Workflow file

The schema-companion to the Workflows & scheduling task guide. This page is the generated field list.

At a glance

Purpose : An ordered list of activities — the recipe that runs modules (and nested workflows) in sequence. Governs the forecasting lifecycle.

Folder : Config/WorkflowFiles/

Root element : <workflow> (version required, not fixed — 1.1 is conventional)

Referenced by : A WorkflowDescriptor (to be offered/scheduled).

Minimal example

Config/WorkflowFiles/ImportObserved 1.00 default.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<workflow xmlns="http://www.wldelft.nl/fews" version="1.1">
  <activity>
    <runIndependent>true</runIndependent>
    <moduleInstanceId>ImportObservations</moduleInstanceId>
  </activity>
</workflow>

Tip

<activity> elements are direct children of <workflow> (no <sequence> wrapper). Each runs a module via <moduleInstanceId> or nests a workflow via <workflowId>. A module instance may appear only once across a workflow (including nested). See the task guide.

Field reference

Auto-generated from workflow.xsd. Descriptions are the schema's own annotations.

Element <workflow>

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
version	required

Elements

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
properties	WorkflowPropertiesComplexType	optional	These properties can be referenced in nested workflow files and module config file with $key$, similar to global properties. These properties are overruling the properties defined at a higher level. The property $MODULE_INSTANCE_ID$ is added automatically and should not be added manually.
activity	ActivityComplexType	required
parallel	ParallelComplexType	required	Runs multiple activities at the same time
sequence	SequenceComplexType	required	Runs multiple activities in one by one. Allow you to group activities and to apply properties to all activities in the sequence.
completed	CompletedComplexType	required	Mark one or module instances as completed for the running workflow. The module instances become read-only for the rest of the workflow. When auto approve is configured for the workflow the simulated database becomes visible for other workflows and users before the complete workflow completes. The workflow can continue on a different forecasting shell if needed. See deleteTemporary if you want to transfer temporary data to the next partition forecasting shell
deleteTemporary	DeleteTemporaryComplexType	required	Explicit deletes temporary series. At the end workflow partition or the end of the workflow temporary series are automatically deleted. Deleting specified module instances earlier prevents the temporary series are flushed to disk for no use when they are still in the memory buffer. Time series that are explicitly deleted in another workflow partition then the partition were they were created are always flushed to the database. This makes it possible to use temporary time series even when the workflows continues on a different forecasting shell. When the workflow terminates or completes all temporary series for the run are deleted from the database

WorkflowPropertiesComplexType

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
description	string	optional	Optional description (this is never used in the code).
string	StringPropertyComplexType	required
int	IntPropertyComplexType	required
float	FloatPropertyComplexType	required
double	DoublePropertyComplexType	required	Since 2014.01
bool	BoolPropertyComplexType	required
dateTime	DateTimePropertyComplexType	required	Since 2014.01
locationAttribute	LocationAttributePropertyComplexType	required
loopLocationAttribute	LoopLocationPropertyComplexType	required
qualifierAttribute	QualifierAttributePropertyComplexType	required
parameterAttribute	ParameterAttributePropertyComplexType	required
moduleInstanceAttribute	ModuleInstanceAttributePropertyComplexType	required
activityModuleInstanceAttribute	ActivityModuleInstancePropertyComplexType	required

ActivityComplexType

Defines an activity of a workflow. Activities are executed in the same order as defined in the workflow XML file.

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
logStartedAsDebug	optional	default: false. Since 2014.03 FEWS-11844 Log info messages for start of an activity as debug
logFinishedAsDebug	optional	default: false. Since 2014.03 FEWS-11844 Log info messages for finish of an activity as debug

