Eliminating Action Sprawl - AutoMate 8 Tour - Part 4
The Heart of the Platform, Actions
The actions found in AutoMate and BPA Server are the heart of the platform, where executable automation can be achieved by dragging and dropping each action together into a sequence of steps, forming what we call a "task," which is a block of steps representing a block of business logic to be automated. Examples of actions found in the action library include "Run" (to launch applications), "FTP Download," "SQL Query," "Send Email," "Execute Web Service" and more.
With each and every release of AutoMate, it has always been important to add new functionality to this library of actions to further enable our users by extending AutoMate's capabilities to more systems. When AutoMate was first released, the action library contained about 10 actions, today it has swelled to more than 280 distinct actions. While clearly, with this massive set of actions, more can now be done code-free than ever before, a problem had been brewing and getting worse with each release which was navigability and, by extension, usability. Enabling our users to automate systems quickly has always been key to the success of AutoMate. Freeing users from having to write code is one of the main ways we do this, but when a user must search through 300 or so actions to find the one they need, the user's task-creation process can be slowed, especially early in the learning curve. Furthermore, having such a massive library of actions can be intimidating and discourage exploration of the software. We call this problem, "Action sprawl." And this is the story of how we are solving it -- starting in AutoMate 8.
Introducing... "Activities"
The first step to solving the problem of "action sprawl" was to identify sets of actions that were really just variations on one central theme. For example, in AutoMate 7, FTP Download, FTP Upload and FTP Login were all separate actions. To address this, we wanted to merge these related actions into one "master action." Continuing with the FTP example, in this case a new action was made called, simply, "FTP" and each of the subordinate capabilities having to do with FTP became "Activities" within the new action.
A Single Action with Multiple Personalities
To do this we designed a new standard action properties dialog to accommodate an action that has multiple activities. We call this user-interface and its underlying architecture is the "Multi-Activity Action Framework (MAAF)." We had several goals when designing the MAAF user interface:
1) Present the action activities in a standard way across all actions that employ multiple activities.
Activities are displayed in a dropdown list in the upper left to display all of the activities contained within the action. Changing the dropdown to a different activity will cause the information below it to correspond with the selected activity.
The sheer number of activities found in the new SharePoint action illustrates the need for the system of actions and activities.
2) Be able to display large amounts of options on a single screen in a way that does not overwhelm.
We accomplished this in two ways, "selective, intelligent visibility" and "re-sizablity." Clickable expanders allow different sections of properties to be opened and closed within a given activity. By default upon first opening an action, only the most important properties are pre-opened; however, when editing a step, if properties within other sections of the activity have been modified they are automatically opened on edit, saving the user a click or two. Furthermore, we also made the action dialogs fully resizable so that the user can create more real estate to view all of the available options. Each action remembers the size that you enjoy working with it. So if you like to work with a large FTP action window, every time you use it, it will open at the same size, each action maintaining its own size profile. The result is a much more open, less confining space, as well as the sense that AutoMate is getting to know how you like to work as you continue to use it.
Actions implementing the new MAAF system are resizable and remember the size you prefer per action.
3) Improve the user-flow of interacting with the interface by eliminating popups and other distractions.
When a field expects a value of a certain type and doesn't get it, in prior versions a message box was displayed. We felt this was unnecessarily disruptive so we introduced "field highlighting." Now when a required value is either missing or incorrect, the field will be highlighted in the dialog and a temporary tool tip will fade in near it to inform the user what is missing. We hope you'll agree that it feels much more fluid and user-friendly now than ever before.
"Field highlighting" lets you know what's wrong without a popup distracting you from your work.
Actions Affected
While the concept of Activities and MAAF are new, the rollout through the entire action library will happen in phases over several releases of AutoMate. This is why in AutoMate 8, some actions sport the new look and feel (expanders, resizable) and others appear the old way (many tabs, not resizable, popup error messages). Eventually all the actions in the library will employ the new system, look similar and benefit from the shared features. The truth is that over the years AutoMate has accumulated such a large action library, that it is not feasible to migrate all the actions in a single release. The reason for this is that when we approach an action to consolidate it, we actually do a full-functionality review as well to see if there are any outstanding customer requests or new features that our users could benefit from; sometimes we may actually rethink our entire approach to a particular piece of functionality.
In version 8.0 the following actions utilize the new MAAF system:
- Run (uses the new framework, but has only one activity, therefore the action does not include the activities dropdown but has all the other new features)
- Services (formerly Start, Stop, Pause, Install, Uninstall)
- FTP
- HTTP
- Web Browser
- AS2
- Send Email
- Get Email
- Exchange
- SharePoint
- Amazon AWS (All Actions)
- VMWare
In the upcoming version 8.1 release, many more actions will be migrated. Over time, the entire action library will use the new framework and associated UI improvements.
Other Productivity Accelerators
In addition to the changes outlined so far, in order to improve the situation with "action sprawl," we also added a few neat features to the Task Builder. First, the search has been moved to the top of the Window and speed greatly improved. Second, the addition of the "My Actions" tab, which automatically populates with the actions you use most (Popular) and most recently (Recent), allows you to drag your favorite actions into your Favorites for easy access. When taken together with the action consolidations, it all adds up to an improved user experience for AutoMate, with less time spent scrolling around looking for actions and more time enjoying No-Code, No Limits drag-and-drop automation.
"My Actions" tracks your most used, most recent and favorite actions.
Improved action search helps you find what you are looking for, faster.
Our Commitment to You -- Complete Automation, Depth of Functionality
Many software vendors implement only token features so their marketing department can position a given feature as "supported." Here at Network Automation, we take a different approach by embracing technologies thoughtfully and completely. For serious automation, AutoMate is the platform you can rely on -- with depth of functionality that eliminates the need for code without making compromises.
Only the Beginning
This is Part Four of an in-depth tour of the various new features found in AutoMate 8. Stay tuned for more.
Check out other installments of the AutoMate 8 tour:
Part 1: Reach for the Cloud with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Automation
Part 2: Automate VMware
Part 3: Automate SharePoint Without Code
Pricing and Availability
AutoMate 8 is currently available for purchase at www.networkautomation.com. The software is also available for a 30-day, 100 percent free trial through Network Automation. This and other innovative new functionality in AutoMate 8 will be made available automatically to customers with an active maintenance subscription.
AutoMate and the "No Code, No Limits" phrase are registered trademarks of Network Automation, Inc. All other marks are trademarks of their respective holders.
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