Operation: the exception queue
When Proton runs production robots (RPA), a failure is not just a red test: it is a business process that didn't happen. Operation > Exceptions holds the queue of robots that failed, didn't run, or got stuck, with who is handling each one, what was done, and the rerun.
Operation requires the RPA module in the organization. It applies to automation groups with the Operation purpose.
When an exception opens
| Type | When |
|---|---|
| Failed | The run ended with a failure. If the batch has Re-run on failure, Proton waits for the new attempt: if it passes, nothing opens. |
| Did not run | The scheduled batch didn't go out (runner down, time window expired, runner removed, launch error, plan) or the runner refused the run. |
| Stuck | The run was in progress, the runner went down, and nothing moved for 15 minutes. |
A run stopped by a person doesn't open an exception.
If the same dataset in the same group fails again while the exception is open, no new exception is created: the Times counter goes up and the error is updated. Once the exception is closed, the next failure opens a new one.
The queue
The indicators show Pending, Unassigned, In progress, Oldest, and Resolved today. The tabs separate:
- Mine: the ones assigned to you;
- Unassigned: the ones nobody has taken;
- All open;
- Closed: the resolved and discarded ones.
Search looks by automation, dataset, or group. The queue only shows the automations you can see under the team rule, and the menu shows the number of pending exceptions.
Handle an exception
Clicking an exception opens its details: the automation, the dataset, the group, the environment, how many times it failed, the error, and the timeline.
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Take it | The exception is assigned to you, in progress. |
| Release | The exception goes back to unassigned. |
| Assign | Hands the exception over to another person, who needs to be able to see the automation. They get an email. |
| Re-run now | Runs only this dataset again, with the same parameters, branches, environment, and runner. If it passes, the exception resolves itself. |
| Resolve | Closes the exception with What was done (for example, "I entered the invoice manually in SAP") and, optionally, the evidence: screenshots, spreadsheets, or the receipt. |
| Discard | Closes the exception without handling it, with the reason. |
| Reopen | Puts a closed exception back in the queue, with the reason. |
| View the run | Opens the last run in the Automation Center. |
Comments (with attachments) and every action are recorded in the Timeline, including what Proton did on its own.
Email notifications
- When an exception opens, whoever triggered the batch (or created the recurring run) gets an email with the link to the exception.
- When an exception is assigned to someone, that person gets an email.
Permissions
| Action | Profile permission |
|---|---|
| View the queue | Exceptions: view |
| Take, release, resolve, discard, reopen, and comment | Exceptions: edit |
| Assign to another person | Exceptions: assign |
| Re-run now | Exceptions: edit, plus run in the Automation Center |