How does [index] work and how can I start it at a certain number?

[MargoHuang]

Hi all,

We are using Workflow Manager in Enterprise 10.9.1 environment. By default, the job name is populated using JOB_[index], and I have a couple questions regarding the [index] field.

1. Where is this [index] field stored and how does it work? 
2. Is there a way to start the [index] field at a higher number? We have an existing GIS ticketing system to migrate to Workflow Manager. When we move into Workflow Manager, we don't want to have duplicate ticketing numbers.
3. According to ESRI's documentation, starting at Enterprise 11.2, there is a new JobIndex expression. And it says 'Jobs created before Workflow Manager 11.2 evaluate to a value of -1.' Does this mean the schema of [index] changed starting 11.2? And does it mean we will lose index values when we migrate to a higher Enterprise version? We are planning on migrating to Enterprise 11.3. If that is the case, we might want to use a different method to create ticket numbers. Does anyone know how to create sequential values in workflow manager?

Any insights are appreciated.

Thanks!

Margo

[MargoHuang · Accepted solution]

Instead of changing [index] value, we have JOB NAME equal to [index] without having any other text value in it. And in our workflow diagrams, the first step is Update Job Properties. What it does is to transform JOB NAME from a string to integer and add a certain number to it. So the JOB NAME starts at a higher number. This step is run automatically and is run before any emails containing job name are sent out. 

This way we don't have to worry about the new JobIndex expression returning a value of -1 because we only use job name field.