrator.

Scheduling Triggers in Orchestrator

Before we delve into advanced triggers, let's first understand how to schedule triggers in Orchestrator. The Processes page in Orchestrator allows you to manage your processes effectively. Within this page, you can find different tabs, including Processes, Jobs, Logs, and Triggers.

To add a trigger, navigate to the Triggers tab and click on the "Add" button. You can specify the process you want to execute, choose the robot to run the process, and set the time zone. Time-based triggers are a common type of trigger where you define a specific time for the process to run, such as every Friday at 12:15 PM.

Advanced Scheduling with Non-working Days Restrictions

If you need more flexibility in scheduling your triggers, Orchestrator offers non-working days restrictions. To utilize this feature, you first need to create a non-working days calendar in the Tenant Settings. By creating a calendar, you can specify which days should be considered non-working days for the robots.

For example, let's say you want to exclude Fridays from trigger execution. In the non-working days calendar, mark Friday as a non-working day. Now, when you edit a trigger, you can select the non-working days calendar to restrict the trigger from running on those days. This ensures that your automation workflows do not execute on specified non-working days.

Using Cron Expressions for Advanced Scheduling

In addition to non-working days restrictions, Orchestrator also supports advanced scheduling using cron expressions. Cron expressions offer a powerful syntax for defining schedules in a more granular manner. Rather than relying on predefined calendars, you can specify complex scheduling patterns using cron expressions.

A cron expression consists of fields representing specific time units, such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and weekdays. Each field can be set to a specific value or a range of values. For example, you can define a schedule that runs every hour between 5 AM and 12 PM on weekdays.

To simplify the process of generating cron expressions, you can use online tools like Freeformatter.com. These tools provide a user-friendly interface for building cron expressions based on your specific requirements. Once you have the cron expression, you can simply paste it into the Orchestrator trigger settings to create the desired schedule.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the concept of advanced triggers in Orchestrator. We learned how to schedule triggers using time-based triggers and explored the options for advanced scheduling with non-working days restrictions and cron expressions. By leveraging these features effectively, you can optimize your automation workflows and achieve greater efficiency in your processes.

Highlights

• Orchestrator offers advanced triggers for scheduling automation processes.
• Time-based triggers allow you to specify a specific time for the process to run.
• Non-working days restrictions enable the exclusion of specific days from trigger execution.
• Cron expressions provide a powerful syntax for defining complex scheduling patterns.
• Online tools like Freeformatter.com can assist in generating cron expressions.
• Advanced scheduling capabilities enhance the efficiency of automation workflows in Orchestrator.

FAQs

Q: Can I schedule triggers to run on specific days of the week? A: Yes, you can schedule triggers to run on specific days of the week using time-based triggers or by using cron expressions.

Q: How can I exclude certain days from trigger execution? A: You can use non-working days restrictions in Orchestrator to exclude specific days, such as holidays or weekends, from trigger execution.

Q: What are cron expressions, and how can I use them for scheduling triggers? A: Cron expressions are syntax for defining schedules in a precise manner. You can use online tools like Freeformatter.com to generate cron expressions and paste them into Orchestrator for scheduling triggers.

Q: Can I apply different calendars to specific triggers in Orchestrator? A: Yes, you can create multiple calendars with non-working days and apply a specific calendar to each trigger based on your requirements.

Q: Are there any limitations to the scheduling capabilities in Orchestrator? A: Orchestrator provides a wide range of scheduling options, but it's important to understand the limitations of your robots and infrastructure in terms of processing power and availability.