using eRaiseFlag to raise a Flag from outside of metastorm

I have gone through all the notes I can find on settings this up, but whatever I do, it does not work!

I have setup the Flag, put it into the correct Map, set it as a Loopback Flag. Set all the values of the data i want to pass, giving names that relate to the Fields. Set the value in the 'Do This' Function. But nothing happens.

Oh and created a batch file to send the data - per the instructions - before I put it into my application.

Help please

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Brian Mellert

Without knowing more, here are a few things to star with:

Are you getting an error, trying to execute eRaiseFlag.exe perhaps, or is it just the action is not running?
Might this be a new flag added to an existing folder? To check, is there an appropriate flag in eWait for the folder(s) in question?
Is the "Folder which must raise the flag..." setting on the Flag action Flag tab set correctly? (e.g. its not set to "This folder's parent" when you are trying to raise for "This folder")

Mark_Beverley

Also might be worth checking to see what users are associated with the flag raiser role in the metastorm process engine in component services.

Rosemary Fromm

OK basic info

this is in 7.5

I am getting no error message when I execute the Batch file - I was but have managed to stop it by changing my rights on the server.

I have added a new flag into an existing map - as I want to add in new folders that way (should have mentioned that earlier).

the questions raised about existing folder therefore do not apply I suspect....

My plan is to eraise a flag externally, with data attached from outside of Metastorm, the Map's Flag was then to pick up the Flag, pull in the data, create a new folder and pass it on to the next stage. I have setup the Flag to pull in the data - but could not see anywhere to Create a new folder.

Maybe I need to tell the Flag that it has to create a new Folder in some way ??

Rosemary Fromm

I have set myself as a member of the flag raiser role, then when that did not work I added in my entire department to the Windows User Group in the flag raiser role on the server. Then restarted the Engine. That was one of the suggestions I found on the Metastorm Forum somewhere when I did a search on raising the flag externally.

I also found something about the data being passed using tabs in between the data in the command line, that stated the Registry needed checking, but when I checked it was not set to 0.

Mark_Beverley

I'd suggest

1 coment out all the variable settings in the when action started of the flag.

i.e. remove all the %variable1:=%flagdata[1]

then publish and try to raise the flag using the command line.

i.e. eraiseflag /flagname:"[flagname]" /flagfolder:"[Folderid]"

obviously only have the flag folder argument if you have a folder already and you are trying to raise that instance of a flag only. if you are creating a folder or want all flags to fire then dont have the flagfolder argument.

get that working first and they you can look at passing data.

Rosemary Fromm

I can see that might be a good idea, as it is simpler - but I cannot see how I would know it had worked - no data will appear in the table, so how would I know ??

Mark_Beverley

if you check the eevent table that should tell you if the flagged action has fired.

Rosemary Fromm

Aah, I had forgotten about E-Event - too long since I did any reporting on this system.

No nothing in there, so it is not getting that far then.....

I have tried removing the Data from the Batch file I wrote, better go and check my syntax again I suppose...

Brian Mellert

Must making sure I understand ... this new flag is coming off the starting clapboard, correct? (That's what I'm guessing by your intent to create new folders, but making sure.) I've used this approach without issue.

If its off the start clapboard, there should be an entry for the flag name in eWait with an empty eFolderID. As mentioned above, I've used this many times without issue -- mostly for data conversion but also to start new child folders.

If its off another stage, check the eWait table for the folder(s) in question to make sure the flag is defined there for the folder(s). If there is no entry in eWait, raising the flag will never do anything against a target folder.

Jerome_Pearce

The first problem I see is that you say you want to create a new folder in the flagged action, and yet you describe the the action as a loopback. To create a new Folder, you need to start the action from the 'start box' where the 'blank form' actions start from.

Secondly, you should probably attempt to raise the flag from a Metastorm action, an admin form with a button may be easiest. This will test that the flagged action itself works.

