> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.blinkops.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Running Workflows

> Monitor your workflows activity using tools in the Blink platform

When creating a Workflow, a *Workflow type* must be selected (On-Demand, Event-Based or Scheduled). Depending on which *Workflows type* is selected, the Workflow has different run methods available. We provide these run methods to enable users to easily integrate with Blink from external systems.

## On-Demand and Scheduled Workflows

Run methods for [On-Demand](/docs/workflows/building-workflows/triggers/on-demand-triggers) and [Scheduled](/docs/workflows/building-workflows/triggers/scheduled-triggers) Workflows include:

<CardGroup>
  <Card title="Manual" icon="book-open" href="/docs/workflows/running-workflows/running-workflows#manually-running-a-workflow" iconType="solid">
    Using the User Interface.
  </Card>

  <Card title="URL" icon="link" href="/docs/workflows/running-workflows/running-workflows#url" iconType="solid">
    The Workflow URL can be copied and used in Postman or another tool. For authentication one needs to add a header (BLINK-API-KEY).
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rest API" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/docs/workflows/running-workflows/running-workflows#blink-cli" iconType="solid">
    Invoking an HTTP request.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>**Note**: The default run method for a [Scheduled Workflows](/docs/workflows/building-workflows/triggers/scheduled-triggers) is the frequency set when creating the workflow.</Note>

***

In the [Workflow Overview](/docs/workflows/managing-workflows/workflow-overview-page) page, you can see all the **Run Method** options displayed.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/blinkops-2/xnKigMZdVI45SQhn/img/Automations/RunMethods.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=xnKigMZdVI45SQhn&q=85&s=55823279cfa84433e1532f03f0cef217" width="3580" height="2056" data-path="img/Automations/RunMethods.png" />
</Frame>

***

### Manually Running a Workflow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Hover over the Workflow">
    Hover over the Workflow you want to run.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the Run button">
    A blue 'Run' button and a grey 'Overview' button will appear.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter input parameters if prompted">
    If required, you will be prompted to enter input parameters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the Workflow">
    Click the "Run" button.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/blinkops-2/4a8dMD2Jv5wsADYv/img/AutomationCanvas/run.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=4a8dMD2Jv5wsADYv&q=85&s=93f3173399f3efb6c350a9b10e891ecd" width="2511" height="309" data-path="img/AutomationCanvas/run.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

### URL

<Steps>
  <Step title="Hover over the Workflow">
    Hover over the Workflow you want to run.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the Overview button">
    A blue 'Run' button and a grey 'Overview' button will appear. Select the 'Overview' button and navigate to the run methods section of the overview.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the URL tab">
    Navigate to the `URL` tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the Workflow run URL in your browser">
    Copy and paste the `URL` into the browser address bar. A dialog box will open.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter input parameters">
    Enter the Workflow's input parameters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the Workflow from the browser">
    Click 'Run Workflow' to start the workflow's execution.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/blinkops-2/xnKigMZdVI45SQhn/img/Automations/RunURL.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=xnKigMZdVI45SQhn&q=85&s=237b5de5b3b99dacb2bd55fefecb923e" width="3580" height="2056" data-path="img/Automations/RunURL.png" />
</Frame>

***

### REST API

Running a Workflow using a rest HTTP call. This method can be used to run Workflows from other tools or from the command line using the **cURL utility** like in the following example. The example is using `cURL`, but any utility that can run an HTTP call can be used.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Hover over the Workflow">
    Hover over the Workflow you want to run.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the Overview button">
    A blue 'Run' button and a grey 'Overview' button will appear. Select the 'Overview' button and navigate to the run methods section of the overview.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the REST API tab">
    Navigate to the `REST API` tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add your personal API key">
    Under the *Add my personal API key* section, choose a personal API Key from the dropdown menu. Your personal API key will automatically be added to the command.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the command in your CLI">
    Copy the command and paste it into your CLI and your workflow will run.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Accordion title="REST API- Use Case Example" icon="up-down">
  ```sh theme={"dark"}
  curl -XPOST -H 'BLINK-API-KEY: <api-key>' -H 'Content-Type: application/json'  https://app.blinkops.com/api/v1/workspace/aeb40442-ff12-4071-be15-b0709e59030e/playbooks/f6a68c7f-e585-4f8c-b8b2-f8a82192f4e/execute
  ```

