Note: The Robot API is no longer supported. We recommend using the Orchestrator API.

There are four ways how you can run a process in UiPath Studio 8

This article shows how to run UiPath 8 processes from external applications and remote systems. For UiPath Studio 7.5 guidelines, check this article.

UiPath 8 exposes a REST service endpoint which you can use to start a process. A simple API allows you to leverage UiPath execution power into your own application or trigger it remotely.

Want to start a process from your .NET application?
POST a command using a WebClient object or any REST third party library.

Want to integrate your Java application with UiPath?
Use any implementation of JAX-WS to consume our REST service.

Want to trigger a process from your MAC?
Use cURL to easily start the process.

Configure UiPath Robot service

Install UiPath Studio msi
Go to Local Services and stop UiPath Robot service

Edit UiRobot.exe.config under UiPath installation folder and uncomment the REST endpoint

 <!-- Enable this for UiPath Platform Preview support-->
 <!--<endpoint name="RestEndpoint" address="http://127.0.0.1:8080/UiPath/service/agent" binding="webHttpBinding" bindingConfiguration="WebHttpBinding_IRemoteContract" contract="UiPath.Models.IUiPathRemoteContract" behaviorConfiguration="RestEndpointBehaviour" />
 <endpoint address="http://127.0.0.1:8080/UiPath/service/agent/mex" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange" />-->

Start UiPath Robot service

To easily test if the service is up and running just run Invoke-RestMethod command from PowerShell

Invoke-RestMethod http://127.0.0.1:8080/UiPath/service/agent/IsAlive -Method Get

By default, the service is hosted at http://127.0.0.1:8080 address. You can change this in UiRobot.exe.config file by changing the address of RestEndpoint.

UiPath Robot API

UiPath exposes a WCF service as a REST web service that you can consume from your application to start and manage processes. All methods have a JSON web message format.

All samples below can be executed in PowerShell 3.0 or higher.

Service Methods

bool IsAlive()
DescriptionGET method; Returns True if UiPath service is up and running.
RemarksUri template: service_address:port/UiPath/service/IsAlive
SampleInvoke-RestMethod service_address:port/UiPath/service/agent/IsAlive -Method Get

string StartJob(Stream processInfo)
DescriptionPOST method; Starts the process defined by the JobModel passed. Returns a GUID that uniquely identifies the process started.
RemarksProcessInfo parameter must be a JobModel object in JSON format
Uri template: service_address:port/StartJob
Sample
$job ="{'WorkflowFile': 'C:\\Workflows\\Main.xaml', 'User': 'andra', 'Password': 'parola', 'Type': 0}"
$jobIdResponse = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri service_address:port/UiPath/service/agent/StartJob -Body $job -Method Post
$jobId = $jobIdResponse.ChildNodes[0].InnerText

string QueryJob(string processId)DescriptionGET method; Retrieves execution information about the process identified by processId.
RemarksThe information represents a JobStatus object in JSON format.
Uri template: service_address:port/QueryJob/{processId}
SampleInvoke-RestMethod service_address:port/UiPath/service/agent/QueryJob/'{8be88bb4-3e51-40da-aca8-26d601be3c61}' -Method Get

void CancelJob(string processId)Description
GET method; Cancels the process identified by processId.
RemarksUri template: service_address:port/UiPath/service/CancelJob/{processId}
SampleInvoke-RestMethod service_address:port/UiPath/service/agent/CancelJob/'{8be88bb4-3e51-40da-aca8-26d601be3c61}' -Method Get

Service Models

JobModel

WorkflowFile	string	Represents the absolute path of the process;
InputArguments	Dictionary<string, object>	A dictionary of input parameters keyed by argument name.
User	string	Specifies the user account name that should execute the process. If this is not specified then CredentialTarget is mandatory
Password	string	The Windows password of the user defined by User parameter. If this is not specified then CredentialTarget is mandatory
CredentialTarget	string	The name of a Windows Credential that defines the user account that should execute the process.
Type	int	Default 0. Available values {0,1}. If set to 0 then the process will start in an interactive Windows session of the user, otherwise it will start in session 0.
SessionInfo	OpenSessionInfo	Defines if the Windows session should be monitored

JobStatus

ExecutionStatus	string	Specifies the current status of the process. Available values {NotStarted, Processing, Finished, Error, Cancelled, Cancelling, JobMissing}
ExecutionPoint	string	Represents the last faulted activity of the specified process.
CompletedResult	string	The result of a finished process. It represents a InvokeCompletedArgs object in JSON format

InvokeCompletedArgs

State	string	Describes the completed state of the process. More information about its values can be found here
Error	Exception	Is set only when the process ends with error
Output	Dictionary<string,object>	A dictionary of the Out and InOut values keyed by argument name that represent the outputs of the process
Token	Guid	The id of the process
WorkflowFile	string	Absolute path of the executed process

Windows Communication Foundation Essentials(WCF)

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) is a platform rich in features necessary for building distributed service-oriented applications. With WCF developers can create services that satisfy a vast number of scenarios for the intranet and Internet including classic client-server applications, services that match the simplicity of ASP.NET web services (ASMX), services that incorporate the latest web service standards (WS*), and services that support advanced security scenarios such as federated security. Designing and implementing services with WCF is not particularly difficult once you know the platform – therein lies the challenge. How can a developer get up to speed on the entire WCF platform quickly in order to be productive implementing WCF services? How can a developer new to WCF get up to speed on only those features they need to implement services that meet their application’s requirements? How can a developer be sure that they have not overlooked an important facet of WCF necessary to implementing their services in the best possible way?

Developers cannot be expected to have full command of the vastness of the WCF platform before designing and implementing services – but they can be expected to consider common scenarios and recommended settings for core features necessary to those scenarios. This whitepaper, broken into a series of topics, is intended to provide developers with concise guidance on WCF to reduce some of the noise created by the sheer number of features. Those new to WCF should read this whitepaper as a quick start guide to the features to at least consider during design and implementation of WCF services, and as specific scenarios are tackled. Those who already have experience with WCF can use this whitepaper as a checklist with recommendations to consider and things not to forget. Both audiences should see this as a way to make sure that sound choices are being made for contract design, hosting, configuration and the employment of extended WCF features.

Articles in this series

Getting Started with WCF	This section will serve as a summary of the steps you will take to design, implement, host and consume WCF services. The purpose is not to explain the details behind each design choice or feature – but to make you aware that these are things you should consider. Later sections of this whitepaper will provide recommendations to narrow the choices you face.
WCF Templates and Tools	This section summarizes the available project templates, when to use each; and discusses the limitations and benefits of the core WCF tools.
Contracts	This section will review core considerations for contract design including designing service contracts, choosing between complex type serialization formats, and when to use the XmlSerializer or message contracts.
Versioning Strategies	This section discusses how WCF contracts support backward compatibility, and explains a few versioning strategies that you might consider for your WCF applications.