Workflow Steps

Beginning with FileCloud 23.1, notifications sent from Wait for Share Approval and Wait for File Approval workflows include a link for accessing the approval screen.


When you first add a workflow, its only steps are Start and Complete. To build the workflow, drag and drop steps from the right panel onto the + symbols on the workflow, and fill in parameters that are required or optional for each step.  

Most steps are available to all types of workflows, but a few are only included as choices in workflows triggered by a share activity.

The following table explains the behavior of each type of workflow step and defines its parameters.

StepDescriptionParametersWorkflow types (triggers)
StartBegins running the workflow when the specified trigger occurs.Depends on the trigger

See Workflow Triggers
All
ConditionA condition defined by the user. If the condition is true, an action occurs; if it is not true a different action occurs

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Query - Query that checks for the condition. You can either enter the query using the query builder provided or choose Text Editor (Advanced) and enter the query freehand. 

All
Assign Variable ValueSets a variable to a value that may be used within the workflow.

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Variable Name - A variable you define for the workflow.

Value - A value you give to the variable from system or workflow data, such as the file path or the current date, or that you enter freehand.

All
Copy File or Folder

Copies the file or the folder structure from Source Path to Target Path

When folder is chosen, the folder structure including sub-folders and files is copied. This enables you to easily deploy entire folder structures and their content to new FileCloud systems or to copy pre-existing folder structures into new user accounts.


Folder permissions may affect this action. See How folder permissions affect copy and move actions, below.

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Source Path - Current path of the file. 
Note: When trigger is Automatically on a file or folder activity, Source Path is automatically set to File full path, the source path set in the trigger.

Target Path - Path to copy the file to. 

Override - Check to overwrite file of the same name if it exists; leave unchecked to save both existing and new files.

Keep Assigned ACL Permissions - Copy the ACL permissions of the copied items.

All
Move File or Folder

Moves the file or the folder structure from the Source Path to Target Path.

When folder is chosen, the folder structure including sub-folders and files is copied.

Folder permissions may affect this action. See How folder permissions affect copy and move actions, below.

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Source Path - Current path of the file.
Note: When trigger is Automatically on a file or folder activity, Source Path is automatically set to File full path, the source path set in the trigger. 

Target Path - Path to move the file to. 

Override - Check to overwrite file of the same name if it exists; leave unchecked to save both existing and new files.

Keep Assigned ACL Permissions - Keep the ACL permissions of the moved items.

All
Create DirectoryCreates the directory specified in Target Path

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Target Path - Choose existing path to create the directory in and append the new directory name. 

All
Set Metadata Attribute ValueSets the metadata attribute chosen to the value specified.

Target Path - Path to update metadata attribute on.

Metadata Set - The metadata set of the metadata attribute to update.

Metadata Attribute - The metadata attribute to be updated.

Update To - Value to update the metadata attribute to.

All
Assign ACL PermissionsAssigns the specified users and groups folder permissions to the folder.

Target Path - The folder path that the permissions apply to.

Selected ACL Permissions - The user and group permissions to the folder path.

All
Wait for File ApprovalRequests approval for a file action. Approvers are automatically notified in their user portals.

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Approval Emails
     Users - Emails of users who may approve the action. Notifications are sent to these users.
     Groups - Groups whose users may approve the action. Notifications are sent to users who are members of the group at the time the approval is requested.

Approval Count Number - Number of approvals required for the file action to occur. 

Custom Message - The default message is Please, approve this file. Select this text and type over it to change the message. 

Send Approval Email Notification - Sends an email to approvers letting them know there is an active file approval request. The email appears in addition to the user interface notification, and includes approve and reject buttons for approving or rejecting the file from the email.

Note: After approving or rejecting the file, the approver is taken to the detailed actions screen for the file.

All except Automatically on a share activity
Wait for Share ApprovalRequests approval for a file or folder share. Approvers are automatically notified in their user portals. See Share Approval Workflows.

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Approval Emails
     Users
- Emails of users who may approve the action. Notifications are sent to these users.
     Groups
- Groups whose users may approve the action.  Notifications are sent to users who are members of the group at the time the approval is requested.

Approval Count Number - Number of approvals required for the share to become active. 

Custom Message - The default message is Please, approve this share. Select this text and type over it to change the message. 

Send Approval Email Notification - Sends an email to approvers letting them know there is an active share approval request. The email appears in addition to the user interface notification, and includes approve and reject buttons for approving or rejecting the share from the email.

Note: After approving or rejecting the share, the approver is taken to the detailed actions screen for the share.

Automatically on a share activity
Share ApproveThis action is triggered if a share in Wait for Share Approval is approved. It makes the share available to recipients. See Share Approval Workflows.

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Automatically on a share activity
Share RejectionThis action is triggered if a share in Wait for Share Approval is rejected. It deletes the share. See Share Approval Workflows.

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

Automatically on a share activity
Send EmailSends an email message to the To recipients.

Node Name - Name of the node.

Node Description - For informational purposes; describes the node.

To - Recipient email addresses

Subject - Subject of email. 

Body - Body of email. 

All
CompleteExits workflow processingnoneAll


How folder permissions affect copy and move actions

In some cases, combined share and folder-level permissions on folders limit whether copy and move for files or folders and copy file or folder and move file or folder in automated (user) workflows are permitted. In the scenarios in the following table, copy and move or move only is not allowed, and if you attempt to perform the action an error message is returned.


Share permissionsFolder-level PermissionsCopyMove
1View-NOT allowedNOT allowed
2View+Download-allowedNOT allowed
3ViewReadNOT allowedNOT allowed
4View+DownloadReadallowedNOT allowed