  To supply parameters called x and y to the Workflows execution add the following parameters:

  ```sh theme={"dark"}
  -d '{"x":"y", "a":"b"}'
  ```
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Synchronous REST API invocation" icon="up-down">
  It is possible to execute the Workflows synchronously, and to wait for it to finish by adding `run_sync` parameter and optionally `timeout` parameter. For example:

  ```sh theme={"dark"}
  -d '{"x":"y", "a":"b"}'
  ```

  If the Workflow succeeds, the response will be the output parameters' JSON. If not, it will result in an error.
</Accordion>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/blinkops-2/xnKigMZdVI45SQhn/img/Automations/RunRestAPI.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=xnKigMZdVI45SQhn&q=85&s=6078aed5369ac5b1bf53c91760f4c8d2" width="3546" height="2047" data-path="img/Automations/RunRestAPI.png" />
</Frame>

***

## Activity Status

For more information about the execution queue, please navigate [here](/docs/blink-platform/workspaces/monitoring-workspaces#execution-queue)

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/blinkops-2/xnKigMZdVI45SQhn/img/Automations/RunRestAPI.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=xnKigMZdVI45SQhn&q=85&s=6078aed5369ac5b1bf53c91760f4c8d2" width="3546" height="2047" data-path="img/Automations/RunRestAPI.png" />
</Frame>

***

## Running Workflows Steps Asynchronously

When using one workflow within another, known as a [subflow](/docs/workflows/building-workflows/actions/basic-actions/subflow-actions), you have the option to run it asynchronously. Running a subflow asynchronously can improve overall execution speed, as it allows the subflow to run independently of other steps in the main workflow.

<Note>For more information, refer to the [Subflow](/docs/workflows/building-workflows/actions/basic-actions/subflow-actions) section of the documentation. </Note>

***

## Running Event-based Workflows

Event-based Workflows provide an easy way to execute a workflow when an event happens on an external system. To achieve this, the external system must perform an HTTP POST to the [custom webhook's](/docs/workflows/building-workflows/triggers/event-based-triggers/webhooks) URL. Meanwhile, other Event-Based Workflows function by periodically polling the external system to check for new events.

***

### Custom Syslog

Custom Syslog offers real-time event triggering in the Blink system when a Syslog event occurs, by receiving events from an external Syslog client provider.

Custom Syslog is a service which converts Syslog messages into webhooks and activates the webhook with the content of the Syslog message as the payload.

<Accordion title="Syslog Message Conversion" icon="up-down">
  Custom Syslog performs the conversion of Syslog messages to webhooks in the following way:

  * Standard Syslog Message (before conversion):

    ```
    <30>Jul 20 10:00:00 app-server-01 kernel: Out of memory: Kill process 12345 (app) score 678 and restart
    ```

  * Converted Syslog Message (after being processed by the Custom Syslog service):
    ```json theme={"dark"}
    {
      "timestamp": "Jul 20 10:00:00",
      "hostname": "app-server-01",
      "source": "kernel",
      "message": "Out of memory: Kill process 12345 (app) score 678 and restart"
    }
    ```
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Custom Syslog-Deployment and Configuration" icon="up-down">
  <Steps>
    <Step title="Create an Event-based Workflow with Custom Webhook">
      When creating a new Workflow, choose **Event-based** > **Custom Webhook**. You will see the **Webhook URL**, which you will use in the **docker run** command later on.
    </Step>

    <Step title="Copy the Webhook URL into the Docker command">
      Copy the Webhook URL from the Event-Based Workflow you created and paste it in the following **docker run** command:

      ```jsx theme={"dark"}
      docker run -d --name blink-syslog -p 514:514/udp -p 514:514/tcp -e WEBHOOK_URL=<your_webhook_url> --restart unless-stopped blinkops/blink-syslog:1.0.224
      ```
    </Step>

    <Step title="Deploy the Syslog container and run the Docker command">
      Deploy the Syslog Docker container on any infrastructure of your choice and run the docker command specified above. This could be on-premises hardware, cloud-based virtual machines, or managed services like Amazon ECS or Google Kubernetes Engine.
    </Step>

    <Step title="Expose the Syslog container to clients">
      Ensure that the Syslog Docker container is exposed to the Syslog client. Make sure the necessary ports (UDP and TCP 514) are open to receive messages.
    </Step>

    <Step title="Configure your Syslog client to send messages">
      Configure your Syslog client to send messages to the IP address of the machine where the Syslog Docker container is deployed.
    </Step>
  </Steps>

  <Note>Once the Docker container is running and the Syslog client is configured, the Docker container will start receiving Syslog events. Each received Syslog event will trigger the associated workflow.</Note>
</Accordion>

***

### Azure EventHub

Blink Azure EventHub offers real-time event triggering in the Blink system when an Azure EventHub event is ingested.