Elements

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
properties	WorkflowPropertiesComplexType	optional	These properties can be referenced in nested workflow files and module config file with $key$, similar to global properties. These properties are overruling the properties defined at a higher level. The property $MODULE_INSTANCE_ID$ is added automatically and should not be added manually.
runIndependent	boolean	optional	If present, the workflow will continue with the next activity even if this activity fails. The default is to stop with the workflow as soon as an activity fails.
downloadMissingStatesFromArchive	boolean	optional	Since 2024.01. If this option is set to true the missing states will be downloaded from the archive if the states were expired from FEWS.
fallbackActivity	ActivityComplexType	optional	Fallback activity to execute in case the activity fails. The fallback activity is optional.
ensemble	EnsembleComplexType	optional	Optional field for running ensembles. Ensemble id's in a sub workflow will override this ensembleId. A sub workflow without an ensembleId will make use of this ensembleId.
description	string	optional	Available since 2019.02. Text will be displayed in workflow navigator as a mouse over label
downloadMissingDataFromArchive	boolean	required	Since 2017.02. If this option is set to true the data will be downloaded from the archive if the data is expired from FEWS.
downloadMissingDataFromArchiveForManualTasksOnly	boolean	optional	Since 2024.02. Toggle that limits the scope of the downloadMissingDataFromArchive boolean to manual tasks.
loopLocationSetId	idStringType	required	Since 2015.01 FEWS-11030. Location set containing all locations for which the activity must be ran, refer to these locations by using $LOOP_LOCATION_ID$. Not supported in combination with Run in Ensemble loop
skipNonExistingLoopLocationSet	boolean	optional	Since 2021.01, skip the activity when the location set does not exist
workflowId	idStringType	required	Workflow file name to run
defaultFlagSource	string	optional	Flag source that is used for non missing values without flag source
flagSourceColumnId	idStringType	optional	The flag sources are also written to the specified flag source column
moduleInstanceId	idStringType	required	Defines the id to the module instance to run for this activity. Each module instance may occur only once in a workflow (including nested workflows).
moduleConfigFileName	idStringType	optional	Defines the config file that should be used. By default the config file name equals the module instance id. Multiple module instances can share the same config file by using properties. The config file is used as template and the $key$ are replaced by the property values. The xml file should use one of the following xsd-s: amalgamateModule.xsd (obsolete), archiveRun.xsd (Deprecated and obsolete since 2013.02), configUpdateScriptConfig.xsd, correlationSets.xsd, decisionModule.xsd, errorModelSets.xsd, exportArchiveModule.xsd, exportRun.xsd, forecastLengthEstimator.xsd, generalAdapterRun.xsd, hymosTransferDbImportRun.xsd (obsolete), importAmalgamate.xsd, importArchiveModule.xsd, importRun.xsd (obsolete), interpolationSets.xsd (obsolete), lookupSets.xsd, massBalance.xsd, pcrTransformationSets.xsd, performanceIndicatorSets.xsd, rdbmsExport.xsd (obsolete), reportExport.xsd, reports.xsd, scenarios.xsd, secondaryValidation.xsd, supportStationSets.xsd, timeSeriesExportRun.xsd, timeSeriesImportRun.xsd, transformationModule.xsd, transformationSets.xsd (obsolete), workflowLoopRunner.xsd
predefinedActivity	predefinedActivity	required	Some activities don't require a config file and module instance One of: threshold event crossing, compact cache files, validate cache files, repair and defrag local data store, time series status snap shot update, import status checker, revalidation module
moduleInstanceId	idStringType	optional	Use to record the progress of this activity while running. See "updateModuleRunTimesOnCompletion" in the module instance descriptors.
enable	booleanStringType	required	Since 2024.01. Plain eg $ENABLE_EXPORT$
enabled	EnabledComplexType	required	Since 2017.02. If this option is present and the location attribute, specified with attributeId, has value FALSE, then the activity will be excluded from the workflow run

ParallelComplexType

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
properties	WorkflowPropertiesComplexType	optional	These properties can be referenced in nested workflow files and module config file with $key$, similar to global properties. These properties are overruling the properties defined at a higher level. The property $MODULE_INSTANCE_ID$ is added automatically and should not be added manually.
multipleForecastingShells	boolean	optional	Run on multiple forecasting shells
activity	ActivityComplexType	required
sequence	SequenceComplexType	required	Runs activities one by one
forecastingShellCount	twoOrMoreIntStringType	required	Run on multiple forecasting shells. Only allowed when all sub tasks are ensemble loops or location loops. Since 2024.01 this element can reference a (global) property. This element should not reference a task or what-if property. The encoded partition sequences are only re-generated after a config change. The generation is done on a random forecasting-shell. All forecasting shells should use the same global property value referenced by this element.

