Skip to content

Workflow Engine

The IMPACT 365 Workflow Engine is the central mechanism for running automation. Jobs are submitted to a queue; a dispatcher picks them up, routes each job to the right capability (provisioning, compliance, insights, etc.), and updates the job with the result.

Why it matters for you

  • Single queue — All automation (user-triggered and scheduled) goes through the same queue, so status and errors are in one place.
  • Extensibility — You can add new jobs to the queue from Power Automate, Power Apps, or other systems by creating an item with the right Resource, Operation, and Params. You do not need to call Azure or runbooks directly; the existing dispatcher processes your item.
  • Traceability — Each job has a status and result (or error) stored on the queue item.

High-level flow

  1. Submit — A process (Power App, Power Automate, scheduled flow, or portal action) creates an item in the Workflow Engine list with status “New” and a Params JSON that includes Resource, Operation, and optional payload.
  2. Trigger — A Power Automate flow watches for new items (e.g. status = New) and starts the automation runbook, passing the item ID.
  3. Dispatch — The runbook reads the item, parses Resource and Operation, and looks up the matching adapter (the operation that will do the work).
  4. Execute — The adapter runs (e.g. provision workspace, run compliance, send email, run audit). Configuration is loaded from the portal; the adapter does not receive secrets in the Params.
  5. Update — The runbook writes the result (or error) back to the Workflow Engine item and sets status to Succeeded or Failed.

You never need to call the runbook or Azure directly from your flows; you only create or update the Workflow Engine list item with the correct Resource, Operation, and Params.

What goes in Params

The Params field is a JSON object. At a minimum it should include:

  • resource — The resource type (e.g. Workspace.Request, Insights.Audit, Compliance.Workspace). Values are case-insensitive; the system normalizes them.
  • operation — The operation to perform (e.g. Provision, Run, Email). Case-insensitive.
  • correlationId — A unique ID (e.g. a new GUID) for this job. Required for idempotency and tracing.
  • targetId — Optional. A logical identifier for the target (e.g. workspace request ID, template ID, or empty for “all” or “batch” jobs).
  • payload — Optional. Operation-specific data (e.g. request details for provisioning, period for reports, recipient list for email).

Exact allowed values for Resource and Operation are in the Adapter Registry. Use that table to choose the right pair and what to put in targetId and payload.

Adding your own workflow entries

To use IMPACT from your own process:

  1. Choose the Resource and Operation from the Adapter Registry that match what you want (e.g. provision a workspace, run compliance, send email).
  2. Build the Params JSON with that Resource, Operation, a new correlationId (GUID), and any required targetId and payload.
  3. Create a new item in the Workflow Engine list with status “New” and the Params in the designated column (your provider will confirm the list and column names).
  4. The existing Power Automate flow and runbook will pick up the item, run the adapter, and update the item with the result.

You do not need to deploy runbooks or change Azure Automation; the registry of supported Resource/Operation pairs is maintained as part of the IMPACT solution.

Scheduled operations

Many operations run on a schedule (e.g. weekly): a Power Automate recurrence flow creates an item in the Workflow Engine list with the appropriate Resource and Operation. The same dispatcher processes these items—no separate scheduler per operation. Typical scheduled jobs include backup, site usage sync, workspace audit, and workspace/repository compliance. Staggering runs (e.g. different days) is recommended to spread load. See the Adapter Registry for the exact Resource and Operation for each.

Operation Resource Operation Typical schedule
Backup Core.Utility Backup Weekly
Site usage sync Insights.Report SiteUsage Weekly
Workspace audit Insights.Audit Run Weekly
Repository compliance Compliance.Repository Run Weekly
Workspace compliance Compliance.Workspace Run Weekly
Teams activity Insights.TeamActivity Report Optional weekly

Next: Adapter Registry — Full list of Resource and Operation values and when to use them.