Thirdly, our own Best Practice Guide and Course recommends that you do not make any assignments in the flagged action itself as this could cause the action to fail and leave no folder to use to alert anyone. We typically assign the session flag data to a memo field and make the assignments in a subsequent conditional action. A seccond conditional action takes the Folder to a 'Failed' stage and alerts the relevant administrator if that action fails.

Rosemary Fromm

Is there a manual somewhere on the Internet site that tells me how this should work as I seem to be floundering in the dark here - I have only found one page on the subject so far in all the manuals we have, that only describes the Syntax of eRaiseFlagand how to get the data into the map.

I did realise that it perhaps should start at the beginning - so deleted my flag and re set it up from there, but still no change.

I tried creating it just as a Flag, without any data - that made no difference either.

If I check the eWait folder, I can see two test Folders that I have created via the input form on the same map, they both show the Flag.

It seems to me that if I need to get information into a Metastorm map from another Server, where I cannot use an input Form this system should work. It also seems to me that it should be simple - but I am obviously missing something as it does not work.

I will try the admin form - the Metastorm expert in the department comes back from hols today...

Can someone please give me a set of of steps to follow - maybe I am just doing things in the wrong order ?

Oh - by the way I tried logging this with Support yesterday - they have not bothered to reply yet....

Mark_Beverley

I've attached a very simple example on here which you can publish (just remove the .txt extension)

1) you can raise a flag from the start by using the command prompt

eraiseflag /flagname:"start flag"

This should trigger off a new instance of a folder and you can get the folderid of it

2) then try

eraiseflag /flagname:"flag1" /flagdata:"testdata1 testdata2" /flagfolder:"0000000000000000000000000001724"

but dont forget to change the flagfolderid

this should give a few pointers

Mark

Rosemary Fromm

I see that you have put the flagname in double quotes, it does not mention having to do that anywhere in the documentation ???

I will test it out

Thanks

Mark_Beverley

In the user manual it does say

You may define any flag data to be passed along with the flag. If more than one piece of flag

data is to be passed they are delimited with tabs. If you are passing multiple amounts of flag data,

the entire switch must be encapsulated in double quotes.

For example:

eRaiseFlag.exe /FlagName:firstname1 “/FlagData:data1

This will raise the flag “firstname1” with three flag data items: “data1,” “data2,” and “data3.”

Dont know why I put the other items in quotes. I always have.

Regards

Mark

Mark_Beverley

whoops...That last command should ave read eRaiseFlag.exe /FlagName:firstname1 “/FlagData:data1 data2 data3"

Rosemary Fromm

Thanks for this, it published OK, but no FolderID came up when the first eraiseflag was run, this is telling me something, but I do not know what....

Mark_Beverley

should be an item on the todo list.

the folderid you can get from the database.

Regards

Mark

Rosemary Fromm

I checked on the database, had no FolderID, EAlert has nothing, EEvent has nothing, only eWait has something in there with no FolderID.

So it is stuck solid

Mark_Beverley

I suspect that you may need to contact the support desk on this one to check the system.

The fact that you have something on the ewait table is a good thing. This is entry for the the start flag and will not have a folderid because no folders are created yet.

A few questions spring to mind

are you running the eraiseflag on the engine machine? If not can you try it on the engine machine and see.

The user that you are logged in as and calling the eraiseflag command. Is this person a flagraiser role (component settings for the engine). Can't remember if you need to stop and restart the engine for the role permissions to take effect.

Are there any entries in the system logs or anything in the the metastorm designer log?

If you are calling the eraiseflag from another machine are you putting the name of the engine in the eraiseflag arguments? You can look at what arguments by typing eraiseflag /? in the command line

Rosemary Fromm

Yes I added on the Servername where the engine lives to your command.

I am in the flagraiser group - twice over, once as me and once in a windows user group - I restarted the engine afterwards.

I ran it on the Server the engine sits on - now I do get an event and a FolderID - yippeee progress

will try the next command now

Rosemary Fromm

I tried the second command - once I sorted out the syntax for the Server and got the folderID correct, it worked, interestingly so did my command afterwards - its like it cleared out a blockage....

Thank You

Mark_Beverley

Excellent,

Glad it's now working.

Mark