Managing dependent tasks

A task can depend on another task. A dependent task cannot be started until the prerequisite task is complete.

After you define a task, you can configure dependencies for it with other tasks. You can make a task dependent on another task, or make a task a prerequisite for another task. A task can have multiple dependencies and multiple prerequisites. You can define dependencies for a task with any other task in the deployment plan. However, you cannot create circular dependencies. You cannot, for example, make a task dependent on a task in another segment that itself depends on the first task.

Note: You can also do most of these steps on the Execution and Deployment Plan page when you run a deployment. You can add tasks and segments to a deployment while the deployment is running. Changes that are made during a deployment are preserved in the deployment plan that directs the deployment.

From the IBM® UrbanCode™ Release dashboard, click Releases & Deployments, and then click Deployment Plans.
In the Deployment Plans page, click the name of the deployment plan.
To add prerequisite tasks to a task, complete these steps:
1. On the plan page, click the action icon for the task, and then select Add Prerequisite Task, or click Add Dependency icon, .
  The Add Task Prerequisite dialog box displays the segments in the deployment plan. Expand the segment names to see the tasks in the segments. All tasks in the deployment plan are displayed.
2. Optional: In the Task Name field, enter a filter, and press Enter.
  Only tasks that match the filter criteria are displayed. Filter characters are case-sensitive.
3. Optional: In the Tag list, select a tag.
  The task list is updated to display only tasks with the selected tag.
4. In the task list, select the task that you want to make a prerequisite for the selected task.
  The current task cannot start until the prerequisite task is complete. You can select more than one prerequisite task.
5. Click Save.
  The selected task is a prerequisite for the current task. If you select a task that creates a circular dependency, a message is displayed and you cannot save the dependency until you select an eligible task. The factors that are used to determine circular dependencies include prerequisites for the other task, segment prerequisites, and whether segments are sequential or parallel.
If the dependency is saved, the Dependencies field is updated to display the number of dependencies for the task. If a task has tasks that depend on it, the Dependent Tasks icon is displayed, , along with the number of dependent tasks. If a task has prerequisite tasks, the Prerequisite Tasks icon is displayed, . You can see at a glance how many dependencies a task has, as shown in this figure.
In the plan page, click the action icon for the task, and select Add Dependent Task, and then follow the procedures that are described in the previous step to add a dependent task.
When you add dependent tasks to the selected task, the dependent tasks cannot start until the selected task is complete.
Optional: To modify a task dependency, complete these steps:
1. Click the action icon for the task, and then select View/Edit.
2. In the Edit Task dialog box, click Dependencies.
3. Click Add Prerequisite Task to add a prerequisite task, or click Add Dependent Task to add a dependent task.
  To complete the task dependency, follow the procedures that are described in step 3.
4. Optional: Click the Delete icon to delete a task dependency.
5. Click Save.
Optional: Click the Dependencies field to see dependencies for a task.

Dependencies are displayed in the Dependencies window that shows the number of prerequisite and dependent tasks for the selected task. The tasks for each dependency type are listed along with their status. During a deployment, the status is updated as the deployment runs.

In the Dependencies window, click a task name to display details about the dependent or prerequisite task. The Edit Task window for the selected task is displayed, where you can modify the dependency.