Bridging Activities List

Bridging activities are building blocks for the transaction diagram workflow. Learn more

Activities overview

The following table describes the activities that are available for creating a transaction diagram workflow.

Activity

Category

Description

Transaction Flow Control

Start Activity marks a transaction entry point. Every transaction diagram has exactly one start activity. This is the only activity block that cannot be removed from the transaction diagram design surface.

Transaction Flow Control

End Activity marks a transaction completion point. A transaction diagram may contain one or more such blocks. Each completion point can be assigned a Success or Fail transaction completion result.

Bulk Data Reader

Bulk Real Time Input Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset. This activity creates a tag point name from each row in the input dataset, and then requests all points as real-time OPC tags. It exposes the output dataset with the following columns: PointName, Value, Quality, Timestamp, ArrayIndex.

Data Reader

CSV File Reader Activity reads structured data from a .csv file. The collected data is exposed through its output dataset for further processing in subsequent blocks.

Data Reader

Dataset Reader Activity requests a dataset point, such as those exposed by database data sources, and passes the collected rows of data through its output for further processing in subsequent blocks.

Data Reader

Historical Alarms Reader Activity requests an alarm history point for a given time range and passes the collected alarm history through its output for further processing in subsequent blocks.

Data Reader

Historical Input Activity requests a historical data point from a historical data source such as Data Historian for a given time range and passes the collected raw data samples or processed aggregations through its output for further processing in subsequent blocks.

Data Reader

JSON File Reader Activity reads structured data from a .json file. The collected data is exposed through its output dataset for further processing in subsequent blocks.

Data Reader

Real Time Input Activity requests a configured point as a real-time OPC tag. The point names may contain global aliases or be a result of an expression evaluation. The activity exposes the output dataset with the following columns: PointName, Value, Quality, Timestamp, ArrayIndex.

Data Reader

Variable Reader Activity takes all data rows and columns of the selected global or local variable and passes the data through its output for further processing in subsequent blocks.

Data Reader

XML File Reader Activity reads structured data from a .xml file. A specific XPath Query is applied to a .xml document and the results are mapped to the block's output dataset for further processing in subsequent blocks.

Bulk Data Writer

Bulk Data Manipulator Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset. For each row in the input dataset, this activity executes the specified database data manipulator and passes a set of the data manipulator parameter values that are calculated from the input data row. If the data manipulator returns any output parameters, their values are exposed via the block's output dataset with the following columns: InputRowIndex, OutputParameterName, Value.

Bulk Data Writer

Bulk Real Time Output Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset. From the data in each row of the input dataset, this activity creates a tag point name and a value to write, and then it commits write value operations to real-time OPC points. Optionally, this activity waits a few scan periods for the data updates from the OPC server to confirm that new values were accepted by the server. The activity exposes an output dataset with the following columns: PointName, WriteValue, WriteStatus, WriteTimestamp, HasReadValue, ReadValue, ReadStatus, ReadTimestamp.

Bulk Data Writer

Bulk Web Service Manipulator Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset. This activity executes the specified web service manipulator for each row in the input dataset and passes a set of the web service manipulator parameter values that are calculated from the input data row. If the web service manipulator returns any output parameters, their values are exposed via the block's output dataset with the following columns: InputRowIndex, OutputParameterName, Data, StatusCode.

Data Writer

CSV Writer Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset. This activity formats the input data rows and writes them into a specified .csv file. Optionally, the rows are appended to an existing file. The activity exposes an output dataset with the following columns: FolderName, FileName, CsvContent, Status.

Data Writer

Data Manipulator Activity executes the specified database data manipulator providing a set of the data manipulator parameter values. If the data manipulator returns any output parameters, their values are exposed via the block's output dataset with the following columns: OutputParameterName, Value.

Data Writer

DataSet Transformer Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset and creates a different view of the input dataset. It applies a filtering expression to select only the matching rows, hide certain columns or add new calculated columns. The resulting dataset is exposed as the block's output.

Data Writer

Dynamic Tag Writer Activity allows to write a set of values into a set of real-time OPC data points. The data values and point names could be the results of an expression evaluation. Optionally, this activity waits a few scan periods for the data updates from the OPC server to confirm that the new values were accepted by the server. This activity exposes an output dataset with the following columns: PointName, WriteValue, WriteStatus, WriteTimestamp, HasReadValue, ReadValue, ReadStatus, ReadTimestamp.

