When an interactive activity executes, what happens depends on whether the activity was configured with an audience.
If the interactive activity was configured with an audience , the rules as defined within the template are run in accordance with its configuration settings and are applied to its input dataset (which may itself be constrained in accordance with Inputs and Filter tab settings). Execution of the audience is repeated in accordance with the frequency settings defined within its configuration panel. Records selected each time the audience’s rules are run do not include those selected within previous executions – in this way, the interactive activity’s results are built up cumulatively through time. Audience history data is stored for the duration of execution within a temporary table.
If the audience with which an interactive audience is configured contains an auxiliary rule, it is executed to determine a list of keys that match the rule’s criteria, and the results are written to a temporary table. This table can then be used to join to data warehouse tables to identify matching data warehouse records which will serve as the audience’s segment(s).
If sufficient joins do not exist to link the resolution levels of the auxiliary rule and the audience’s definition, a runtime validation error is displayed.
If the interactive activity was not configured with an audience, RPI checks the activity’s input dataset to determine to which records the interactive activity is to apply. This check is performed a number of times in accordance with the activity’s Check for data settings. Any records that match the fulfillment states configured within the Inputs tab are deemed to have been targeted by the interactive activity and are then passed through to any downstream fulfillment actions. As when configured with an audience, a given record will only be targeted once by an interactive activity, and results are cumulative
When executing, an interactive activity will run in accordance with its defined schedule. For example, if the activity runs initially at 1:00pm, and is scheduled to run again in an hour’s time, it next executes at 2:00pm. If the activities undertaken by the interactive activity are lengthy enough such that it is still running at the next scheduled time of execution, the activity will begin running at the earliest opportunity following cessation of the current cycle of execution
The activity continues to execute at the defined frequency until either the audience’s ‘For’ time period has passed, or ‘Until’ date and time has been reached.
Note that, when an interactive activity is in a dormant state whilst awaiting the next occurrence of execution activity, its status is shown as ‘Waiting for Trigger’.
During and following execution of the activity, a results bubble is displayed to the top right of its icon. It shows a rounded summary of the cumulative number of records targeted by the activity. Results are shown to a single decimal place, e.g.:
1,203,492 = 1.2M
75,854 = 75.9K
You can view full results using the Results Window.
When an interactive activity configured with an audience is executed in a workflow, its count reflects the application of its audience’s audience definition’s global contact rule (if one exists).
If a long-running interaction workflow contains an interactive activity that periodically initiates offer execution, and offer approval is enabled, the most recently-approved version of the offer is utilized; this means that, for example, an email offer’s contents can evolve through time, but updated content will only ever be sent to a recipient once approved.
If the Workflow Manager service becomes unavailable during interactive activity execution, if its period of unavailability intersects with the point at which an interactive activity was due to execute, the interactive activity will execute immediately on the service becoming available. Thereafter, behavior is contingent on the activity’s schedule:
•If scheduled to execute e.g. every 10 minutes, the activity will execute 10 minutes after its initial execution post-the service’s availability, and every 10 minutes thereafter.
•If scheduled to execute e.g. 2 weeks at 1300 on Wednesday, the activity will re-adopt its original schedule after its initial execution post-the service’s availability.
Note that, if an interactive activity is configured with an audience , and the audience’s definition is defined at producing validation files, such files are not produced at interactive activity execution.
At interaction workflow execution, a runtime validation warning is raised if the resolution of an audience in the workflow has no configured primary key ('The audience definition's resolution table has not been configured with a primary key. This may impact on performance.').