Metabot in Automation Anywhere

Explanation Of Meta Bots

-> Automating the process on a enterprise level requires automation process to be scaled effectively.

-> Automation Anywhere Provides hand-on solution this by providing Meta Bots.

-> Meta Bots are automation building blocks, which are reusable blue prints of a application.

-> Meta Bots are Application Resilient,
it means any time a application updates or changes,
the user can make minimal edits to the bot itself.
Then those will automatically apply to any process, utilizing that bot.

-> Meta bots can automate any task without requiring live access to an application and
these bots are easily calibrated to new versions of application to ensure compatibility.

-> Meta bots helps to eliminate common navigational errors in complex automation tasks.

-> These accelerate the deployment of digital workforce by providing scalability and
extensiblility to Automation Anywhere cognitive RPA Platform.

-> These also facilities maintainability and offline automation and
available in automation command in Automation Anywhere Enterprise.

-> These can be leveraged by any automation task bot and
used in the the place of scripting and VB macro's.

-> You can upload meta bots to the control room to use by other enterprise client users and
edit the meta bots that are created by other users (Reusable).

-> Important point while developing the meta bots is re-usability which

---> Shrinks deployment time.
---> Reduces operational costs.
---> In turn amplifies the ROI(Return of investment) from RPA initiates by more than 50 percent.


-> Meta bots are highly reusable automation building blocks and you can create multiple meta bots
and pick some meta bots to build one task bot.These are automation blue prints of the application.

-> A Bot creator user with Meta bots repository access permissions can

a) Create a new meta bot.
b) Record screens for a new meta bot
c) Upload the meta bots to the control room to enable other
bot creators to download for task bot integration.
d) Delete obsolete meta bots (or) ones that are no longer required.

-> If version Control is enable for controlled edits of meta bots,
a bot creator can check out the meta bot for editing and to view version history.

-> Meta Bots are automation blue prints of the applications.
These automation blue prints are created using meta bot designer
that are accessed by enterprise client application.

-> These Blue Prints can be constructed using three elements present in the Meta Bot Designer such as

1) Visual Captures
2) API (Application Programming Interface)
3) Navigational Flows

-> Existing meta bots can be leveraged or new meta bots can be created using Meta Bot Designer.

So, What do we need to build Meta Bots?
Ans: Meta Bot Designer

Explanation of Meta Bot Designer

-> With Meta Bot Designer, you can conceptualize, Manage and Create Meta Bots.

-> Meta bot designer comes pre-installed with Automation Anywhere Client and
to ensure meta bot designer is installed and working fine,
check if you can locate meta bots under AUTOMATE on left panel.

-> If yes, click on meta bots to launch the enterprise client- Meta Bot Designer.

-> You will need the required access privileges provided by control room administrator to access the meta bots.

-> You will have to exit and restart Automation Anywhere Client for the changes to take effect.
If you have upgraded to the current version.

-> Once the meta bot designer is launched, you can see two views in the work space of meta bot designer.

1) Assets View and
2) Logic View

1) Assets View

-> Assets are the collection of visual captures as well as application API's or DLL's.

-> In meta bot designer, the required application screens to be automated are captured and placed under the assets tab.

-> The Application DLL's added using the add DLL option, are displayed in this tab.
This view is selected by a default for a New Meta Bot(Assets View).

2) Logic View

-> Logic is a navigational flow that is developed based on the available assets,
which includes visual captures or Application DLL's or Both.

-> It is also a independent functional unit of a process
that represents part navigational flow of an application that can be integrated into automation tasks as and when required.

-> Workbench commands can be used to build the navigation flow that is placed under the logic tab.

1)Visual Captures

These are referred has screens and are capable of performing visual captures that include GUI components of the desired application,
to be used for front-end automation.

2)API (Application Programming Interface)

The most common API's such as dynamic link libraries or DLL's are supported.
These are capable of integrating application API's(DLL- dynamic link libraries) that can be used for back-end automation,
by passing GUI and by creating black boxes of automation.

3) Navigational Flows

Screen's and DLL's forms the assets using which you can define or pre-configure any use in case of target application
to create navigational flow known as logic.
In corporate logic that helps in standardizing navigational flows,
to leverage multi-level integrations and create repeatable,
system to system automation in conjunction with task bots.

These bots allow automation at all levels including

1) API
2) Front End automation.
3) Back End automation.
4) Image Recognition.

This work space allows to work with multiple meta bots at the same time.

Let's explore the options available within an Assets view

-> Meta Bot tab open each meta bot in its own tab.
This tab is dedicated to the assets and logic for that particular meta bot.

-> The Add Folder option organizes your meta bot using 'Folders'.
This enables you to easily manage all your screens and DLL"S that are to be uploaded (or)
have been uploaded.

-> The Add Screen option captures a single screen for an executable application,
that is running.

Note:
a) If your screens are set at lower resolutions.
Example:- 1024X768, the 'Add Folder' and 'Add Screen' option can be accessed from the 'edit menu'.

b) You will have to invoke the application screen before using this feature.
Also, if the application is closed, you will be prompted to open the required application.


-> The Record Screen option captures multiple screens of the related application or
web page at one go. Every screen or menu item or pop-up or context menu
that you interact with during the recording gets captured.

-> The Add DLL option adds the API or DLL within your meta bot.
Also you can't include special characters in DLL names.

-> The Configure option edits properties for the recorded or add screen
such as name,path,value-- etc.
Thus improving the reliability of your automation.

-> The Calibrate option instantly compares an existing screen
with a newer screen of an application to identify any changes,
when the application has been updated with improvements and newer features.

-> The Delete option removes the meta bots that are no longer required.

Note:

a) Deleting a meta bot from the meta bot designer doesn't delete it from the control room.

b) The screen, DLL's and Folders are displayed in the order they were added.

Let's explore the options available within an Logic view

-> The Add Folder option is similar to that under assets.
It organizes your logic using 'Folders'.

-> The Add Logic option allows to create the navigational flows in the logic editor.

-> The Record Logic option records the logic flow and
automatically saves the screens in assets.

-> The edit option makes changes to an existing navigational flow.

-> The Delete option deletes obsolete logic.

Note: The logic and folders are displayed in the order they were added.

-> Also you can use the Automation Anywhere Workbench to create simple,
manageable and independent navigational flow.

-> This means creating logic that can be integrated into other automation
task bots or meta bot logic's as and when required.

->It is also used to save and play the meta bot logic to see if it works as required.

I will be updating the information regarding Meta bots in this blog frequently.


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