Setting Up the Action Framework

This chapter provides overviews of the action framework, action types, and how actions execute and discusses how to register action types and action bundles.

Understanding the Action Framework

The action framework enables users to specify the actions to be executed when policy conditions evaluate to true within a trigger point.

Architecture of the Action Framework

The architecture of the action framework comprises:

• An action type registration component for creating and maintaining action types by programmers and IT staff. An action type is metadata pertaining to a particular class of actions that might be performed at runtime.

• An action type bundle registration component for creating and maintaining action type bundles, or classes of actions that can be combined. An action type can be in only one action type bundle.

  Note. In this release, if other display action types are created by a PeopleSoft product line, they must be combinable with the delivered display alert action type and must be registered in the display action type bundle.

• A design-time environment facilitating the embedding and configuring of consequent actions within policies.

• A runtime environment that enables the decision engine to invoke particular actions as needed.

• A generic display alert action type, which is available to all product lines using the framework. It can be used to display important information about a customer or a suggestion for a course of action. For example, if a high-value customer calls on the phone, a pop-up window appears with an alert and a suggestion that the phone connection be routed to a manager.

Understanding Action Types

An action type refers to a category of actions that can be associated with a policy. For use in the framework, an action type must be registered with the following information:

• Location of the code that handles the design-time and runtime aspects of the action type.

• Configuration requirements.

  When adding actions of specific action type to a policy, policy-specific configuration requirements must be set before the policy can be enacted.

• Whether actions of an action type terminate the analytic processing.

  For example, if the action is a transfer from an application page to another page, the action terminates the framework processing that was triggered by a trigger point associated with the original page.

  Note. A terminal action type is not combinable.

• Whether the action can be combined with other actions at runtime. Such an action is referred to as a combinable action.

  For example, the display alert action type can be combinable; therefore, when two display alert actions are specified, they are combined, and a single window appears that includes both alerts.

• Whether the action is part of an action bundle.

  If actions of different action types are combinable with each other, the action types must be included in an action type bundle. Consequently, if combinable action types are not combinable with certain other action types, then the action type does not need to be part of an action type bundle.

• Triggering environment—where the action can be deployed.

  For example, the display alert action executes only from an application page, not from an Application Engine program.

• The trigger types and trigger points that include the action type as a valid action type.

  For example, you may want an action to be valid for a ComponentPostBuild trigger type, specifically the When a Customer is Presented trigger point, associated with this trigger type.

Understanding How Actions Execute

After the framework evaluates conditions for all a trigger point's policies, the actions associated with the policies having true conditions are forwarded to the action framework. The action framework is responsible for firing the actions.

Only one terminal action can be fired for any trigger point. Because a trigger point may be associated with one or more policies, and each policy may include more than one action, more than one terminal action might be associated with a trigger point. In this case, the first terminal action in the first policy that evaluates to true is executed. If present, a terminal action fires after executing all the nonterminal actions.

Individual action types determine how actions can be combined. Some action types, such as the display alert, combine all their actions from the same trigger point. Therefore, at runtime all the display items appear in the same pop-up window.

Note. For display actions to execute, pop-up blockers must be turned off.

An action that is not combinable will not affect the execution of another action.

Registering Action Types and Action Type Bundles

This section discusses how to:

• Register action types.

• Register action type bundles.

Pages Used to Register Action Types and Action Type Bundles

Registering Action Types

Access the Register Action Type page (Enterprise Components, Active Analytics Framework, Action Framework, Register Action Type).

Use the Register Action Type (EOCF_ACTN_TYPE_REG) page to register an action type.

Action Type Name	The name of a class of similar actions.
DesignTime Action Behavior	Specify the design time details of the action type. When you add actions of this action type in a policy, these design time specifications are used to present the action type configuration page and store the configuration.
RunTime Action Behavior	Specify the runtime details of the action type. The application class details specified here are executed at runtime to trigger actions of this type.
Triggering Environment	Specify the triggering environments to be supported for this action type.

Registering Action Type Triggers

Access the Action Type Triggers page (Enterprise Components, Active Analytics Framework, Action Framework, Register Action Type, Action Type Triggers).

Use the Action Type Triggers (EOCF_ACT_TYP_EVNTS) page to specify the action type triggers.

Select the appropriate check boxes to associate this action type with listed trigger types and trigger points.

• Selecting a trigger type makes this action type available for the selected trigger type.

• One or more trigger points can be selected only if the corresponding trigger type is selected.

Registering Action Type Bundles

Access the Register Action Type Bundle page (Enterprise Components, Active Analytics Framework, Action Framework, Register Action Type Bundle).

Use the Register Action Type Bundle (EOCF_ACTION_BUNDLE) page to define the bundles of combinable action types.

Enter a name and description for this action type bundle. Select the action types that can be combined from the drop-down list box in each row.