SequenceComplexType

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
properties	WorkflowPropertiesComplexType	optional	These properties can be referenced in nested workflow files and module config file with $key$, similar to global properties. These properties are overruling the properties defined at a higher level. The property $MODULE_INSTANCE_ID$ is added automatically and should not be added manually.
activity	ActivityComplexType	required
parallel	ParallelComplexType	required
completed	CompletedComplexType	required	Mark one or module instances as completed for the running workflow. The module instances become read-only for the rest of the workflow. When auto approve is configured for the workflow the simulated database becomes visible for other workflows and users before the complete workflow completes. The workflow can continue on a different forecasting shell if needed. See deleteTemporary if you want to transfer temporary data to the next partition forecasting shell.
deleteTemporary	DeleteTemporaryComplexType	required	Explicit deletes temporary series. At the end workflow partition or the end of the workflow temporary series are automatically deleted. Deleting specified module instances earlier prevents the temporary series are flushed to disk for no use when they are still in the memory buffer. Time series that are explicitly deleted in another workflow partition then the partition were they were created are always flushed to the database. This makes it possible to use temporary time series even when the workflows continues on a different forecasting shell. When the workflow terminates or completes all temporary series for the run are deleted from the database

CompletedComplexType

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
moduleInstanceId	idStringType	required · repeats
moduleInstanceSetId	idStringType	required
moduleInstanceIdPattern	nonEmptyStringType	optional · repeats	Since 2015.01. * and ? are allowed in the pattern

DeleteTemporaryComplexType

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
moduleInstanceId	idStringType	required · repeats
moduleInstanceSetId	idStringType	required
moduleInstanceIdPattern	nonEmptyStringType	optional · repeats	Since 2015.01. * and ? are allowed in the pattern

StringPropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
value	required

Elements

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
description	string	optional	Optional description (this is never used in the code).

IntPropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
value	required

Elements

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
description	string	optional	Optional description (this is never used in the code).

FloatPropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
value	required

Elements

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
description	string	optional	Optional description (this is never used in the code).

DoublePropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
value	required

Elements

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
description	string	optional	Optional description (this is never used in the code).

BoolPropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
value	required

Elements

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
description	string	optional	Optional description (this is never used in the code).

DateTimePropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
date	required
time	required

Elements

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
description	string	optional

LocationAttributePropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
locationId	required
attributeId	required

LoopLocationPropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
locationRelationId	optional
attributeId	required
defaultValue	optional

QualifierAttributePropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
qualifierId	required
attributeId	required

ParameterAttributePropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
parameterId	required
attributeId	required

ModuleInstanceAttributePropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
moduleInstanceId	required
attributeId	required

ActivityModuleInstancePropertyComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
key	required
attributeId	required

EnsembleComplexType

Defines ensemble

Element	Type	Cardinality	Description
ensembleId	idStringType	required	Id of ensemble. Ensemble id's in a sub workflow will override this ensembleId. A sub workflow without an ensembleId will make use of this ensembleId.
runInLoop	boolean	required	When 'true' then run each member of the ensemble separately. When 'false' then whole ensemble is run in one go.
ensembleMemberId	string	required	Since 2018.01 (in older versions use ensembleMemberIdRegularExpression instead). Optional field to only run one particular ensemble member
ensembleMemberIndex	nonNegativeInteger	required	Optional field to only run one particular ensemble member
ensembleMemberIndexRange	EnsembleMemberIndexRangeComplexType	required	Optional field to run a particular range of ensemble members
ensembleMemberIdRegularExpression	nonEmptyStringType	required	Runs all members which id matches the specified expression e.g specify ^Q.* to loop over all members that start with Q

EnabledComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
locationId	required	Id of the location the workflow looks at to determine whether the activity should be excluded or not. The location should have attribute referenced with attributeId
attributeId	required	Id of the boolean attribute. If this attribute has value False then the activity will be excluded from the workflow run

EnsembleMemberIndexRangeComplexType

Attributes

Attribute	Use	Notes
start	required
end	optional

See also

• Task guide: Workflows & scheduling
• Reference: Workflow descriptors file
• Schema: workflow.xsd