Using the Graphical Action Designer (GAD)
The Graphical Action Designer (GAD) enables you to create a Quick Action using graphical tools.
A Start Block is displayed in the Design Board when you open the GAD, this is the starting point for your action, refer to Start Block.
You can drag and drop new actions from the Action Designer List to the Design Board of the editor. When added to the Design Board, an Action Block is displayed. The Action Block can be configured in the Settings pane. One or more action blocks can be added to the Design Board. Add links between multiple action blocks to connect them in sequence order, see Action Block.
An existing Quick Action can be selected to display in the Design Board, where it can be edited. New actions can be added and linked to create more complex Quick Actions.
You can enable access to the Simplified Expression Editor for the GAD. The Simplified Expression Editor provides features that make it simpler to configure expressions for Action Block parameters.
The EnableSimplifiedExpressionEditor global constant must be added and enabled by your ITSM Administrator to use the Simplified Expression Editor and its features. If this global constant is not added and enabled, the default Expression Editor is displayed. For further information on this feature, refer to Using the Simplified Expression Editor
Refer to Using the Classic Action Designer (CAD) for detailed help on using the legacy Quick Action interface.
Notes on roles and permissions
- If you cannot access the GAD, contact your Administrator and request permission for your role. Depending on your role, the level of action permissions may be restricted.
- Administrators can assign action permission levels for a role in the Roles and Permissions section of the Configuration console. Refer to Assigning System Permissions
- Action permission levels an Administrator can assign for a role are:
- Create (for self) - create, edit, and delete actions created by the user. You cannot edit or delete actions created by other users.
- Edit (for all) - create personal actions and edit actions created by other users.
- Delete (for all) - delete actions created by other users. You also need to have the Edit (for all) permission assigned to your role to enable deletion of actions created by other users.
Open the Graphical Action Designer
The methods available for you to open the GAD depend on your assigned role.
Opening the GAD from a Workspace or Record
This method is available to all roles with a minimum of the Create (for self) and/or Edit (for all) permission applied.
- From the workspace or from a record, select More > Edit Actions. This displays the Action Designer selection popup.
- Select Graphical Action Designer.
Opening the GAD from the Actions Manager in the Configuration Console
This method is only available to the Administrator role, or roles enabled to access the administration tools (Configuration console).
- From the Configuration Console, click Build > Automation Tools > Quick Actions to open the Actions Manager workspace. The list of business objects that have actions appears.
- Click Add/Edit to see the actions for the business object. This displays the Action Designer selection popup.
- Select Graphical Action Designer.
Opening the GAD from a Business Object in the Configuration Console
This method is only available to the Administrator role, or roles enabled to access the administration tools (Configuration console).
- From the Configuration Console, click Build > Business Objects to open the Business Objects workspace.
- Open a business object. The application displays the workspace for that business object.
- Along the top, click Quick Actions. This displays the Action Designer selection popup.
- Select Graphical Action Designer.
Opening the GAD from the Classic Action Designer
- Save any work you are doing in the Classic Action Designer.
- Click Switch to Graphical Designer.
Parts of the Graphical Action Designer
The Graphical Action Designer consists of three sections.
Graphical Action Designer
Heading Row Button Functions
Use the button functions on the heading row of the GAD to:
Save: Save the action you are working on.
Create New: Create a new action. Clears the Design Board of any actions you are currently working on. A warning is displayed to save any unsaved work on an action you currently have in the Design Board, if you do not save the work it is lost.
Close: Close the GAD. If you have any unsaved work a warning is displayed to save it, if you do not save the work it is lost.
Switch to Classic Editor: Closes the GAD and opens the Classic Action Designer. If you have any unsaved work a warning is displayed to save it, if you do not save the work it is lost, unsaved work is not carried over to the Classic Action Designer.
1 - Action Designer Lists
The action designer lists contain new actions, and existing Quick Actions that you can add to the Design Board to create an entirely new action, edit an existing action, or create a new action based on the existing one.
Use the Search Actions function to find the Action Block, or existing Quick Action you require.
New Actions
Contains a limited set of the most commonly used actions. Drag an Action Block onto the Design Board to add it to your Quick Action.
For descriptions of all new action blocks available in the GAD, see the relevant section where they are described:
Saved Actions
Contains a list of Quick Actions that already exist for the business object.
To open a saved action for editing, click on the action. The action displays in the Design Board.
Actions listed are dependant on the permissions assigned to the users role:
- If the role permission is limited to Create (for self), then only the actions the user created for the business object are listed. The user can create new actions, and edit or delete the actions they created.
- If the role permission includes Edit (for all), then all actions for the business object are listed and can be edited by the user.
