Citrix Automation using RPA

 Citrix Automation

Two approach: Inside Citrix and Outside Citrix

1. Outside citrix

              > remote access

              >keyboard stroke

              >automation timeline more due to latency, network , screen resolution issues

2. Inside citrix

              > bot runs even network lost

              >automation timeline reduce

              >use high resolution machine, handle latency issue through scripts

             

Purpose of citrix automation

              citrix receiver use to connect citrix application

              inside citrix-all feature available

              outside citrix - keystroke,image recoginition and ocr

                             allow to select activate and differentiate between diff windows

         

           

 list prerequisit of citrix automation

              > citirx receiver configure to your machine

              >credentials- user name, pwd, domain and citrix host/server ip name

              >citirx license -enabled product

              >port 1494 open for communication

              

if citirx receiver must be pre-installed- if AA enterprise is already configure you will have to re-install after install citirx receiver

              

Two components of citrix automation

              1. session manager-   help to connect to new or existing citirx session

              2. citirx automation viewer -   provide intuitive interface, allows to record various action as and when it is perfromed, allows to edit the actions without exiting the viewer

             

             

Automation Anywhere - Recorder

 Automation Anywhere - Recorders

Automation Anywhere supports following recorders.

1. smart recorder
2. screen recorder
3. web recorder

1. smart recorder

• features smart technology for desktop applications and web sites
• when you want to record a series of actions on your computer that require capturing objects from application that use HTML, java, WPF, Flex or silverlight, you can use smart recorder with IE9 and above
• works on objects, co-ordinates, image playback mode
• adjustable object identification criteria
• captures window objects and controls such as text from dropdown menus, list box, buttons etc

2. Screen recorder

• require the same operating system and screen resolution
• limited to static screens and simple desktop and web applications
• screen recorders is used to record task or series of actions on the computer when running and automated process on the same computer on which it was recorded, building simple tasks for processes that involves mouse click and keyboard operations 
• to stop recording shortcut -Ctrl+Alt+S

3. Web recorder

• it enables automation of internet related task actions
• features smart technology and suitable for websites
• record actions based on provided urls, extract single data, pattern based data and tables
• navigates web controls and works as browser based tool with supports IE 100%
• sample use case example- open webpage, log into website, navigate to search , enter data into forms and submit them, extract data and updating database records, using web based ERP system , extracting web data to local file, testing an online application

Workbench

• workbench is use to create Task bot or Meta bot 
• powerful facility with 582 command library located in left pane
• drag and drop commands or double click to insert it into any task
• workbench command executed line by line

Automation Anywhere - Bots

 Automation Anywhere Bots

Automation Anywhere support following type of Bots.

1. Task Bot : Task bots are used to execute task, execute the repetitive rule base process that relay on structure of data. those are easy to build and maintain, operate on presentation layer with any desktop app, execute multiple processes with no errors.

Task bot use- web recorder, object recorder and task editor with support of 582 commands, it runs in background.

2. IQ Bot : IQ bots are next generation inteligent part with cognitive capability, which learn and grows smarter having vision skill

3. Meta Bot : Meta Bots are scalable, extensible, compliance, resilience, maintainabile and offline automation. Those are available in AA enterprise, leverage with task bot, vbscript and macros. it has capable of visual capture, application APIs, navigational flows. Meta Bot offers high ROI, scale automation effectively, company wide automation.

Meta Bot designer - add dlls, record the GUI, upload metabot to control room to repository, allow to wrok multiple metabot at same time and assets display as dlls. all the logics are independent unit.

• AA enterprise have integrated version control
• Client -download and check in-out version history and rollback the previous version in needed
• Credential vault - allow to enterprise level security standard and credential management
• key feature - centralized secure vault enterprise grade AES256 can be access by authentic user only KMIP

Ways to create bot : 2 ways - recording and task editor

Steps to create bot:

1.  create a new task using task editor
2. open application using open program/ file command
3. use window actions command to maximize application
4. start recording using smart recorder
5. fill up the form in application and stop the recording once done
6. use open spreadsheet command to open excel file that contain data need to be filled in to application
7. get cell command to read all data from excel sheet
8. use add variable option to create variable to store data that we read from excel
9. use loop command along with each row in excel and extract specific command and assign them to chosen variable
10. edit object cloning command we created earlier and use text to set parameter to set the value
11. close spreadsheet and save the task

Reference: Automation Anywhere learnings.

Automation Anywhere Enterprise

 Automation Anywhere Enterprise

Automation Anywhere enterprise loaded with feature to automate most of the business process with smart automation technology.

It has 3 recorders, along with 575 drag or drop commands with centralized control.

• object based smart recorder
• screen recorder
• dedicated recorder

It allows to define automation in below way

1. Automate - any automate process
2. Manage- centralized control, distribution and analysis
3. Define - visually document any process with click of button

Automation Anywhere architect having hub with following 3 component

1. control layer - centralized management
2. bot creators - create, edit and execute bot as part of dev process. Bot creator is licensed for each type of bot and includes runtime, system for execution and testing. 
3. bot runners- execute bots - control room controls or schedule and assign bot to the runtime client for the execution. Bot runner can only execute once register, identify and authenticated by control room. authenticated then run independent and asynchronously. All bot telemetry is cached locally and transmitted to control room

Bot creator and Bot runners are authorized control and managed by control room.

unique feature of Automation anywhere:

1. auto calibration technology
2. sense of AI Technology
3. cognitive capability and analystics
4. unique NLP, platform incorporate ML technique
5. embeded analystics and system logs
6. web based control room to queue, launch, manage, orchestrate and maintain any dashboard
7. versioning system ensure control of automation
8. centrally controlled license algorithm
9. private key/public key infrastructure to secure your BOT
10. stealth mode and keyboard disable, SSAML2.0 protocol
11. AES and FIPS