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Overview of TIBCO Spotfire®

Automation Services

Margot Goodwin

September 15, 2016

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TIBCO Spotfire® Automation Services

• A job is a set of tasks, for example, opening an analysis, exporting a visualization and sending an email about it to your colleagues

• Automation Services can be extended with additional tasks with the use of scripting or custom code extension

• Workflows start by creating an editable XML job file, running it locally to test and then on the server.

• The job file can be executed automatically on a regular basis by using a job scheduler

Automation

Services is a tool

integrated into

the

TIBCO Spotfire®

platform that

makes it possible

to run automated

server jobs which

contain a set of

tasks

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Architecture in Spotfire 7.x and below

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Architecture in Spotfire 7.5 and above

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Out of the box

The overall workflow The list of available tasks

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Installation

There are two components that need to be installed:

a. Automation services server (The Automation services

version must match that of Spotfire server).

Once it’s installed, make sure the automation server URL is

working

Ex: http://localhost:85/SpotfireAutomation

b. Deploy the Job Builder.spk to Spotfire server

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To open the interface:

Spotfire>Tools>Automation Services Job Builder

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Steps to set up automation jobs

• Use the job builder to create an xml job file, test it locally and on the

server. The server URL must match the Automation Services Server

URL.

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Steps to set up automation jobs

• Test the xml job file again using cmd command line and the Client Job

sender, using syntax similar to the following command line:

C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\TIBCO Spotfire Automation Services

Installer>Spotfire.Dxp.Automation.ClientJobSender.exe

http://localhost:85/SpotfireAutomation/JobExecutor.asmx

C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\PKI_Auto_Demo.xml

• Save the script into a .bat file and schedule its execution using

Windows Task Scheduler.

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• Use Windows Task Scheduler

• Kick Off the job by a Web service call in .net

Good reference:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/28543044/vs-newbie-how-to-use-this-wsdl-in-

c-sharp-code

Scheduling jobs

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Extensions to Automation Services

• Spotfire Automation Services basic sdk

◦ Spotfire SDK intro

http://stn.spotfire.com/stn/Extend/SDKOverview.aspx

• C# extensions

◦ Use Case: using automation services to cache the dxp report on Web

Player server

◦ Need to create AutomationServicesLoadWebPlayer.spk C# extension

by using Spotfire SDK toolkit and Visual Studio.

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USE CASE - Automated update of Spotfire DXP based on

access privileges

1. Requirements

• Create a parametrized information link that feeds data into a Spotfire template according to the end

user’s access privileges.

• Automate the process using automation services.

2. Implementation Details - Parametrized Information Link

The data stored in the database should not be accessible for all end users of the template. The criteria

to limit the data for them is stored in a specific column. By creating an information link with a parameter

in the WHERE clause, the data can be filtered as intended, by feeding the different values to the

parameter as needed.

A parameter can be added to the information link by editing the SQL in the information designer.

Wherever a parameter is needed, a question mark (?) has to be inserted followed with the name of the

parameter using the syntax: “?Param”.

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USE CASE - Automated update of Spotfire DXP based on

access privileges

3. Implementation Details – Automation Services Job XML

Automation services can be used to automate the process of loading the master template, replace a

data table with a parametrized information link, feed the parameter needed and save the resulting

filtered template back in the library with the data embedded. The process of building a job using this

interface, will generate an xml file when saving.

The job needs three steps for each template:

• Open Analysis from Library

• Supply the parameter for the information link using the configuration block in the Job Builder task

• Replace Data Table with Information Link

• Identify the data table to be replaced, then browse to the parametrized information link in the

Spotfire Library

• Save Analysis to Library

• It is critical to identify the desired path to save the analysis to the library as the permissions set in

these folders assist to restrict the access. Marking “embed data in analsysis” will improve

performance for the end users

Questions? Thank you for your time!

Senor Manager, Application Consulting

Margot Goodwin

Margot.Goodwin@PERKINELMER.COM

203.747.6734