Scheduled Cloud Flow Shows Running, Each of 2 Actions is Fast (13ms, 120ms), But Flow Runtime Duration over 3 Minutes

[donmac]

I have a Scheduled Cloud Flow that kicks off a desktop flow. The desktop flow selects the name of a local file and uses the file name in an IF statement to determine which other desktop flow to run. Whether there is a file present (where all IF options are false) or not, the flow runs for over 3 minutes. When there is a file present, it takes about 3 minutes to start and then it selects the appropriate desktop flow to run on the file based on the IF statement, and then it takes a reasonable amount of time (maybe 1 minute) to run the desktop flow that fits the file and completes successfully.  When running the main desktop flow from the desktop, there is no 3 minute delay in executing the IF statement, selecting the correct desktop flow to process the file, or running the necessary desktop flow.

I use a direct connection to the machine from the cloud flow to trigger the recurring desktop flow.

[ryule]

Are they using the same machine for the 2 separate flows? If so, there will be some delay as when the first flow finishes, the machine has to fully sign out and be ready to be used again.....3 minutes does seem a bit steep, but it definitely won't be instantaneous.

[donmac]

Hi ryule, that could explain it, is there a way to see more detail on the timing within a flow?

It runs the other flow within the main desktop flow using "Run Desktop Flow" and it finishes the main flow after it finishes the flow selected in the IF statement, so it doesn't seem like it is closing out of the main flow before moving onto the subsidiary flow contained in the IF statement.

[momlo]

Question is if you are indeed running 1 desktop flow, collecting it's output back to cloud flow and based on that you run yet another desktop flow. That's what @ryule assumed.

If your are running 1 "main" desktop flow, then you do the file check and call another desktop flow from within the main flow - everything is happening in one session, and there is no logging on and off happening.

[ryule]

Yes, sounds like I made an incorrect assumption, sorry about that!!

not sure what the issue may be then! 

[momlo]

no worries, i make bad assumptions all the time haha

as for the issue - it might be just the fact that when you schedule a flow, or trigger it from the cloud, the mechanism works this way:

1. Power Automate cloud, sends job to Azure Relay - that takes time

2. Azure relay holds this piece of info.

3. PAD services contacts Azure relay to check if there are new jobs for that machine.

4. If azure responds with a job, that PAD flow is being downloaded to the machine and executed

So depending on network configurations/performance/size of the pad flow etc it might take some time

[donmac]

Hi momlo, thanks for the reply.

Yes, it seems like it is just one session. As I mentioned, the "Main" flow finishes after the subsidiary flow that is selected through the IF statement in the main flow.

So, the timing goes like the following:

Cloud flow is scheduled to run every minute with maximum concurrent runs set to 1 so that it is only running 1 at a time.

When the cloud flow starts, it is running the "Main" desktop flow.

The "Main" desktop flow shows "running" in the desktop flow monitor fairly quickly.

The "Main" desktop flow is 60 lines, but basically retrieves a file, looks at the file name and then, using the file name, has a 20 part "if file name A".... "Run desktop flow A"..... "else if file name B".... "Run desktop flow B"...."else if file name C".... "Run desktop flow C".... END

The desktop flow monitor shows about 3.5-4 minutes at the time that I see the subsidiary flow selected in the main flow kick off on the machine.

The subsidiary flow runs as it should for about 1 minute on the machine and shows as "running" in the desktop flow monitor.

The subsidiary flow concludes and then, shows success in the desktop flow monitor.

The main flow still shows "running" in the desktop monitor, but it also concludes soon after (within 10 seconds) and shows success in the desktop flow monitoring.

I don't think the Main flow is large with only 60 lines and our network is not normally slow in any way, it is on a fiber internet connection. I also run some recurring cloud flows triggering single desktop flows that don't have the "IF" "ELSE IF" subsidiary desktop flow logic and those flows trigger and complete in less than a minute, so it seems like maybe it is related to the subsidiary flow setup.

Is there any way to better determine where the timing issue is?

[momlo]

Hi @donmac 

I still do not fully understand if your "subsidiary flow" is a sub-flow of the "main flow" called with "run subflow" or if these are separate desktop flows called using "run desktop flow".

Nevertheless, what you could do to try to pinpoint the exact location where the execution time is the longest is to add custom logging to your flow.

For example, add "get current date/time" and then "write to file" action after every action (or, for starters, only where you suspect execution time is an issue), then analyse the attended vs unattended logs.

[donmac]

Hi @momlo,

The subsidiary flows are not sub-flows, they are desktop flows (about 20 of them) that are each referenced by one of the IF.... ELSE IF.... ELSE IF... ELSE IF... statements in the main flow.

When run the main flow from the editor rather than triggering it through the cloud flow, I can see a little bit on what it is doing and it seems to sit for most of the time in a status of "parsing" the main flow before it does anything. Once it is done parsing, it seems to move at a more expected pace. I am wondering if maybe it is parsing all of the referenced desktop flows also when it parses the main flow with the IF statements....

Thanks!

[momlo]

imaho that's the case, you can confirm by creating copy of the flow and disabling all / removing all calls to other desktop flows.