Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 09:19:31 GMT

Thank you so much eric this is what I have been looking for, but I have a one more question in a scenario based,

1. Lets say a mail has been sent to the user, from reply@abc.com from the client exchange server,
2.Now if the users wants to reply to the same mail id reply@abc.com I hope this can be configured in application server side in Appian. But now the question is if the users from their outlook click on reply and if the send a mail to Appian. This should be received in Appian end right ?

and also for the suggestion I am going to tell the pros and cons of all the items which are mentioned

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

Robert Shankin — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 23:26:24 GMT

Harsha -
I appreciate the use case and the challenges you're facing.
Technically, the solution you've proposed is probably possible.

That said, this isn't recommended.
Depending on the volume of these transactions, you could add strain to your mail server. Also, it's hard to control the inputs being given to process, which leaves you vulnerable to unpredictable and unexpectedly high memory utilization in Appian, which may impact all applications on the platform.

If you're aware of the performance implications, and you determined to proceed, I would ask you to contact your Appian Account Executive to examine whether or not this configuration has licensing implications.

Ideally, all of the personae in the process would be Appian users.
If that's not possible, the next best alternative is embedded SAIL.
If that's not consider how Appian Web API's and Integrations could be useful.

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

ericg329 — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 18:10:24 GMT

1. Correct, the client SMTP network doesn't matter.
2. Correct, but remember that you won't have to configure any of that as you are on cloud. You will need to follow the documentation here: docs.appian.com/.../Sending_an_Email_Message_to_a_Process.html
3. Correct, the SMTP server and application server are different, but as you are in the cloud you don't need to worry about that as you won't be modifying that configuration.

Remember that configuring an integration like this is generally error prone as you a relying on the end user formatting and sending their email correctly. Appian can't help you make sure the email is correct as the end user is completely outside of the platform. If the user has to complete the work through email, but can be assigned an Appian account you may want to look into the Task View add-in for Outlook as another potential solution.

docs.appian.com/.../Task_Viewer_Add-in_for_Microsoft_Outlook.html

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 17:19:56 GMT

Thanks Eric,

for the response,...but my problem is we are sending the email to the users who are not part of Appian system so they have to send their responses back via email right ...As per my understanding.....to summarize.

1.We can send an email from any client SMTP network and can be sent.
2.Receiving can be done via Application server cloud which can trigger a process.
3.The SMTP server and Server which is receiving the mail is different.

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

ericg329 — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:25:48 GMT

The link I provided is for Appian Cloud. You will need to work with support to make sure your cloud environment is configured for receiving emails. The mail server on the client side will not be authenticating/integrating with Appian. Incoming emails will be processed by the application server on the cloud environment based on polling of the mailbox.

If you have individuals who will be replying to the email with additional documents needed for the process within Appian it would be better to task those users with uploading the documents in Appian. Routing the documents from email will require you to include key-value pairs in the email so Appian knows what to do with the response emails. If an end users breaks those key value pairs inserted in the email then Appian won't be able to route them correctly.

docs.appian.com/.../Sending_an_Email_Message_to_a_Process.html

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 09:30:23 GMT

Thanks Eric,

I will have a look at it, however I have some doubt

1.we are using O365 I heard that there is NTML authentication is having an issue so my question is ,..... if we are using O365 can the link which you have sent will be possible?

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

ericg329 — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 17:38:47 GMT

Harsha,

Take look at the documentation for sending an email to a process. There is a section specific to cloud configurations.

docs.appian.com/.../Sending_an_Email_Message_to_a_Process.html

To Rob's point, the nature of email integration, being very loosely coupled with the system, can be more error prone and difficult to get clear visibility when errors do arise. If your use case lends itself to other functionality it is worth looking into.

