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Runner Tool Icon Runner Tool

Use Runner to run an Alteryx workflow, app, or macro to determine if it runs successfully, or if it contains errors. If the workflow, app, or macro runs without errors, Runner outputs information to the Success (S) output. If the workflow, app, or macro runs with errors, Runner outputs information to the Failure (F) output.

Tip

This tool is not automatically installed with Alteryx Designer. To use this tool, download it from the Alteryx Community.

Runner Support

The Runner tool is supported by Alteryx for use with Alteryx Designer only. Runner is not supported when used on Alteryx Server and Alteryx Designer + Scheduler.

Installation

Warning

Runner can cause performance issues with your Alteryx Server environment. On Server, the Runner tool…

  • Opens processes outside of the normal Schedule queue.

  • Bypasses the configuration Workflows allowed to run simultaneously.

  • Bypasses the configuration Cancel jobs running longer than (seconds).

Follow these steps to install the Runner tool:

  1. Go to the Alteryx Community page.

  2. Download the tool. It will download as a YXZP file.

  3. In Alteryx Designer, open the YXZP (File > Open Workflow > Browse or drag the YXZP onto the canvas.)

  4. On the Package Import modal, select Yes.

  5. On the Import Workflow Package modal, set the Destination Directory as one of these Tools folders. You might need to create these folders if they don’t already exist.

    • Admin: C:\ProgramData\Alteryx\Tools

    • Non-Admin: C:\Users\[yourUserName]\AppData\Roaming\Alteryx\Tools

  6. Select Import.

  7. Override existing files if necessary.

  8. Rename or delete the original Runner macro if you already have CReW Macros installed.

  9. On the Workflow Import Progress modal, select Yes. There might be 1 error notice.

  10. On the Workflow Dependencies modal, select OK.

    • AlteryxRunner.exe should be Green and imported correctly.

    • %temp%\out.txt is ok to show as an error.

The Runner tool is now installed and you can find it under the Developer category in the Designer tool palette.

Tool Components

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The Runner tool has 2 anchors:

  • S (Success) output anchor: The Success anchor outputs information when the selected workflow, app, or macro runs without errors.

  • F (Failure) output anchor: The Failure anchor outputs information when the selected workflow, app, or macro runs with errors.

Configure the Tool

In the Configuration window, use the folder icon to select the workflow, macro, or app that you want to run with the Runner tool. Run your workflow and view the results in the Results window.

Runner Output

Review the Runner tool output via the Results window.

  • If your workflow ran successfully, Runner displays results via the S (Success) anchor.

  • If your workflow ran with errors, Runner displays results via the F (Failure) anchor.

The results include this information about the workflow that was run through the Runner tool:

  • Module: The name of the workflow, macro, or app.

  • Result: The status of the workflow (Succeeded or Failed.)

  • Errors: The number of errors in the workflow.

  • FieldConversionErrors: The number of field conversion errors in the workflow.

  • Warnings: The number of warnings in the workflow.

  • Time: The time (in seconds) that the workflow took to run.

  • Log: The version of Alteryx Designer.

  • ModuleFullPath: The full file path of the workflow.

Limitations

  • The Runner tool is not currently supported on Japanese and Simplified Chinese versions of Alteryx Designer.

  • The Runner tool does not currently support workflows that contain Multi Byte Character Set (MBCS) characters in the workflow name and the Input Data file name.

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