ACD200 Appian Certified Senior Developer Questions and Answers

An index is a data structure that allows for faster retrieval of data from a table based on one or more columns. Indexes increase the performance of read operations, such as select queries, by reducing the number of records that need to be scanned. However, indexes decrease the performance of write operations, such as insert, update, and delete queries, by requiring additional work to maintain the index structure and ensure its consistency with the table data. Therefore, indexes should be used judiciously and only on columns that are frequently used in queries and have high selectivity (i.e., low number of duplicate values). 

 Object security settings can be changed in bulk in the application security summary and the compare and deploy tool. The application security summary provides a centralized view of the security role maps for all objects in an application. You can filter, sort, and edit the role maps from this view. The compare and deploy tool allows you to compare objects between two environments and deploy changes from one environment to another. You can also edit the role maps of the objects before deploying them. References: Application Security Summary, Compare and Deploy Tool

Three methods that could be used to launch a test run for expression rule test cases when required are:

• A process model invoked via an API. A process model can be designed to run test cases for expression rules using the a!testRule() function or the Test Rule smart service. This process model can be exposed as a web API with an HTTP method such as POST or PUT, allowing external systems or applications to invoke it through an HTTP request.
• A process model exposed to users as an action. A process model can also be designed to run test cases for expression rules using the same function or smart service as above. This process model can be exposed to users as an action on an interface, such as a button or a link, allowing users to trigger it manually when needed.
• A SAIL interface embedded in a report. A SAIL interface can be created to run test cases for expression rules using the a!testRule() function. This interface can be embedded in a report, such as a grid or a chart, allowing users to view the test results interactively on an interface. References: Automated Testing for Expression Rules, a!testRule() Function, Test Rule Smart Service, Web APIs, SAIL Interfaces

The question is about a sign that an application’s performance is degrading and should be addressed with changes to the application design. The following is a sign of this:

• Three of the top five most executed process models have a low completion percentage. This means that a large proportion of the process instances are not reaching the end event, either because they are taking too long to complete, or because they are encountering errors or exceptions. This can affect the performance of the application, as it can consume more memory and resources, and reduce the availability and reliability of the application. You should review the process model design and identify the causes of the low completion rate, and make changes to improve the process efficiency and error handling.

The following are not signs of performance degradation that require changes to the application design:

• Integration calls to an external system are consistently returning an HTTP status code of 500. This means that the external system is experiencing an internal server error, which is not related to the application design. You should contact the external system provider and report the issue, or implement a fallback or retry mechanism in your integration logic.
• The number of tasks assigned to users has increased from 1 per day to 5 per day. This means that the workload or demand for the application has increased, which is not necessarily a sign of performance degradation. You should monitor the task completion rate and user feedback to see if the increase in tasks is affecting the user experience or satisfaction, and adjust the task assignment or prioritization logic if needed.
• The number of objects in the Application has increased from about 100 to about 500. This means that the application has grown in size and complexity, which is not necessarily a sign of performance degradation. You should follow the best practices for application design and maintenance, such as using folders, prefixes, dependencies, and documentation, to keep the application organized and manageable.

References:

• Process Model Metrics
• HTTP Status Codes
• Task Report
• Application Design

The most efficient method to insert the deleted row of a table into a history table for audit purposes is Trigger. This is because a trigger is a database object that automatically executes a specified SQL statement when a certain event occurs on a table or view. A trigger can be defined to run before or after a delete operation on a table, and can access the deleted row using a special table called deleted. A trigger can perform the insertion of the deleted row into the history table without any additional logic or overhead from Appian. References: Triggers

The question is about presenting data through data visualization and matching the chart types to the data they are best suited to represent. The following are the correct matches:

• A pie chart is best suited to represent proportional data in one category and can help us understand the contribution of parts to a whole. A pie chart shows the relative size of each part as a slice of a circular pie, and can display percentages or absolute values. For example, a pie chart can show the market share of different smartphone brands in one country.
• A line chart is best suited to represent direct comparison of data with multiple categories with a relatively small set of positive and negative values. A line chart shows the change or trend of data over time or another variable, and can display multiple lines for different categories. For example, a line chart can show the temperature change of different cities over a year.
• A bar chart is best suited to represent values across a relatively large number of categories that are not sequential or time-based. A bar chart shows the magnitude or frequency of data using horizontal or vertical bars, and can display multiple bars for different categories. For example, a bar chart can show the number of students enrolled in different courses in a university.

References:

• Pie Chart
• Line Chart
• Bar Chart

The requirement is to create a service account for a consumer to access the Appian Web API. A basic user is the user type that should be created for this purpose, as it has the minimum permissions needed to invoke web APIs and does not consume a license. A basic user can also be assigned to specific groups or roles to control the access to web APIs. The other options are not suitable for this purpose, as they either have more permissions than needed or consume a license. References:

• User Types
• Web API Security

 The question is about AMUs (Appian Memory Units), which is a metric that measures the memory usage of a process model. The following statement is correct regarding this metric:

• Memory usage is considered low when it is below 100,000 AMUs. This is based on the Appian recommendation that each process model should use less than 100,000 AMUs on average, as higher memory usage can affect the performance or stability of Appian.

The following statements are not correct regarding this metric:

• Memory usage is considered low when it is below 10,000 AMUs. This is too low, as most process models will use more than 10,000 AMUs on average, depending on their complexity and data size.
• Memory usage is considered low when it is below 1,000 AMUs. This is too low, as even simple process models will use more than 1,000 AMUs on average, depending on their configuration and parameters.
• AMUs is not a good measurement for process memory usage. This is not true, as AMUs is a standardized and consistent measurement that reflects the relative memory usage of different process models in Appian.

