Debug Orchestration Features

Debug Orchestrations enables you to track and inspect an orchestration on a step-by-step basis. You can debug an orchestration by setting breakpoints at strategic points throughout the orchestration and testing the orchestration until you find the problem. When you debug an orchestration and encounter a step at which the orchestration fails, you can view the output data, and inspect the live values of the variables used in that particular step.

You can repeatedly run the steps and view the variables of a specific step in an orchestration. By observing specific variables while the orchestration runs, you can isolate where the orchestration begins to fail and what exactly it is doing at that stage.

You can debug an orchestration by clicking the Debug button on the Run Orchestrations page. In the debug mode, the Orchestrator Studio renders a view of an orchestration in which you can set breakpoints. The debug mode also contains the Debug Orchestration panel.

The options available on the Debug Orchestration panel are described in the following table:

Icons

Description

Run/Resume

Runs an orchestration until completion unless you set up breakpoints.

If you set breakpoints, this option executes an orchestration till the breakpoint is reached or resumes a suspended orchestration.

Step Forward

Executes the orchestration one step at a time. When a step has been executed successfully, a green check mark appears on the step.

Stop Orchestration

Stops the execution of an orchestration.

Show/Hide Orchestration Inputs

Shows or hides the dialog box to enter or edit the initial orchestration inputs.

Clear All Breakpoints

Removes all the breakpoints that you have set for the orchestration in the debug mode.

Quit Debugging

Exits Debug Orchestrations.

For each step, the Debug Orchestration panel displays the following information:

Data

The Data tab displays all the available data that the orchestration consumes and generates, which includes the data that the orchestration consumes from a step. This tab displays the following information:

  • Step Variables. Displays all the variables created by the steps that have been executed. Variables from steps are added to the top of the list, so the most recent variables are shown at the top. Variables of single values like strings and numbers can be changed before resuming the orchestration. Variables containing arrays or JSON objects are read only.

  • Orchestration Inputs. Displays the values for inputs that were defined initially to start the orchestration.

  • Debug Overrides (Release 9.2.5). Displays the number of records to debug. Currently, the only override field is Debug Max Records and it displays the number of records to fetch from a Data Request or a Form Request grid while debugging. The default value is 10 and hence the system returns 10 records by default when you debug.

  • System Values. Displays the values for the default inputs: User Address Book Number, User Name, System Date, and Orchestration Input. The values for these inputs represent the originator of the orchestration when executed at runtime. The system values are not editable as these are fixed for an orchestration.

  • History. Displays a record of the values for a variable that is overwritten. For each overwritten variable, click the History icon displayed in its row. The History dialog box lists the orchestration steps where the specific variable is used along with the values. Similarly, the Output tab displays the history of the overwritten output values. (Release 9.2.4.4) The values and the history of inputs and variables are also available during the debug. You can also view the number of times the inputs and variables were changed after the orchestration started.

Last Step

Displays the outputs generated from the previous step that was executed in the orchestration.

(Release 9.2.4.4) You can click the Raw Output button to view the complete response of the step in the JSON format.

Output

Displays the accumulative output generated for all the steps in the orchestration until the breakpoint.

Setting Breakpoints

Breakpoints enable you to define where or when to halt the execution of an orchestration. You use breakpoints to run the orchestration until it reaches a certain step.

In the debug mode, a blue circle appears to the right of the step in the orchestration flow. You can set a breakpoint by clicking either the blue circle or the step in the orchestration flow. A blue dot appears next to the orchestration step indicating that the breakpoint has been set.

If you set a breakpoint and click the Run/Resume icon on the Debug Orchestrations panel, the orchestration runs until it encounters that step. To continue execution after the breakpoint, you can use the Run/Resume or Step Forward icons on the Debug Orchestrations panel.