As you may know, we’re busy working on the next edition of Centerprise Data Integrator. Part of that effort includes a brand new way we will be handling data workflows. In the currently released version of Centerprise, you pick your data source and then your destination. Anything beyond this fixed flow is handled with a combination of plug-ins and batch transfers. The upcoming version of Centerprise opens this up completely.
The new workflow in Centerprise will allow for various actions to be laid out in a flow-chart like fashion to be executed sequentially. Need to upload a file to an FTP site and then send out an email on the completion of your dataflow processing? No problem. Just drag and drop these two tasks onto our new workflow diagram and link them together in the desired sequence. You can pretty much create any workflow process imaginable with this new flexibility and, as always, we’re allowing for custom workflow actions written in .NET for further extensibility. It is our very propensity for extensibility which is a big part of why were adding this feature set to the product.
In the last two iterations of Centerprise, customers have taken advantage of our API and written some pretty clever plug-ins to, in essence, write their own workflow into the data transfer process. While we’re glad our customers find this feature useful, we know a need when we see one. So we’re introducing the usual workflow suspects such as FTP, Email, Run SQL Statement, Run Exe as well as some looping and switching mechanisms. We’re very excited about this effort and we think you will be too. Let us know what you think and/or any thing you’d like to see in our new workflow engine.
The image above shows a simple example. In this scenario, the first task is downloading a file from an ftp directory (all properties for this task are set in a separate editor in the exact same way was dataflow tasks). After the file is downloaded from the FTP directory, the file is copied to a folder that services a dataflow which is the third task in the queue. The next action is the “Decision” which is a simple expression that routes the flow depending on the results of the dataflow. If successful, an SQL script is run on a database. If not, an email is sent to the appropriate individual.
It’s pretty simple and extremely flexible. This combined with the fact that you can write your own workflow actions should make this component a lifesaver. I’ll be writing more about this component in the coming weeks.
Tags: astera, Astera Software, centerprise, Data, ETL, workflow