The Start Shape is the main shape that begins the AtomSphere Process flow. It is automatically loaded into each new Process that you are building, and it cannot be removed.
Configuration Options
There are multiple configuration options available when double-clicking the Start Shape in your process. The row of buttons at the top of the configuration menu allow you to define different start scenarios for your process.
Note: When you configure a Process' Start step, you may see a message containing recommendations about how to set the Allow Simultaneous Process Executions and Capture Run Dates check boxes, which are Process options.
Connector
This is the default and most common option for a Start Shape. This setting allows you to define an inbound action to bring documents into a Process flow. This option requires that you specify a Connector from our library.
| Field Name |
Description |
| Connector |
Dropdown that specifies the application or server your would like to connect to or a listen web server that you would like to enable to bring documents into the process. |
| Action |
Dropdown that specifies the inbound action for your documents.
- Get - Retrieves documents from application or server
- Listen - Enables process listening for certain connector scenarios (Example: AS2, Web Services Server)
You need to deploy the process to enable the web server for listening. Review the Using a Web Server section to learn how to configure your Atom for these cases.
|
| Connection |
Selection box that allows you to select, edit, or create a Connection component for your specific application or server |
| Operation |
Selection box that allows you to select, edit, or create an Operation component for your specific application or server |
Connection/Operation components are re-usable throughout other Processes and Process steps.
Trading Partner
This option is unique to B2B and EDI integration. This settings allows you to define a communication method and B2B standard for bringing in EDI transactions for 1 to many trading partners.
EDI and B2B solutions are included in their own AtomSphere edition. If you would like to have Trading Partner and EDI capabilities enabled in your account, please review our EDI Solution Overview
and connect with a Boomi Sales Representative.
| Field Name |
Description |
| Standard |
Dropdown that specifies the Document standard for inbound data. Currently defaults to ANSI X12. |
| Communication Method |
Dropdown that specifies the Communication protocol for inbound data. Only 1 inbound method is configurable per process, and it uses the Get Options or AS2 Listen settings defined in the 'My Company' Trading Partner Component by default.
|
| My Company |
Selection box that allows you to select, edit, or create a Trading Partner component for My/Your Company. |
| Trading Partner Window |
Selection window that allows you to define 1 to many Trading Partner components |
Passthrough
This option should be selected if the process is intended to receive data from another "parent" process or another external source. There are no configuration options available for this selection. The Process Call shape in a parent process can pass through documents to the child process to perform another series of processing steps. The Return Documents shape can then be used, if preferred, to return the document results to the parent.
- If Passthrough is enabled in the child process, the parent process will send any documents that hit the Process Call shape in one batch, and it will spark one execution of the child process vs. generating a new execution of the child process for each document.
- When the process(es) are deployed and executed, the child process will not display an execution record on the Manage tab if there is a Return Documents shape in the process. The return is simply displayed in the parent process as a single execution of the parent.
- If this process is enabled with scheduling without a data source, it will run as a 'No Data' Start shape.
No Data
This option should be selected if the process should not receive or retrieve data from any source. The process can be scheduled and run similar to CRON or any other sort of job scheduler to perform a series of steps or commands. The process can also be triggered via one of the other methods below with exception to Web Server listening. Executing the process will generate a single empty document that will be forwarded through the process flow. The process should be designed to expect an empty document and either perform commands or retrieve documents from other sources.
Triggering Methods
- Schedule: This is the most common method to execute a Process. Schedules can be set down to 1-minute intervals to kick off the Start Shape. A Process will retrieve 0 documents if a schedule is enabled on a Start Shape using a web server connector since the Process is set to listen for documents real-time.
- Process Call Shape in Parent Process: The child process will execute for each document that is forwarded to the Process Call shape if the Connector or No Data option is defined. Review the Passthrough points above to learn how this option will affect the processing. A parent and child process will fail if a process call in the parent is set to call a child enabled with web server listening.
- Execute Process API: Any of the configuration options above can be used for this method with exception to Trading Partners or Connectors that require web server listening.
- Web Server Listening: The triggering methods above will not work if a Connector option or Trading Partner option is defined with one of the connectors below.
Setting Start Parameters
For many of the application connectors, a unique request message needs to be sent to the application to bring documents into the process. These cases require the definition of Parameters within the Start Shape window to build this initial request message. The Parameters tab will only display if the Connector configuration option is defined.
Review the Connectors section to learn about Operation requirements for your integration scenario.
| The Setting Parameters section describes the different options available for start parameters. |
This page
Other pages
Account
