Automations

An Automation is an asset that defines when work starts and which steps run. Use one when you want an explicit sequence of actions, decisions, and waits with a published version and run history.

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Choose how to run your work

An Automation is separate from an AOP. An Automation can include an AOP run step when part of the workflow needs an agent to follow a procedure.

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Check availability and access

Your deployment must have Automations enabled, and your workspace must be enrolled. You must be a signed-in, active workspace member acting as yourself, or an authorized admin. On Athena’s managed cloud, all workspaces pass the enrollment check. Other deployments require workspace enrollment or a deployment setting that enrolls every workspace. Enrollment alone does not turn Automations on. You need view access to read an Automation. You need edit access to change its draft, publish from the editor, run it from the UI, or pause its triggers.

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Create an Automation in Athena

1. Open Automations from the navigation.
2. Select New automation, then Blank.
3. Enter a name and select Create Automation.
4. Open Definition. Start a definition, then use Outline to select and configure triggers, steps, and policies. You can also edit the definition in JSON or YAML.
5. Set home.project_asset_id to the home project’s asset ID in JSON, and configure the assets and inputs the steps need.
6. Review the validation results and fix reported errors.
7. Select Publish and confirm with Publish. For later draft changes, the button reads Publish changes.

Publishing can require a separate approval under your workspace’s approval policy.

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Ask Athena to draft one

1. Select New automation, then Describe it, or describe the workflow in a session with the Automations tools available.
2. State the trigger, work to perform, expected result, and any required approvers.
3. Ask Athena to create an Automation draft. Athena uses create_automation_draft to generate and validate the definition.
4. Open the draft Athena returns. Review the steps, permissions, triggers, and budgets before publishing.

Creating a draft does not publish it or activate its triggers. A person must authorize publication. You can publish in the editor, or explicitly ask Athena to publish the reviewed draft on your behalf.

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Choose a trigger

Available event sources and integration steps depend on the capabilities configured for your deployment. Publishing checks the definition and refuses unsupported capabilities.

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Choose steps

The tool picker contains tools eligible for Automation steps. A tool available in a session is not necessarily available as an Automation step.

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Keep drafts separate from published versions

Definition edits the draft. Runs use a published version, so changing the draft does not change a run’s pinned plan. A published version is immutable. Publishing a changed definition creates another version. Versions records publication history. Review the version a run used when comparing results after a change. Publishing activates the configured triggers. Check schedules and event sources before you confirm.

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Grant the Automation access

The Automation runs as its own identity. It does not inherit the publisher’s or starter’s asset access or admin privileges.

1. Open Settings and find Identity and access.
2. Check Runs as and the listed grants.
3. Select Add asset to grant access to an asset the workflow needs. You must have the required sharing rights on that asset.
4. Use Revoke to remove a grant when it is no longer needed.

Sharing the Automation with a person controls who can use or edit it. Granting an asset to the Automation controls what its runs can access.

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Related

• AOPs
• Automation approvals
• Automation run history
• Automation budgets