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 17:16:56 GMT

Thank you so much for the response Rob,

here are the answers for the questions,

Why does appian need to send email to users?
Harsha: it is the part of the work flow where I need to attach a document which is generated as part of workflow and send it via email. (generally a simple pdf doc generated and subject)
Who are the users? Are they actually named Appian users?
Harsha: There might be an external or Appian users. I can get the external users email from the database and can send it.
What's the nature of the email message itself?
Harsha: It is like a document attached with a simple text sending as a acknowledgment to the user.
What does the user do after they get the email?
Harsha: User might respond back to the email which is sent from Appian (for eg additional info required). He might attach some attachments required for the workflow.
What's the nature of the email message that needs to be sent back to appian? Who's reading it? Why?
Harsha: the Nature of the email message would be just the data which the user send it in Appian (may be document or the data in the body of the email.) I assume that it should be read by Appian process model which will inturn link to the case.

Now in addition to that,
1.as we can send emails from Appian using a process, designer,but we can also configure a email from which we can send it for eg in this case it is like reply@abc.com. Can users reply to this same mail box so that Appian can read the data from this mail box and start a process model.Is it possible in cloud.

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

Robert Shankin — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 17:08:15 GMT

Hi Harsha -

What you're explaining is the proposed "how", but not they "why".

Why does appian need to send email to users?
Who are the users? Are they actually named Appian users?
What's the nature of the email message itself?
What does the user do after they get the email?
What's the nature of the email message that needs to be sent back to appian? Who's reading it? Why?

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:46:27 GMT

Hi Rob,

My Use case is pretty simple, I need to send emails from a workflow , as well as the receive the email from the users, I am actually working in cloud.
I have some couple of questions which I will put it on once you suggest me some ways

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

Robert Shankin — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:27:10 GMT

Hi Harsha -

Do you mind sharing what is your business use case?

Thanks,
Rob

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 09:46:53 GMT

I mean like if I am configuring a mail server which is used to send an email, can I configure my receive mail oto the same mail box .

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 09:45:52 GMT

Thanks for the reply Rob,

If I might tweak my question little bit and ask like, in Appian cloud we can send an email(def yes we can do) as well as receive the email? if so can it be to the same Mail box for the mail I have sent ?

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

josep — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 17:33:58 GMT

Hello Robert,

For example Harshav is in the appian cloud and i think you have little more control over the email server.

Thinking in this scenario is there any way for Appian to add some kind of plugin/report/message event which can give this kind of acknowledge functionality?

What do you think?
Jose

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

josep — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 17:29:08 GMT

Hello Robert,

Thinking technology wise we have some way to implement, but doesn't mean that is a recommended solution.

So, I absolute agree with you, this design can be considered "outlook oriented" losing control over the process not just from Appian side. A good design should be able to wait for events and take actions and this way to solve it absolutely does not offer that.

Thanks for your comments
Jose

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

Robert Shankin — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 17:05:24 GMT

Jose -
Keep in mind that individual outlook users can disable the sending of read receipts.
An Appian designer can't control this.
The is one of the elements that contributes to the unreliability of such a design.

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:27:34 GMT

Thank you Jose,

I will check if I can try this. Thanks for the response :)

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:26:49 GMT

Thanks Rob ,

For the response points taken and will be suggested accordingly :)

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

josep — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 23:12:12 GMT

Hello Harsha,

To me this sounds more like a requirement for your mail server.

For example in outlook we have the option to set "Request a Delivery Report" or "Request a Read Receipt".
* community.appian.com/.../exchange-web-service-ews
* forum.appian.com/.../summary

I am not sure if current implementations handle this, maybe a custom plugin is needed, As far as I undertand the code should be something like this:
* www.rgagnon.com/.../java-request-delivery-read-receipt-in-javamail.html

Hope this helps

Jose

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

Robert Shankin — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 19:59:09 GMT

Hi Harsha -

In a manner of speaking, It sounds like you have a need for synchronous communication, .
Email, by definition, is asynchronous.
This is not a deficiency in Appian. An Appian designer may not be able to control or prescribe the behavior of all the systems and operations associated with the receipt of the email or a confirmation response..

If your use case involves communication with Appian users, why not use tasks?
Tasks give you the assurance that the message (the task, with or without a notification email) is delivered, and you can prescribe precisely what is the expected behavior from the user, as well as how you'd like Appian to behave if the user doesn't act in a timely fashion.

RE: Email Polling and Retrigger Functionality

harshav — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 09:59:05 GMT

we are operating in Cloud Envi