Blink Azure EventHub is a service which converts Azure EventHub events into webhooks and activates the webhook with the content of the event data as the payload.

<Accordion title="EventHub- Deployment and Configuration ">
  To enable real-time event triggering in the Blink system using **Azure EventHub**, follow these steps:

  <Steps>
    <Step title="Create an Event-based Workflow with Custom Webhook">
      When creating a new workflow, choose **Event-based** > **Custom Webhook**. You will see the **Webhook URL** and **API Key**, which you will use in the **docker run** command later on.
    </Step>

    <Step title="Construct your full Webhook URL">
      Copy the **Webhook URL** and the **API Key** from the event-based automation you created. To create your full webhook URL, combine them as follows:\
      `your_webhook_url = <Webhook URL>?apikey=<API Key>`
    </Step>

    <Step title="Get your Azure EventHub connection string">
      To acquire your 'EventHub Connection String':

      * Log in to the Azure portal.
      * In the EventHub menu, select the EventHub you want to use.
      * Under 'Settings', click on 'Shared access policies'.
      * Create a new SAS policy and select the 'Listen' permission.
      * Copy the 'Connection string–primary key' from the new SAS policy.
    </Step>

    <Step title="Get your Azure Blob connection string and blob name">
      To acquire your 'Blob Connection String' and 'Blob Name':

      * Log in to the Azure portal.
      * In the Storage Accounts menu, select the account you want to use.
      * Under 'Security + Networking', click on Access Keys' and copy one of the 'Connection Strings'.
      * Under 'Data Storage', click on 'Containers' and create a new container with the 'Blob Name' you want to use.
    </Step>

    <Step title="Paste your credentials into the Docker command">
      Paste your credentials into the following **docker run** command:

      ```jsx theme={"dark"}
      docker run -d --name blink-azure-eventhub -e "WEBHOOK_URL=<your_webhook_url>" -e "EVENTHUB_CONNECTION_STRING=<your_eventhub_connection_string>" -e "BLOB_CONNECTION_STRING=<your_blob_connection_string>" -e "BLOB_NAME=<your_blob_name>"  blinkops/blink-azure-eventhub:1.241205-15
      ```
    </Step>

    <Step title="Deploy the Docker container and run the command">
      Deploy the Azure EventHub Docker container on any infrastructure of your choice and run the docker command above. This could be on-premises hardware, cloud-based virtual machines, or managed container services like Amazon ECS or Google Kubernetes Engine.
    </Step>

    <Step title="Ensure HTTPS connectivity for the container">
      Ensure that your Azure EventHub container has access to make and receive `HTTPS` requests.
    </Step>
  </Steps>

  <Step title="Docker Container Starts Listening">
    Once the Docker container is running, the Docker container will start listening for Azure EventHub events. Each received event will trigger the associated automation.
  </Step>
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="EventHub Message Example" icon="up-down">
  An example of the data that the automation will trigger on:

  ```json theme={"dark"}
   {
     "Body": "eyJEYXRhIjogIk15IERhdGEifQ==",
     "ContentType": "application/json",
     "CorrelationID": "23:16:08",
     "MessageID": "b43d80eb-deea-4cab-bcd5-e78e62fe4fef",
     "Properties": {
       "MyNumber": 123,
       "MyProperty": "MyValue"
     }
   }
  ```
</Accordion>

***

### Polling: Events Occurring on an External Service Provider

There are no manual run methods available from the Blink platform for this type of Workflow. Instead, the Workflow is automatically triggered when the [polling mechanism](/docs/workflows/building-workflows/triggers/event-based-triggers/event-based-triggers#about-polling) detects new events from the external system.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a polling-based Workflow">
    When creating a new Workflow, select 'Event-based' and then choose a relevant event from the list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="View the polling trigger details">
    The **run methods** section will display the polling frequency or condition defined by the event trigger.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***