Flow, Flow, Flow Your Boat... Gently Down PI!

One of the great developments Microsoft has recently made is an extension of its Logic App framework called "Flow" (https://flow.microsoft.com). It is an automation architecture that absolutely ROCKS! Let me say it again:

FLOW ROCKS!

Microsoft--like PI--knows that people work where they're at. So in order to get data flowing between apps, its architecture simplifies:

• Connections between apps
• Surfacing methods by which apps can talk to each other
• Transforming data en route between applications

What's great is it also allows 3rd-party apps with robust API's to interact with the hundreds of apps it already has in its library.

For example, let's say you wanted to get a text message at the beginning of every day listing out all the Active Projects in PI. The flow would go something like this:

• Create a new flow in MS Flow
• Start by creating a trigger: add the Recurrence object
• Set it for 6AM daily (or whatever time you want)
• Add an HTTP query that queries PI for Active Projects; set the headers with the right syntax and a special access token generated from your PI app (you can test with Postman or similar app)
• Create a variable to hold the results you get back (this will become a list after it's finished looping through the returned JSON)
• Create a text object; set your phone number, drop the variable into the body of the text message
• Save & Test

Pretty killer, right?!

NOW YOU TRY! You may run into some trouble setting up your HTTP query or looping through the JSON to create the variable. Post your experience and questions below!