Expanded Orchestrator Inputs and Outputs

Customers have been long ready to use spreadsheets as inputs into their orchestrations. Orchestrator is now capable of taking input directly from comma-separated value (CSV) files. Rather than reading directly from specific spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Word, Orchestrator keeps with the industry-standard CSV format – given the ability that every spreadsheet program has to save into these formats. The file does not have to be saved to a Cloud server exclusively but can be read from any server you can address.

Schifano demonstrated this enhancement in a use case utilizing Equipment Master. The same functionality can be applied to any JD Edwards application in instances where you want volumes of input data stored in a spreadsheet and used as the input source for an orchestration. In this demonstration, see how both a large number of new equipment is added from a CSV file using Orchestrator, as well as how the orchestration was built.

Inputs can also be provided as either JSON or XML with some limitations still to be expected in accepting XML beyond flat (one level) structures. A more recent enhancement addresses required inputs for when orchestrations are intended to fail upon receiving incorrect required input. This simple switch in Orchestrator Studio to designate inputs as required is particularly significant for orchestrations published out for third-party services.

As for outputs, the new “Version 3” for orchestrations adds more control to specifying output types with the availability of string, numeric, Boolean, and multiple date formats all enhanced by an output preview option.

Orchestrator Messages and Notifications

Applicable to both Orchestrator messages and Notification messages, multiple action links can be inserted to various applications. Recent enhancements further allow the designer to put in pretext and post-text around those links to make not only the link available but also to provide more user-friendly context around those links. Additionally, links can go beyond other JD Edwards applications to any URL or even invoke another orchestration or notification. This flexibility allows for complex and robust orchestrations and notifications to be launched by subscribers when they receive these messages.

Tools 9.2.3.3 brings the ability to attach JD Edwards reports to these messages. Additionally, Message Center and the ability to receive and manage those messages are now available for the JD Edwards container on iPad – making for generally equivalent functionality to that of using Message Center on a desktop browser.

Launching Orchestrations from EnterpriseOne Applications and Business Functions

Users can now launch orchestrations from EnterpriseOne applications by opening up a JD Edwards form and creating a form extension. Addressing the need to customize, form extensions can be created as alternatives to traditional customizations, and thus, persist with upgrades. Through this development, the concept of the form extension has been enhanced to allow users to associate an orchestration to any event on that page as might typically be seen when an end user clicks an okay button. This event would then fire an orchestration in the background unbeknownst to the end user.

Similar functionality is available as a business function for launching orchestrations and notifications. To launch an orchestration or notification based on any detailed event anywhere in the JD Edwards system, the business function B98ORCH can be used to call up the orchestration.

Multiple Output Steps for Application Stack

Users who were accustomed to building orchestrations from form service requests were aware of limitations for returning data back from only the last form in the application stack – a stack that may have had 10 to 15 different forms in the process. The most recent enhancements allow for data to be returned back from any and all forms along the application stack – a functionality supported through the use of the Process Recorder.

Additional Enhancements to Orchestrator

Given the continuous stream of JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Orchestrator and Notifications enhancements and the far reach of their impact on your business, it is essential to stay in the know about their latest capabilities and functionality. Explore these additional enhancements to Orchestrator that bring expanded benefits and control to businesses becoming digital enterprises.

Data Filtering

Through recent enhancements, date matching has been added to data requests. This includes date queries such as “today plus 10 days” and other inquiries utilized in EnterpriseOne applications.

Support for OpenAPI

Specifications for orchestrations now conform to OpenAPI, an industry standard for REST-based services. Benefits apply to third-party systems that need to discover and invoke orchestrations you have built that are REST endpoints.

Orchestrator Monitor

Health Monitor is available to show how all orchestrations and notifications are running. The monitor includes orchestration data such as success rate, shortest and longest timings, last failed and succeeded dates, and average runs per day with the ability to drill into recent run and exception details. A watchlist is available to alert for errors.

High-Volume Data Processing

To stabilize and speed up the retrieval of large data sets from JD Edwards, enhancements have improved the communication between AIS and the HTML server.