Using Automation Manager

Automation Manager opens in a separate window from N-able N-central and provides a quick and easy drag-and-drop interface for working with Automation Policies.

The following instructions include examples provided to the right of each step to demonstrate how Automation Manager is used.

Procedural Instructions Example/Notes
  1. Sign in to N-able N-central.
  
  1. In the navigation pane, click Actions > Start Automation Manager.
  
  1. In the Automation Manager interface, click File > New.

You can also click New Policy... in the main content pane or the icon in the toolbar.
  1. In the New Policy window, type a Name to be used to identify the new Policy.

CheckForFolder

  1. Type a Description to provide more information about the Policy.

This policy checks for a specific folder with the name provided by user input. If the folder does not exist, the policy will create the user-specified folder.

  1. Click OK.
  
  1. From the object list pane on the right side of the Automation Manager UI, click the name of an Automation Object that you want to insert into the new Policy.

Folder Exists under Conditionals

You can also use the Search text field at the top of the navigation pane to quickly locate a specific Automation Object.

Currently, the Search function only supports searching for objects based on the first letter in the object name.
  1. Drag the Automation Object icon to the Policy frame.

If you no longer want an Automation Object to be included in your policy or if you have added one by mistake, you can remove it by right-clicking on the object and then selecting Delete.
  1. Configure any required properties of the Automation Object.

    Automation Object properties can use Input Parameters (defined within N-able N-central by the user when the Automation Policy is run) or they can use static parameters (defined within the Automation Object properties fields).

Leave the Folder field blank so that the value can be provided by user input.

If the property value is static, you can type the value (for example, C:\N-able).
  1. Repeat step 7 to step 9 for each Automation Object to be added to the Policy.

The If object under Control which should be configured as follows:

  1. Variable Type: string
  2. Variable: click Link Objects button
  3. In the Object Link dialog box, click FolderExists under Objects and Conditional under Values
  4. Click OK.
  5. Condition: equals
  6. Value: False

The Create Folder object under File Management which should be configured as follows:

  • Folder: Leave blank unless the value is static (for example, C:\N-able)
  1. In the Policy frame that is displayed in the main content pane, click Start to create policy input parameters.
  
  1. In the Input Parameters window, click Add.
  
  1. In the New Input Parameter window, type a Name to be used to identify the new parameter.

FolderName

As this is a variable name, there can be no spaces.
  1. Type the Display information that will be displayed in the N-able N-central UI.

Folder Name

  1. Select the Type of parameter from one of the following:
    • date - a numeric value indicating a calendar date.
    • number - a numeric value.
    • password - a security password.
    • string - an alphanumeric character string.

string

Parameters of the date type must be in the format mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss
  1. Type a Value to be assigned to the parameter.

Leave blank unless you want to configure a default value or if you want to provide an example of the input parameter.
  1. Click OK.

  1. Repeat step 9 to step 13 for each new input parameter.
  
  1. Click OK.

  1. Click beside the first Automation Object to which you want an input parameter linked.

Click the icon beside the Folder Exists object.
  1. In the Object Link dialog box, click the object to be linked.

StartObject

  1. Click the Values to be linked.

FolderName

  1. Click OK.
  
  1. Repeat step 20 to step 23 for each new link.
  1. Click the icon beside the Create Folder object.
  2. In the Object Link dialog box, click StartObject
  3. Click FolderName
  4. Click OK
  1. Click File > Run.

You can also click the icon in the toolbar.
  1. If any input parameters have been configured for the Policy, they will need to be configured when it runs.
 Type C:\N-able for the Folder Name parameter.
  1. Review the contents of the message pane for any errors.

    Running the policy before uploading or saving allows you to troubleshoot any potential problems.

  1. When you are satisfied with the Automation Policy, click File > Upload.

    A notification will be displayed once the Automation Policy has been successfully uploaded to the N-able N-central Script/Software Repository.

You can also click the icon in the toolbar.
  1. You can also save the Automation Policy to your local computer or a network share by clicking File > Save or the icon in the toolbar.

Automation Policies can only be run after they have been uploaded to the N-able N-central Script/Software Repository. You can not run an Automation Policy from a saved file.

You cannot directly modify a default policy. To make changes, use the Clone feature to create a copy of the policy and then edit the cloned version.

