Automations

Automations turn one-off troubleshooting steps into repeatable operational runs. You define the execution guide, data sources, trigger rules, and notification channels, and Castrel executes the workflow automatically.

What You Can Do

• Scheduled checks with Cron + timezone
• Manual runs when you need ad-hoc validation
• Event-triggered runs based on connected event sources
• Automatic notifications to integrated IM tools or email
• Continuous follow-up by replying in IM threads

Configuration Model

Each Automation is configured with:

• Task Name: identifies the automation task
• Execution Guide: defines goal, checks, expected output, and boundaries
• Allowed Connectors: limits which data connectors can be used
• Proxy Client: optionally selects where the task should run
• Trigger: supports Scheduled, Manual, and Event triggers
• Execution: runtime settings such as timeout
• Notification Channel: where execution results are delivered

Trigger Types

1) Scheduled

Uses 5-field Cron (minute hour day month day_of_week) with timezone support (default Asia/Shanghai).

Examples:

• 0 9 * * 1-5: 09:00 on weekdays
• 0 */6 * * *: every 6 hours

2) Manual

Best for ad-hoc checks, post-change verification, or reruns during incident review.

3) Event

Attach event sources so runs start automatically when matching events occur.

Execution and Results

Each trigger creates an execution record with status:

• Pending
• Running
• Normal
• Error
• Skipped

Each execution is tied to a chat session (session_id) and includes a shareable details link (/shared/{session_id}) for full context.

Notifications and Continuous Conversation

Automation notifications are supported through connectors:

• Integrated IM tools (group channels)
• Email

Notification rules support:

• Send when execution is normal
• Send when execution fails
• Send only for abnormal results

After an IM notification is sent, users can reply in the same thread. Castrel routes that reply back to the original Automation session so the conversation can continue.

Recommended Practices

• Keep the Execution Guide explicit with concrete checks and expected output format.
• Attach only the Allowed Connectors and Proxy Client required for this run.
• Start scheduled tasks at a lower frequency, then increase after validation.
• Validate with manual runs first before enabling schedule + notification.