References:

• AMUs (Appian Memory Units)

An integration that modifies data can be called from three locations: web API (POST, PUT, DELETE), process model, and SAIL saveInto parameter. These locations allow for sending data to an external system or service and receiving a response.

• Web API (POST, PUT, DELETE) are HTTP methods that are typically used to create, update, or delete data on a server. An integration that modifies data can be exposed as a web API with one of these methods, allowing external applications or systems to invoke it through an HTTP request1.
• Process model is a graphical representation of a business workflow that consists of nodes and flows. An integration that modifies data can be called from a process model using either an integration node or a Call Integration smart service2. This allows for orchestrating complex workflows that involve data manipulation across different systems or sources.
• SAIL saveInto parameter is a property of a SAIL component that specifies an expression to be evaluated when the component is modified by the user3. An integration that modifies data can be called from an interface using the saveInto parameter of a SAIL component. This allows for triggering data changes based on user actions or events on the interface.

When creating a Web API, you need to configure two items in the Administration Console: an API key and a service account. An API key is a unique identifier that is used to authenticate requests to your Web API. You can create and manage API keys in the Administration Console under Integration > API Keys. A service account is a user account that is used to execute the Web API expression rule. You can select a service account in the Administration Console under Integration > Web APIs when you create or edit a Web API. References: [Web APIs], [API Keys], [Service Accounts]

 The most efficient way to achieve the integration between the third-party document scanner and the Appian record list is to create a view between both the [appian].[document] and [appian].[caseData] tables to feed the record. A view is a virtual table that is defined by a query and does not store any data. It can join, filter, aggregate, or transform data from one or more tables and present it in a desired format. A view can be used to simplify complex queries, provide security, or enhance performance. By creating a view, the record can show data from both tables without duplicating or copying any data. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

References:

• Relational Database Guidance
• Views

 The best way to restrict the uploading of documents without extensions at the environment level is to enable the File Upload > Block files without an extension option under the Administration Console. This option will prevent users from uploading files that do not have a valid file extension, such as .docx, .pdf, or .png. This can help to avoid security risks and compatibility issues with unsupported file types. Therefore, the correct answer is A.

References:

• [File Upload Settings]
• [File Extensions]

The database object that should be used to create a virtual relation in a database to query the data is a view. A view is a searchable object that is defined by a query. It does not store any data but retrieves data from one or more tables at run time, creating a virtual table and returning the data in the defined format. It is created using joins, filters, aggregations, or other SQL operations. A view can be used to simplify complex queries, provide security, or enhance performance. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

References:

• Relational Database Guidance
• Views

The @Version annotation is used to avoid the collision of data from an application when more than one user is editing the same record in a database. The @Version annotation enables optimistic locking, which is a mechanism to detect and prevent concurrent updates on the same record. Optimistic locking assumes that multiple transactions can complete without affecting each other, and that therefore transactions do not need to lock data resources until they are ready to commit. However, if a transaction tries to commit changes to a record that has been modified by another transaction since it was last read, an OptimisticLockException is thrown and the transaction is rolled back. The @Version annotation can be applied to a field or property of a CDT that stores a numeric value. This value is used as a version number that is automatically incremented by Appian every time the record is updated. References: Does Appian support @Version JPA Annotation?, JPA - Optimistic Locking and Use of @Version annotation

 Creating a trigger on the database table to capture the audit trail to a table is the most efficient and has the least impact on the Appian application, because it avoids adding extra logic or calls to the Appian application, which could affect its performance and scalability. A trigger is a database object that automatically executes when a specified event occurs on a table or view. A trigger can be used to insert, update, or delete data from another table based on the changes made to the original table. References: [Triggers], [Audit Trail]

The xsd:key element is not supported within an Appian CDT. This element is used to define a key constraint for an element or a group of elements. Appian does not support key constraints in CDTs, as they are not relevant for data storage or manipulation. Instead, Appian uses primary keys and foreign keys to enforce uniqueness and referential integrity in CDTs. These keys are specified using the @Id and @JoinColumn JPA annotations, respectively. References: Supported XSD Elements and JPA Annotations

The instances of the process model that will be affected by modifying the automatic process clean-up settings are future and past instances of the process model. The automatic process clean-up settings allow you to specify how long completed or canceled processes should be kept before being archived or deleted. These settings apply to all instances of the process model, regardless of when they were started or completed. However, these settings do not affect any subprocesses that are part of the process model. Subprocesses have their own archival settings that can be configured separately. References: Automatic Process Clean-up Settings, Archiving Processes

The first place to go to find more details on why the Send E-Mail node encountered an error is to investigate the application server stdout log. This log contains information about the email server configuration, connection status, and error messages. You can access this log from the Administration Console under Monitoring > Logs > Application Server Logs > stdout.log. You can also search for keywords like “email” or “smtp” to filter the relevant entries. References: [Send E-Mail Smart Service], [Application Server Logs]

 A materialized view is the best option to show joined data from 5 tables that contain a large number of rows and could generate a large result set after executing the joins. A materialized view is a physical table that holds the results of the SQL that a view would normally be constructed from and can be generated periodically. A materialized view can improve performance by reducing the execution time of complex queries that involve multiple joins, aggregations, or calculations. A materialized view can also reduce the load on the database server by storing the query results in advance. A materialized view can be refreshed at regular intervals or on demand to reflect the changes in the underlying tables. References: [Materialized Views], [View Performance]