Timed loop back action in v7.6

[RKushner]

I can't get a timed loopback action to repeat in v7.6. It only executes once, and then it never resets to be able to execute repeatedly.

[DSmith]

Use %System.Time- as opposed to using %EntryTime.  as your Timed Event Variable. 

[Jerome҉]

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RKushner wrote:

I can't get a timed loopback action to repeat in v7.6. It only executes once, and then it never resets to be able to execute repeatedly.

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As far as I know, timed loopback actions will fire the first time every time. After that, ie on loopback actions, it appears that the action will only fire if the time is in the future when the last loopback occurs.

1. I assume this is to prevent the timed action repeating forever

2. I cannot guarantee this is what occurs, but experience tells it does

3. This may not be true of all version of Metastorm BPM / e-work.

[BMellert · Accepted solution]

At what interval are you looking to have it execute?

As stated by another, %EntryTime will only work once, unless your timed action goes to another stage them immediately back with a conditional action.  We use this approach in one particular situation.  Its clunky, but works.

You can used %Updated, though your timer will be updated if another other action occurs (like adding a note perhaps).  Also, even if other actions don't occur, "time creep" can occur over time unless the engine processes at the exact moment the timed action last occurred.  If your engine is down for some reason, the time will be based on when it comes back up.  (The Purge process available with the install uses this and it creeps over time.)

I know others don't' approve of this approach, but you want a specific time that won't creep, you can have a flag raised by eRaiseFlag in the Windows Scheduler.  We use this approach for several things we want run at a specific time of day each day.  Time creep doesn't occur with this approach.

[DSmith]

%System.Time will properly update on loopback.  If you don't want to use that then you can create your own datetime variable and assign it to that variable and then update this variable at the end of the timed action.

Either way will work and is preferable to using a separate stage.

[Jerome҉]

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BMellert wrote:

At what interval are you looking to have it execute?

As stated by another, %EntryTime will only work once, unless your timed action goes to another stage them immediately back with a conditional action.  We use this approach in one particular situation.  Its clunky, but works.

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I believe, although it is not documented, that if the timer is reset in the future, it will be set. If it remains as is, or is set in the past, it will be ignored. This is logical as the 'first' timed event will have triggered, so any timed event in the past must perforce have been set before that (and been triggered before that).