Advanced Workflows

Description

A plugin for flexible configuration and automation of business processes. It allows you to configure and automatically execute complex scenarios that go beyond the standard Redmine workflows. A flexible "custom rules" system also allows you to set specific restrictions.

Key Features

New custom field format: "Date and Time"
Custom Rules
Automatic Actions

Compatibility

Redmine: 5.0 - 6.0

Web Browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge

Databases: MySQL 5.7, MySQL 8.0, PostgreSQL 14-16, SQLite

Plugins: redmine_kanban, redmine_advanced_checklists, advanced_charts, appearance_custom, module_manager, periodic_reminder, user_group_editor, queries_perfect, selectbox_autocompiler, cost_calculator.

Installation and Update

Remove the old version of the plugin from Redmine, if it exists.
```
cd redmine/plugins
rm -r advanced_workflows
```
Copy the new advanced_workflows plugin folder to redmine/plugins/.

Run migrations in the Redmine root folder.

bundle exec rake redmine:plugins:migrate RAILS_ENV=production NAME=advanced_workflows

Stop and start Redmine. (In some Redmine installations (e.g., Docker), it is important to stop and start the server, not just restart it.)

Uninstallation

Run the uninstall command in the Redmine root folder.

bundle exec rake redmine:plugins:migrate RAILS_ENV=production NAME=advanced_workflows VERSION=0

Remove the advanced_workflows plugin folder from redmine/plugins/.

rm -r advanced_workflows

Stop and start Redmine.

Configuration

Configure user roles in Administration -> Roles and permissions.
Enable the "Advanced Workflows" module for projects in each project's settings.
Check and modify other plugin settings in Administration -> Plugins -> Advanced Workflows.

Administration

Roles and permissions section

Manage rules at the project level - access to editing rules and actions in the project.

"Custom fields" section

The Advanced Workflows plugin adds a new custom field format: "Date and Time"

Custom fields

in Issue edit

"Date and Time" can be used as a filter (condition).

Used as a filter

Available options:

Next hour - the filter will include issues whose "Date and Time" field value falls within the next hour from the current UTC time.

Filter: Release time

"Plugins" section

In Administration → Plugins → Advanced Workflows you can configure:

Run as user - Option to select an admin on whose behalf scheduled actions will be executed.
Maximum number of issues when executing scheduled actions.

Plugin settings

"Custom Rules" section

Custom rules allow you to set restrictions on assigning issues to users under defined conditions.

In Administration → Custom Rules you can create and configure rules:

Custom rules page without any rules

Creating rules

When creating, specify the name and display in project settings:

New custom rule

Editing rules

After creating a rule, you can edit the conditions and restrictions.

Custom rules page with a active rule

Clicking on the rule name opens the editing window. Here you can specify in which projects the rule will be enabled.

Edit custom rule

Possible conditions

Project
Tracker
Version
Author
Current user
Assignee's group
Author's group
Assignee's role
Current user's role
Issue status
Parent issue tracker
Parent issue version
Custom fields for "Issues" of types "List", "Text", "Float", "Integer", "Date", "Date and Time".
Custom fields for "Projects" of types "List", "Text", "Float", "Integer", "Date".

Conditions

Possible restrictions

Assignee
Assignee's group
Assignee's role
Due date
Tracker
Version

Restrictions

"Automatic Actions" section

Automatic actions allow you to perform selected actions when an issue is saved or on a schedule, within specified conditions.

In Administration → Automatic Actions you can create and configure actions:

Automatic actions page without any actions

Creating actions

When creating, specify the name, execution method, and display in project settings. Actions can be executed in two different ways:

On save - actions will be executed instantly when creating or editing an issue.
Scheduled (cron) - rules will be executed periodically according to a cron schedule.

Creating a new action

Editing actions

After creating an action, you can edit the rule, conditions, and actions.

Automatic actions page with a active action

Clicking on the rule name opens the editing window. Here you can specify in which projects the rule will be enabled.

action editing page

Possible conditions

Standard issue filters
Custom issue filters
Issue filters from other plugins

Possible actions

Assignee
Disable save
Send email
Status
Tracker
Project
Version
Version of open subtasks
Watchers
Webhook (GET)
Mattermost Webhook
Telegram Webhook
Checklist (if the redmine_advanced_checklists plugin is installed)

Actions

For the actions "Send email", "Webhook (GET)", "Mattermost Webhook", and "Telegram Webhook", action variables are available.

Action variables

Usage

Enabling rules and actions

After creating rules and actions, you need to enable them individually in the project settings.

To do this, go to:

Project → Settings → Custom Rules, enable the rules needed in this project. Custom rules in project settings

Project → Settings → Automatic Actions, enable the actions needed in this project.

Automatic actions in project settings

Custom Rules

Available restrictions that will be enforced when conditions are met:

Assignee

The issue can only be assigned to selected users.

Assignee

Assignee's group

The issue can only be assigned to users who belong to the selected groups.

Assignee's group

Assignee's role

The issue can only be assigned to users with the selected role for the project.

Assignee's role

Due date

The due date for issues can only be set within a specified date range.

Due date

Tracker

Issues can only have the selected trackers.

Tracker

Version

Issues can only have the selected versions.

Version

Automatic Actions

Execution method "Scheduled"

Actions will be executed periodically according to the cron schedule.

For an automatic action to work correctly, you need to add a new command to the server's crontab that executes the command bundle exec rake advanced_workflows:run_actions

Example command:

*/5 * * * * cd /absolute/path/to/redmine && bundle exec rake advanced_workflows:run_actions >> /absolute/path/to/redmine/logs/cron_advanced_workflows.log

Add this command to cron as the user under which Redmine is running, replacing /absolute/path/to/redmine with the absolute path to your Redmine installation folder.

The cron command will run every 5 minutes */5 * * * *

All standard messages will be appended to the file .../logs/cron_advanced_workflows.log

Available actions that will be performed when conditions are met:

Webhook (GET)

Sends a GET request to the specified URL. Used for integration with external systems, for example, for synchronization with Jira.

Supports all issue field variables. Webhook (GET)

Mattermost Webhook

Sends a message to a Mattermost channel.

URL: Incoming webhook URL for Mattermost.
POST data: The message to be sent.

Supports all issue field variables. Webhook Mattermost

Telegram Webhook

Sends a message to a Telegram group chat using a bot.

Token: Telegram bot token
Chat ID: ID of the chat where this bot has been added
POST data: The message to be sent

Supports all issue field variables. Webhook Telegram

Send email

Sends an email to the specified email addresses. Addresses can be separated by commas , or ;.

Supports all issue field variables.

Send mail

Version

Automatically changes the issue's version.

Replace with the current issue's version - Replace the issue's version with the project's current (active) version.

Version of open subtasks

Change to - Changes the version of all open subtasks to the specified one.
Set equal to issue's version - Changes the version of all open subtasks to the issue's version.

Version of open subtasks