Using Resources to distribute the load
Resources are a way of restricting processes to run on process servers that have certain facilities available. Process definitions can optionally require a resource, when they have, they are forced to run on a process server that offers that resource. Such process definitions will only run on a process server that provides that resource. Process servers may provide one or more resources.
Resources are part of the Definitions section in the navigation bar. There are no standard resources provided with Redwood Server
Resources support the basic actions of New, Edit, Delete, and Refresh.
Context-Menu
Resources support the following context-menu actions:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit Security | Edit the security of the resource |
| Duplicate | Make a copy of the resource to create a similar one |
| Delete | Delete the resource |
| Export > Export | Export the resource into a CAR file |
| Export > Export with related objects | Export the resource into a CAR file including referenced objects |
| Promote > Promote to system | Promote the object to a remote system |
| Promote > Edit further then promote | Edit the export rule set prior to promoting |
| Promote | Promote the resource to another Redwood Server instance |
| Edit | Edit the resource |
| Show permalinks | Show links that can be used from third party applications to link to the object |
| Add to navigation bar | Add the current object to the navigation bar |
| New resource | Create a new resource |
| Filter > New Filter | Create a new resource filter |
| Filter > Edit Filter | Edit current resource filter |
| Filter > Delete | Delete current resource filter |
| Filter > Duplicate Filter | Create a copy of the filter |
| Filter > Export Filter | Export the filter into a CAR file |
| Filter > Add to navigation bar | Add the filter to a navigation bar |
| Filter > Create filter from search | Create a filter from the current IntelliSearch query |
Finding Resources
You can search for resources using filters and the Search Resources box on the Resources tab. This box is known as the IntelliSearch box and located under your username on the top right-hand side of the user interface. Filters allow you to specify a list of objects with static criteria. IntelliSearch allows you to specify complex queries in a simple way using prefixes. Prefixes are used to specify which property you are searching in and have short as well as long syntaxes. For example, if you want to display all resources with the term production in the Documentation field, you would use the search criteria as follows:
c:production
You can search more than one property, as follows:
c:production n:Bi
note
No spaces should be entered before or after the colon (: ).
See the Advanced Object Search for more information.
The following table illustrates the available prefixes for resources:
| Prefixes | Description |
|---|---|
| n, name | searches the name property. |
| c, comm, comment | searches the documentation property. |
| d, desc, description | searches the description property. |
| a, application | searches the application property. |
| cb, changedbefore | (internal) search for resources that changed before a certain ISO-8601 period |
Deleting Resources
You can only delete resources when no other objects relate to them. For example, if there are still processes or process definitions that reference the resource, the resource cannot be deleted until all references have been deleted. You can see all references to the resource in Related Objects in the lower detail pane and on the show page. Resources used by process servers are shown in the Process Server Resources table.
The table in related objects contains three columns:
- Type - the type of object, like Process Definition for a process definition with a link to it
- Related Object - the name of the object with a link to it
- Used As - objects can sometimes be used as different object types
For example, resources that are used in process definitions, will have the call-reference in Related Objects. The type will be Process Definition, for example and the Related Object will be the name of the process definition.
note
When a process definition is displayed with a timestamp in the name, this indicates that there still is a process that refers to the resource. You might have changed the Process Definition, but as long as that process is in the system you will not be able to delete the resource.
Security
| Privilege | Description |
|---|---|
| Resource.Create | Create resources |
| Resource.Delete | Delete resources |
| Resource.Edit | Edit resources |
| Resource.View | Access resources |
You can grant privileges on two levels, Access and Admin; a privilege granted on Admin level allows the grantee to grant the privilege to other users. These privileges can be granted per partition or system-wide.
The Security tab allows you to specify which users can access, edit, and delete the resource.
Procedure
- Choose "Definitions > Resources".
- Choose Refresh to see all existing resources.
- Choose New Resource to create a resource.
- Fill in the details, refer to the section below.
- Choose Save and Close to save the resource.
Resource
- Name - The name of the resource.
- Application - The name of the application used to group this object.
- Description - An optional description of the resource.
Documentation
- Documentation - An optional comment about the resource.
Resource Providers
- Process Server - The name of the process server that will provide the resource.
Example
- Choose "Definitions > Resources" in the Navigation bar.
- Choose New Resource from the context-menu and fill in the values below.
- Choose the Resource Providers tab.
- Choose the Add button and select a process server that will provide this resource.
- Choose Save and Close to save the new resource.
Name: PRINTER
Description: Printer resource
Documentation: Process servers that provide this resource have a printer available.