- If the role permission includes Edit (for all), and Delete (for all), then the user can delete actions not created by them.
Actions you create and save are added to this list under the category selected from the Enter Category drop down list in the Settings pane when the action is created. If a category is not selected, the action is listed under No Category.
2 - Design Board
This is where you build your Quick Action. Once added to the Design Board, select the action to enable configuration in the Settings pane. You can add two or more actions to the Design Board to create a composite action, and create composite links between actions.
When you open an existing Quick Action from the Saved Actions list that was created in the Classic Action Designer, the diagram that is displayed can be manipulated to a design that you prefer.
General functions (located along the top of the Design Board):
- Undo and redo an edit. You can also use the Undo button to restore an Action Block you removed from the Design Board, including any configuration changes you made to the Action Block. The configuration changes are preserved.
- Fit diagram to the visible Design Board.
- Zoom slider.
- Export a diagram of the action to a PNG file. Displays the diagram and you can download it.
Start Block
The Start Block is displayed on the Design Board when you open the GAD. It is always the first block in your Quick Action design, and the starting point for the Quick Action to execute. The Start Block displays the Action Name, Category, Action Type. These parameters are configured in the Settings pane,and apply to the entire Quick Action, refer to Start Block Settings.
- The Start Block can be moved from its position on the Design Board. Select it, hold down the mouse button, and drag it to the new position.
- The Start Block can not be resized.
- You can only add an outgoing connection from the Start Block to an Action Block, you cannot add an incoming connection to the Start Block.
- When the Start Block is selected in the Design Board, its settings are displayed in the Settings pane. These settings are applied to the entire Quick Action you are creating, refer to Start Block Settings
- Action Name: The name you specified for the Quick Action in the Settings pane.
- Category: The category you selected for the Quick Action in the Settings pane. When you save the Quick Action, it is displayed in the Saved Actions list under the Category you selected.
- Action Type: Regular Action or Triggered Action depending on your selection in the Settings pane. These selections are only displayed in the Settings pane when the EnableTriggerUI feature flag is enabled in the Configuration DB, and only for user roles with Administrator privileges, refer to Action Type . To enable this feature, contact Ivanti Cloud Operations. For contact details, refer to More Information.
Action Block
Select an Action Block to display its functions:
Delete the Action Block.
Clone the action.
Create a link to another Action Block.
Delete a link to another Action Block.
View information about the action.
Resize an Action Block. Hover the mouse pointer over the icon, select and drag to the size you want.
3 - Settings Pane
Configure the settings for a Quick Action in the Settings pane.
The Start Block displays the common settings for the Quick Action when it is selected.
Each Action Block displays its unique settings when selected.
Start Block Settings
Use these settings to configure parameters that are common to the Quick Action. Select the Start Block to display the settings.
Enter information into the following fields.
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Action Type | By default these options are disabled, contact Ivanti Support if you want to enable these options. Specifies the action type to configure the business objects. Select one of the following options:
|
Name | Mandatory. A unique name for the entire set of actions contained in the Quick Action. This is the name that appears in the Saved Actions list and it can be searched upon. |
Description | Contains a description for the Quick Action. |
Enter category | Activates the drop-down menu that contains the action categories. Saves the Quick Action in the Saved Actions list under the category you selected. You can also enter a new category by typing its name in this field. Saves the Quick Action in the Saved Actions list under the new category name you entered. This field is disabled when you select the Triggered Actions option. |
Publish to | Activates the drop-down menu that contains the roles to which to publish this action. The application saves the Quick Action to the roles you select, as well as to the administrator and action owner roles. |
UI Options | Determines which of the following options users have:
|
Hide in UI when | Hide this action under certain circumstances. Click the  icon to open the Expression Editor and create an expression-based subject. For information about the expression editor, refer to Using the Expression Editor, or Using the Simplified Expression Editor. |
Auto-save | When selected, all actions carried out on records, individually, or as part of a composite action, are saved automatically. When this option is not selected, changes are not automatically saved, and you are asked to click Save. If the following action(s) are added to a Composite Action, auto-save is automatically switched on and cannot be switched off: Go to Record, Run for Collection, Decision Action, Show a PopUp, and Go to Action. |
Disable in UI when | Disables this Quick Action under certain circumstances. click the icon to open the Expression Editor and create an appropriate expression. For information about the expression editor, refer to Using the Expression Editor, or Using the Simplified Expression Editor. |
Confirm before run | Prompts you to confirm before running the Quick Action. |
Confirmation prompt | Contains the confirmation message. |
Action Block Settings
These setting are displayed when you select an Action Block. Use these settings to configure the parameters unique to an individual Action Block. The fields and parameter functions displayed may differ depending on the action selected. For information on specific fields and parameter functions, see the action description topics in this section of the help documentation:
The Block Label field is the only parameter field common to all action blocks. Use this field to give each block a unique name that helps you remember what the action does in this instance. This is also useful to identify each action when you have more than one of the same Action Block added or cloned in the Design Board. All other parameters are unique to each type of Action Block.
