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Version: 7.0

Introduction

The b4A Solution is aimed at Automic users, in particular administrators and developers who work with Automic Automation Engine on a daily basis and repeatedly encounter activities in their day-to-day business that are very laborious and primarily have to be performed manually in Automic Automation Engine. Tasks and processes are simplified, accelerated or even made possible in the first place with the b4A Solution via an official Automic Automation Engine interface.

best4Automic has a modular architecture. Based on a framework, the individual functions of best4Automic are provided in modules. The desired module can be specified directly each time it is called up. Alternatively, the dashboard or a shell can be used to conveniently select the modules.

Each module can be used both on the command line and with a graphical user interface. The functionality is the same in both variants. This technology allows the best4Automic modules to be used on the local desktop and also in automation.

This documentation helps with the installation, setup and operation of the b4A Solution. There is a short description for each of the modules to explain the respective functionality.

Terms​

Certain terms are used in this documentation that are specific to the b4A Solution. These terms are briefly explained below.

best4Automic Solution
Name of the product/solution

b4A or b4A Solution is the short description of the product

b4A Edition
A b4A release is available in two editions
Core Edition
Contains the previously known version of the b4A Solution with command line version and graphical user interface
Rest Edition
Contains the RESTful API of the b4A Solution
b4A <module name>
The individual modules should always be named as b4A <module name>. Example: b4A tp.Export, b4A tp.Import, b4A tp.CrossCopy

b4A module Each functional unit provided by the b4A solution is called a module. For example, b4A tp.Export is a b4A module

b4A Category The modules are divided into groups. Each of these groups contains modules that deal with a specific subject area. The groups are called b4A category. Each module name begins with the abbreviation of the category to which it belongs. There are currently the following b4A categories:

  • Information (info): Collecting information from the Automic Automation Engine system
  • Package Management (pm): What deals with the b4A package format (package building and installation, Documentation Builder, BPMN2Workflow).
  • Git Integration (vcs): The Git connection based on b4A Package Management
  • Test Automation (ta): Modules for test automation with Gherkin/Cucumber
  • Transport (tp): Simple transport options
  • Tasks & Executions (te): All about statistics and activities
  • Analysis (ana): b4A modules that collect and analyze information
  • Mass changes (mc): Everything on the subject of mass changes to object definitions
  • Tools (util): various tools

b4A Bundle Bundles make it possible to license only the b4A modules of some b4A categories, whereby the b4A Service Portal is included in all of them. The following bundles are currently available

All-in-One Bundle: Contains all functions of the b4A Solution

  • Classic Bundle: Contains the modules of the categories info, util, tp, te, ana and mc
  • Package Management Bundle: Contains the Classic Bundle and the modules of the b4A category pm Git Integration Bundle: Includes the Package Management Bundle and the modules of the b4A category vcs
  • Test Automation Bundle: Includes the Classic Bundle and the modules of the b4A category ta
b4A Dashboard
A graphical overview for all existing
b4A Custom Solution
This term refers to extensions for the best4Automic Solution that are not part of the core product. Based on the b4A framework, these extensions can implement customer-specific or project-related functions.

b4A Custom Compliance Tests Similar to b4A Custom Solutions, this term refers to a type of extension for the best4Automic Solution. In this case, it refers to customer-specific compliance tests that are used to check special requirements.