Form Expiration and Auto Resume

Overview

The Expiration and Auto Resume Form properties allow flows to be suspended, tasked for continuation, and automatically resolved with specified Flow outcomes. 

To define an expiration or auto-resumption delay for a Form, in the Flow Designer, go to the Properties panel and configure the Form's expiration in the Auto Resume section auto-resumption settings.

Configuring Form Timeout

A Form's timeout setting, the Keep Active Time Span setting, resides in the Properties of its parent Flow accessible via the Flow Designer. InSession Forms timeout after thirty minutes of inactivity by default but this may be further configured.

Example

This example Flow will consist of a Form with an auto-resume delay of 10 seconds and an auto-resume expiration of 20 seconds. If a user opens a Form but remains idle for a period of 10 seconds, the Form will be assigned to the current user to be completed later. If the resulting Assignment is not handled within another 20 seconds, the time period to auto-resume will expire, and the Flow will be completed along its sole outcome path.

1. In a Designer Folder, click CREATE FLOW from the bottom action panel.
2. In the Create Flow window, enter a name for the Flow and click CREATE.
3. In the Flow Designer's Steps panel, drag and drop a Show Form step to the workspace.
4.  In the Properties panel of the Show Form step, click Pick or Create Form.
5. In the Create or Pick window, select the Form that was created earlier.
6. Connect the outcome paths in the Flow.
   
7. In the Properties panel of the Show Form step, locate the Auto Resume section and select the Make Auto Resume checkbox. When this checkbox is selected, additional options display below it.
8. Under the Make Auto Resume Delaysection, find controls for configuring the duration and type of delay which will produce an auto-resume save point.
   When a user opens a Form but remains idle for the duration set here, the system creates a message on the user's My Home page, in this user's Tasks list. This message serves to remind the user that the Form needs completion, and provides a link to resume working on the Form from where the user left off.
9. For this example, in the Make Auto Resume Delay section, select the Constant input mapping type. 
10. In the Value section, enter "10" in the Seconds field.
11. Next, set options for the auto-resume expiration to determine how the platform will handle this flow when the auto-resume period of 20 seconds has expired.
12. In the Expiration section, click the Auto Resume Expires checkbox. When this checkbox is selected, additional options display below it. Additionally, a new path appears on the Form component in the workspace: Auto Resume Timeout.
13. For our example, in the Expiration section, in the Mapping Type drop-down list, select Constant. In the Value section, enter "20" in the Seconds field. This configuration allows the user 20 seconds to complete the Form.
14. In the Expire Type drop-down list, select an option that determines the result when the auto-resume duration expires. Leave the default value, FollowOutcomePath, indicating that an expired Form will automatically follow the selected outcome path in the Flow.
15. Connect the Auto Resume Timeout outcome path to the End step.
16. Save and Close the Flow Designer.

Debug

1. In the Designer Folder, locate the new Flow and right-click to open the action menu. Click Run Flow.
2. After the Form has been idle for 10 seconds, a notification that the Form has been assigned. If the Form is not complete and submitted in 20 seconds, the Form's auto-resume expiration will expire. The Flow will then follow the Auto Resume Timeout path to the End step, completing the Flow.
3. Navigate to the Inbox in the Design Studio; when the Flow is complete, the Assignment will be removed from the Inbox.