Buttons present in the Action Block settings for some actions open additional configuration editors and dialogs, for example: Clone Editor (for Clone Record action), Insert Child Record editor (for Insert Multiple Child Records action), and Expression Editor (for various actions). There are several other editors and dialogs that can be opened from the action settings, depending on the action selected.
Creating a New Quick Action
This procedure describes how to create a simple Quick Action using a single Action Block. To create a more complex Quick Action using multiple action blocks, refer to Adding Multiple Actions in the Graphical Action Designer.
- Select the New Actions tab to view a list of actions.
- Drag an action onto the Design Board from the New Actions tab. The action is displayed as an Action Block in the Design Board. The Settings pane displays the parameters for the Action Block.
- Enter data into the parameter fields, and make selections as required. Refer to New Actions above for reference to topics that describe the parameters that are specific to the action.
- Select the Start Block, and then select the Action Type (if displayed) in the Settings pane. These options are only displayed if your role has Administrator privileges, refer to Selecting Action Type below.
- Link the Start Block to the Action Block.
- With the Start Block selected, enter a name for the Quick Action in the Name field in the settings pane.
- Enter the additional Start Block settings for the Quick Action in the relevant parameter fields, refer to Start Block Settings above.
- Click Save.
The Quick Action appears in the Saved Actions tab depending on the category you applied to the action in the Start Block settings. For example, if you selected Form Actions from the Enter Category drop-down list in Start Block settings, the action appears under the Form Actions section in the Saved Actions tab.
If you did not select a category in Start Block settings, the action appears under the No Category section of the Saved Actions tab.
Selecting Action Type
These selections are only displayed when the EnableTriggerUI feature flag is enabled in the Configuration DB, and only for user roles with Administrator privileges. Contact Ivanti Cloud Operations if you want to enable this feature. For contact details, refer to More Information.
- Select the Start Block.
- In the Settings pane, select one of the following action types:
- Regular Action
- Triggered Action
When you select the Triggered Action option, the Add Rules button appears.
- Enter information into the fields. Refer to Start Block Settings to view the list of fields and descriptions. Parameters in the Start Block settings are similar for both Regular and Triggered action types. If you select the Triggered Action type, you must add rules.
- If you selected Triggered Action, click Add Rules. The Triggered Action Rules pane appears.
- Enter information under each tab.
From the Events tab:
Trigger | Description |
|---|---|
Object Event: On Insert | Runs when the business object is inserted. |
Object Event: On Delete | Runs when the business object is deleted. |
Object Event: On Update | Runs when the business object is modified and saved. |
Field Event: On Initialize | Runs when a specific field is initialized. Select the field from the drop-down list. The following additional parameters appear when this option is selected, depending on the specified field: is changed (runs when the field is modified). is set to condition (runs when the field is modified to a specific string). |
Field Event: On Update | Runs when a specific field is modified. Select the field from the drop-down list. The following additional parameters appear when this option is selected, depending on the specified field: is changed (runs when the field is modified). is changed to condition (runs when the field is modified). is changed from condition (runs when the field is modified from a specific string). is changed from conditiontoother condition (runs when the field is modified from a specific string to a specific string). is set to condition (runs when the field is modified to a specific string). |
Relationship Event: On Link | Runs when a specified relationship is linked. Select the relationship from the drop-down list. |
Relationship Event: On Unlink | Runs when a specified relationship is unlinked. Select the relationship from the drop-down list. |
From the Conditional Expression tab:
Trigger | Description |
|---|---|
In addition to the above criteria, the action only triggers if the following expression is true: | Specifies a Boolean expression that allows the trigger to occur if this expression is true. The action only triggers if both the selected event as specified above occurs and the expression specified in this field occur. The action does not trigger if the expression specified in this field occurs but the selected event as specified above does not occur. The action also does not trigger if the expression specified in this field does not occur but the selected event as specified above does occur. Both must occur for the action to trigger. For information about expressions, refer to Using the Expression Editor, or Using the Simplified Expression Editor. |
Disable Rule | Disables this triggered action. Select this option to create a read-only business rule. You cannot disable triggered actions that contain calculations. |
- Click Ok.
Modifying a Quick Action
Change specific actions within a Quick Action, or add additional actions.