Data Writer

Generic JSON Writer Activity formats data values into a specified .json file according to a specific document structure. You can construct complex .json schemas including both scalar and array nodes. The activity exposes an output dataset with the following columns: FolderName, FileName, JsonContent, Status.

Bulk Data Writer

Historical Upload Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset. It creates a tag point name, a value to write, a timestamp, and a data sample quality from the data in each row of the input dataset, and then it commits a historical insert or replace operation for OPC HDA historical points. The activity exposes an output dataset with the following columns: PointName, Value, Status, Timestamp, Skipped, HdaUpdateStatus.

Data Writer

Real Time Output Activity allows writing a set of values into a set of predefined real-time OPC data points. Optionally, this activity waits a few scan periods for the data updates from the OPC server to confirm that the new values were accepted by the server. The activity exposes an output dataset with the following columns: PointName, WriteValue, WriteStatus, WriteTimestamp, HasReadValue, ReadValue, ReadStatus, ReadTimestamp.

Data Writer

Variable Writer Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset. Then this activity populates rows of a specific global or local variable according to the variable's columns schema with values calculated from input rows. Both Replace and Append operations are supported. The modified variable's data rows are exposed as this block's output.

Data Writer

Web Service Manipulator Activity executes the specified web service manipulator providing a set of the web service manipulator parameter values. If the web service manipulator returns any output parameters, their values are exposed via the block's output dataset with the following columns: OutputParameterName, Data, StatusCode.

Data Writer

XML Writer Activity takes input data from another block's output dataset. This activity formats the input data rows and writes them into specified .xml file, organizing the column values either as child .xml nodes or as attributes.

Transaction Flow Control

Condition Activity can implement logical branching in a transaction workflow execution, based on the result of a specific runtime condition. The result of an expression evaluation determines whether the workflow execution continues along the On True or On False workflow pathways.

Data Writer

Alarm Event Output Activity sends an event message to the audit events server in the format of an alarm message. Alarm fields such as SourceName, ActiveTime, Severity, ActorID, ConditionName, and SubconditionName are copied from the alarm that triggerred the transaction. This activity is intended to be used in transactions that started by alarm triggers. Otherwise, the activity acts like Audit Event Output Activity.

Data Writer

Audit Event Output Activity sends a free format event message to the audit events server.

Action

Command Line Activity allows a transaction to start a specific external process or a specific OS command line. It can wait for the process or command to complete, in which case it retrieves a standard output of the process and makes it available for further processing in subsequent blocks through the output dataset.

Transaction Flow Control

Delay Activity pauses a transaction execution for a certain number of milliseconds or until the specified condition is met. It also serves as a Transaction Dehydration Point: transaction in the paused state may be unloaded by the workflow engine to re-allocate the server's memory and CPU resources to other running transactions. When the pause period is over or the wait condition is met, the transaction is loaded back (rehydrated) and its execution continues from the block that follows the Delay Activity.

Action

File Transfer Activity copies and exchanges files between local directories, between a local directory and a network shared folder, between a local or shared directory and an FTP server, or between different FTP servers.

Action

Generate Report Activity creates a new instance of a specific report by sending a command to the reports server, passing required report parameters.

Action

Generic Method Call Activity executes a specific method of a particular point manager and passes the required method parameters. If the method returns any output data, it is exposed through the activity's output dataset with the following columns: OutArguments of type Void (Variant).

Action

Information Broker Activity prepares a .json payload and sends it as an outgoing message to the MQTT information broker.

Action

NT Event Output Activity prepares a free format text message and appends it in the system event log as a specific event type.

Action

Push Notification Activity prepares a free format text message and sends it out as a push notification using the specified messaging platform.

Action

Send Email Activity prepares a free format text message and send it to e-mail recipient(s) using the specified e-mail provider.

Action

Send SMS Activity prepares a free format text message and sends it to the specified recipient(s) as an outgoing SMS using the specified SMS provider.

Action

Send Voice Message Activity prepares a free format text message, converts it to voice, and sends it to the specified recipient(s) as an outgoing voice message using the specified voice message provider.

Action

Send WhatsApp Message Activity prepares a free format text message and sends it to the specified recipient(s) as an outgoing WhatsApp message using the specified provider.

Action

Send Teams Message Activity prepares a free format text message and sends it to the specified recipient(s) as an outgoing Teams instant message.