This section aims to introduce all the terms and concepts you may encounter when working with the Bosbec platform.
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- Data log
- The data log is an alternative to metadata for storing data. If you need to keep track of changes to data over time, the data log is a better option, as metadata is limited to storing a current value on each key and will not save historical data.
The data log consists of the datalog document and datalog items. The datalog document contains information on the log series and the key used to address a specific data log item.
A datalog item is added to the data log document every time we want to add something new to the log. The value is saved together with a timestamp of when it was created (and can be described by metadata).
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- Groups
- Groups are often a collection of units grouped based on intended use. For example, they can be used to send a message to a number of recipients at once or collect time slots or products and present them in a list. What the group represents is influenced by how the saved units are used.
Groups can be static, where units are manually added and removed (in the admin or via a workflow), or dynamic. A dynamic group automatically groups all units with a specific tag and keeps them in sync.
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- Jobs
- Jobs are the Workflow Engine’s building blocks, and each is designed to solve a specific, smaller task or operate on the resources and data available in the current workflow context. The jobs can then be chained together to form a more complex workflow to solve the task at hand.
Jobs will continue to evolve as the WE platform grows and matures. This means that new jobs are added as the need arises, some jobs are rebuilt in new and more efficient ways, or entirely new jobs are created to replace the older versions.
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- Metadata
- Metadata is a fundamental concept that you need to understand to build solutions in Bosbec WE. With metadata, we can store extra information about an object or resource we work with. This information can be stored on all resources, workflows, jobs, and triggers and accessed during workflow execution by searching for the metadata key.
Metadata consists of a key and a value. The key is the identifier of the metadata, and the value is the actual data, i.e., if the key is “email,” we might find “support@bosbec.com” in the value.
Metadata can be stored temporarily in a workflow context or more permanently on a resource.
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- Temporary Group
- The temporary group is available and used in a workflow context. It is, as the name implies, a temporary group that can be used to hold units during the workflow execution when the group doesn’t need to be stored permanently on the account.
- Triggers
- Triggers are the starting points of any workflow and are required for the Workflow Engine to run. When the configured conditions are met, the workflow and the connected jobs will trigger in order.
Some triggers provide unique data useful for specific types of processes when executing a workflow. For example, the Form Answered Trigger would save the Form Answer in the workflow context and make this available for this specific execution of the workflow. The Message Triggers will make information about the incoming message available, and the HTTP Trigger will provide an HTTP resource.
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- Units
- Units are data storage entities where data is primarily stored in metadata with unique keys (key/value). They are used to create a model for a person, a location, or more abstract entities such as activities or time slots. We store data on units to represent these individual entities and make them searchable and groupable.
In addition to metadata, channels can also be stored on a unit. Channels are contact information, for example, phone numbers or email addresses, for the person, department, or any other concept the unit may represent.
For alternative data storage, see files or data log.
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- Workflow Context
- The Workflow Context (WFC) is the current state and the resources and data available during workflow execution. When a job creates, manipulates, or loads metadata or resources, it does so only in the current WFC.
Anything stored in the WFC is only available in that execution and will be lost once done if not stored more permanently, for example, on a unit, a data log item, or in the file library.
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