You can only edit a Quick Action you have created, unless you have a role with Edit (for all) permission.
- Select the Quick Action from the Saved Actions list, and click it to open in the Design Board.
- To add a new Action Block (skip to the next step if you only want to edit an existing Action Block):
a. Drag the action from the New Actions list onto the Design Board.
b. Position the Action Block where you want to place it within the existing Quick Action on the Design Board.
c. Link the Action Block as required.
d. Enter the parameters for the Action Block in the Settings pane. Refer to Common Action Fields for descriptions of the commonly used Action Block parameters, or refer to New Actions above. reference to topics that describe the parameters that are specific to the action..
You may need to modify existing action blocks to integrate the new action you introduced, see next step.
- To modify an Action Block:
a. Select the Action Block you want to edit to view its settings, or select the Start Block to view the Start Block settings.
b. Modify the configuration fields in the Settings pane as required. Refer to Common Action Fields for descriptions of the commonly used Action Block parameters, or refer to New Actions above. for reference to topics that describe the parameters that are specific to the action.
- Click Save.
For complex Quick Actions, additional useful information is available in Adding Multiple Actions in the Graphical Action Designer.
View Quick Action References
Use the References option to view where a Quick Action is used before you modify or delete it. This helps you identify dependent components and avoid breaking existing configurations.
The Quick Action References dialog displays the components that reference the selected Quick Action. Each reference type displays relevant attributes that help you identify where the Quick Action is used.
To view references for a Quick Action
- Open the Graphical Action Designer.
- Select the Quick Action from the Saved Actions list.
- Click References.
The Quick Action References dialog opens.
The dialog displays the components that reference the selected Quick Action.
Each reference type displays relevant attributes that help you identify where the Quick Action is used within that component.
Disable or Enable a Quick Action
You can disable an action without deleting it or removing it permanently from the Saved Actions list. For example, if you have created an action that you don't want to make available immediately, you can disable it.
- Open the GAD, refer to Open the Graphical Action Designer for information on opening the GAD.
- Click the Saved Actions tab, select the action, and then double-click to open it on the Design Board.
- Disable or enable the action:
- To disable the action, select the Start Block, and in the Settings pane select the Disable in UI checkbox.
- To enable the action, select the Start Block, and in the Settings pane clear the Disable in UI checkbox.
Disabled actions continue to send notifications when defined to operate within a workflow. To prevent disabled actions from sending notifications, you must remove the action from each workflow block.
Deleting a Quick Action
- The Delete option is disabled for quick actions that have a linked references. You can delete a quick action only when it does not have a reference.
- If a quick action has a reference, first delete the reference, and then delete the quick action. Alternatively, raise a service request to enable override of the restriction on deleting Quick Actions with references. After you enable this setting, the Delete anyway option becomes available, allowing you to delete Quick Actions even if they have existing references.
- In Ivanti Cloud environments, you can enable this option only in staging, UAT, or other development environments. You cannot enable this option in production.
From the Configuration Console
- Click Build > Automation Tools > Quick Actions to open the Actions Manager workspace. The list of business objects that have actions appears.
- Click Add/Edit to see the actions for the business object. The application displays the Action Designer selection popup.
- Select Graphical Action Designer.
- Click the Saved Actions tab and hover the mouse pointer over the action you want to delete. A Delete button appears to the right of the action.
- If the Quick action has a linked reference, the Delete option is unavailable.
To override this restriction, raise a service request to enable the Delete anyway option.
- If the Delete anyway option is enabled, the Delete button becomes available. When you click Delete, the application displays the list of references. The Quick Action dialog opens and displays the following message: “This action is referenced by other components and should not be deleted.”
- If you still want to delete the Quick Action even though references exist, click Delete anyway. The Delete Confirmation dialog appears.
- Click Yes to delete the Quick Action.
Configure Delete Behavior for Referenced Quick Actions
You can control whether users can delete Quick Actions that are referenced by other components. This behavior is managed through a feature configuration in Feature Management.
To configure delete behavior for referenced Quick Actions
- Open Feature Management.
- In the list view, locate the feature: PreventReferencedQuickActionDeletion
- Select the feature to open its details.
- In the State field, select the required option:
- Unconditionally ON
- TrialPeriod
- TrialCompleted
- Disable
- Click Save.
Behavior based on the feature state
When set to Unconditionally ON
- If a Quick Action is referenced by other components:
- The system blocks the delete operation.
When set to Disable
- If a Quick Action is referenced by other components:
- The system displays a warning in the Quick Action References dialog. “This action is referenced by other components and should not be deleted.”
- The Delete anyway option is available.