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• The Fork Instruction is offered to fork and to join orders to enable parallel processing in a workflow.
• The Fork Instruction allows to create a number of parallel branches that process any further instructions and jobs.
  
  • Branches can include any number of instructions and jobs.
  • The max. number of parallel branches is limited to 15.
• When an order enters a Fork Instruction then a child order is created for each branch. Each child order will pass the nodes in its branch independently of parallel child orders.
• Child orders can return results to parent orders by passing variables.
• While child orders are running, the parent order waits for its child orders to be completed, i.e. to arrive at the Join Instruction. The parent order therefore is assigned the WAITING state, see JS7 - Order State Transitions.
• The following options apply to error handling with child orders:
  
  • Default: If a job in a child order's branch fails then the child order is assigned the FAILED state. Such child orders require user intervention to resume execution. When resuming a child order then it can restart from the same or from any previous or later node in the child order's branch. This includes the option to move a child order to the branch end.
    • Note that resuming a child order from its branch end will not modify its FAILED state that is adopted by the parent order.
    • Users who want to force successful execution of a failed child order should resume the child order from a job node that is executed successfully.
  • If a job in a child order's branch fails then the child order terminates immediately and the parent order is put to the FAILED state. This behavior can be activated by use of the Join if Failed flag of the Fork Instruction.
• Child orders cannot be cancelled as they are required to pass the Join Instruction. Should child orders not be intended to pass the remaining instructions in a branch then a user can resume failed child orders from the Join Instruction.
Consider that child orders can take the role of parent orders in nested Fork Instructions.

Feature Video

This video explains how to create parallel jobs in a workflow that can be nested and joined.

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• Each branch of a Fork Instruction allows to specify a pair of names and values for variables that are passed to the parent order:
  • For the parent order a variable with the given name and value is created.
  • Variable names have to be unique across branches, i.e. no two branches can return the same variable names.
  • Users are free to choose variable names for the parent order and to assign variable values of the child order or constant values.
• The Join Instruction adds any variables declared with branches to the parent order.

Error Handling

Consider that child orders can take the role of parent orders in nested Fork Instructions.

Job Errors

Parent orders are not exposed to job errors as any instructions and jobs within the Fork Instruction are executed by child orders. Instead a parent order adopts the final state of its child orders.

• If all child orders are completed successfully then the parent order will proceed with the next instruction following the Fork Instruction.
• If one or more child orders leave their branch with a FAILED state then the parent order will adopt this state and will remain with the Fork Instruction.

The following options apply to error handling with child orders:

• Default behavior: If a job in a child order's branch fails then the child order is assigned the FAILED state and remains with the offending job node. Such child orders require user intervention to resume execution. When resuming a child order then it can restart from the same or from any previous or later node in the child order's branch. This includes the option to move a child order to the branch end.
  • Note that resuming a child order from its branch end will not modify its FAILED state that is adopted by the parent order.
• Optional behavior: If a job in a child order's branch fails then the child order terminates immediately and the parent order is put to the FAILED state. This behavior can be activated by use of the Join if Failed flag of the Fork Instruction.

User Intervention

Parent Order Interventions

While child orders are running, the parent order waits for its child orders to be completed, i.e. to arrive at the Join Instruction. The parent order therefore is assigned the WAITING state, see JS7 - Order State Transitions.

• If the parent order is suspended then child orders will continue to run. After joining child orders in the Join Instruction the parent order is put in a SUSPENDED state with the node following the Fork / Join Instruction.
• If the parent order is cancelled then child orders will continue to run. After joining child orders in the Join Instruction the parent order's cancellation will become effective and it will leave the workflow with a FAILED history state. 

Suspending / Cancelling Child Orders

Child orders can individually be suspended or cancelled:

• If a child order is suspended then it is put to the SUSPENDED state. As a result the child order stops with the next node and remains in this state until being later on resumed or cancelled.
• Child orders cannot be cancelled as they are required to pass the Join Instruction. Should child orders not be intended to pass the remaining instructions in a branch then a user can resume failed child orders from the Join Instruction.
• Consider that child orders can take the role of parent orders in nested Fork Instructions.

Consider that any operation to suspend or to cancel child orders work asynchronously as the jobs that are executed for child orders could be used with Agents on different servers. Therefore any bulk operation to suspend/cancel all child orders boil down to an individual operation and result per child order.

Resuming Child Orders

Child orders can be resumed if they are in a SUSPENDED or FAILED state.

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• Child orders can be resumed from the current node.
• Child orders can be resumed from any previous or later node within their branch.
  • For example, the child order can dragged & dropped to one of the nodes within its branch:
    
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  • Child orders cannot be resumed from nodes in nested instructions configured with the branch and they cannot be resumed to a node outside of the branch.
  • Child orders can be resumed to the end of the branch, indicating that no further instructions and jobs in the branch should be executed.
    • For example, the child order can be dragged & dropped to the Join node of the Fork Instruction.
      
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    • In this situation the child order is assigned its previous execution state being successful or failed.
    • For example, a FAILED child order that is resumed from the end of its branch remains in this state and forwards the FAILED state to its parent order.
    • Users who want to force successful execution of a failed child order should resume the child order from a job node that is executed successfully.