  1. Sign in to N-able N-central.
  2. In the navigation pane, click Actions > Start Automation Manager.
  3. In the Automation Manager interface, perform one of the following:
    1. To open an Automation Policy on your local computer or a network share, click File > Open.

      You can also click Open Policy > Browse in the main content pane or the icon in the toolbar.

    2. To open an Automation Policy on the N-able N-central server, click File > Browse N-able N-central.

      You can also click Open Policy > Browse N-able N-central in the main content pane.

  4. Click on the name of the Policy that you want to edit.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Update the Policy properties as required.
  7. To rename an Automation Policy or to edit the Description, click Options > Properties.
  8. Once you have completed your changes, click File > Upload to upload the Policy to the Script/Software Repository or click File > Save to save the Policy to your local computer or a network share.

    In the toolbar, you can also click the icon to upload the Policy or the icon to save the Policy.

The debugging feature of Automation Manager is similar to using Run except that it proceeds through the Policy by highlighting the execution of each Automation Object one step at a time and at a slower pace in order to allow easier reviewing.

  1. Sign in to N-able N-central.
  2. In the navigation pane, click Actions > Start Automation Manager.
  3. In the Automation Manager interface, perform one of the following:
    1. To open an Automation Policy on your local computer or a network share, click File > Open.

      You can also click Open Policy > Browse in the main content pane or the icon in the toolbar.

    2. To open an Automation Policy on the N-able N-central server, click File > Browse N-able N-central.

      You can also click Open Policy > Browse N-able N-central in the main content pane.

  4. Click on the name of the Policy that you want to debug.
  5. Click OK.
  6. You can configure Breakpoints within the Policy where the debugging will pause until you indicate that it can continue as follows:
    1. Select the Automation Object in the Policy that you want to configure as a Breakpoint.
    2. Click Debug > Toggle Breakpoint (or press F9).
    3. Repeat this procedure for every Object you want to configure as a Breakpoint.

      A icon will be displayed beside each Object that is a Breakpoint.

  7. Click Debug > Go (or press F5) to start the debug process.

    You can stop the debug process at any time during the step-by-step review of the Policy by performing any of the following:

    • click Debug > Stop,
    • click the icon in the toolbar, or
    • press Shift-F5.

If the debug process is stopped or when it pauses at a Breakpoint, click Debug > Continue (or press F5) to have the debug process continue the step-by-step review of the Policy.

Password Type Input Parameter

A new Password type input parameter has been added to Automation Manager 1.6. For Automation Objects that require a password as an input parameter, an Input Parameter with the type Password must be created within the Start object and the Password Type Input Parameter must be linked to the Password field within an Object.

The following instructions include examples provided to the right of each step to demonstrate how Automation Manager is used.

Procedural Instructions Example/Notes
  1. Sign in to N-able N-central.
  
  1. In the navigation pane, click Actions > Start Automation Manager.
  
  1. In the Automation Manager interface, click File > New.

You can also click New Policy... in the main content pane or the icon in the toolbar.
  1. In the New Policy window, type a Name to be used to identify the new Policy.

Office365SignIn

  1. Type a Description to provide more information about the Policy.

This policy requires signing in to Office 365.

  1. Click OK.
  
  1. In the Policy frame that is displayed in the main content pane, click Input to create policy input parameters.
  
  1. In the Input Parameters window, click Add.
  
  1. In the New Input Parameter window, type a Name to be used to identify the new parameter.

Office365Password

As this is a variable name, there can be no spaces.
  1. Type the Display information that will be displayed in the N-able N-central UI.

Office 365 Password

  1. Select the Type of parameter.

password

  1. Click OK.

  1. Click OK.

  1. From the object list pane on the right side of the Automation Manager UI, click the name of an Automation Object that you want to insert into the new Policy.

Get Domain Password Policy under Office 365 Password Policy and License
  1. Drag the Automation Object icon to the Policy frame.

  1. Type a User Name.

NcentralUser1

  1. Click beside the Password field.
  
  1. In the Object Link dialog box, click StartObject.
  
  1. Under Values, click the name of the Password object you created in In the New Input Parameter window, type a Name to be used to identify the new parameter..

  1. Click OK.
  
  1. Continue creating the Policy as described in To create a new Automation Policy above.

After you upload the new Automation Policy to N-able N-central, selecting this Policy to be run will prompt you to type the password value.