Appian Release Notes

Apps

Deploy Applications Directly Across Environments

Application administrators can now deploy changes directly from one environment to another, without needing to download objects or switch environments! This is recommended for deployments between lower environments, such as from Development to Test. We guide you through the entire experience—gathering objects that have been modified on Development, comparing and inspecting your application or patch against Test, and executing database scripts alongside your object changes on Test.

Appian leverages the DevOps infrastructure you've already set up in order to securely push your changes from one connected environment to another. Simply enable the feature for your target environment in the Administration Console, and get ready for a fast and easy deployment!

For on-premises installations of Appian, a small update to your network configuration is necessary.

Integrations

No-Code Connections to More Services

In this release, we are introducing new connected systems for popular services.

DocuSign

Now, you can quickly and easily create, manage, and send eSignatures using the new DocuSign connected system. This highly requested connected system supports both per-user (authorization code) and service account (legacy header) authentication, so regardless of your authentication preference, you are good to go.

Google Drive

Our Google Drive connected system allows you to easily manage files and folders in Google Drive using OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code (per user).

Google Cloud Translation

The new Google Cloud Translation connected system enables you to quickly and easily translate text and detect language. This service is included in Appian AI, a free and fast way for you to add artificial intelligence capabilities to any application built on the Appian platform.

Easily Integrate with Amazon Web Services

We're excited to announce that we've added support for AWS Signature Version 4 authentication to HTTP connected systems. This authentication type can be used to integrate with over 100 Amazon Web Services including S3, Comprehend, and Textract.

Improvements to Google Cloud Vision and Natural Language

Google Cloud Vision and Natural Language now use Google Service Account authentication. This enables Appian AI customers to simply and easily use the same credentials across Google's AI services. In addition, Google Cloud Vision integration now supports PDF and TIFF files.

Simplified Authentication Choices for Salesforce, Dynamics, and SharePoint

We simplified how you pick authentication choices for Salesforce, Dynamics, and SharePoint connected systems. Now when you want to connect to one of these systems, you can easily switch between authentication methods based on your needs. If you're already using one of these connected systems you'll be upgraded automatically!

Integrate with G Suite Using Domain-Wide Delegation

Google allows G Suite administrators to configure domain-wide delegation in order to grant Google Service Accounts permission to impersonate specific G Suite users. Appian now allows developers to specify a G Suite user to impersonate when using Google Service Account authentication for HTTP connected systems. This option can be used with a number of G Suite services such as Google Groups (Admin SDK Directory API), Google Calendar, and Gmail.

Improved Logging for Integrations

We have added performance logging for integrations! The summary log gives you an overview of how your integrations are behaving overall, while the details log provides insight into individual integrations. Trace logging can also be enabled when you need help troubleshooting specific integration errors.

UI Power

A new release means new ways to make your interface pop. We've added a new component, the tag field, plus additional styling options to existing components.

You now have another way to add visual interest to your interfaces with the new Tag Component. Tags are the perfect way to highlight important attributes on an interface, such as task status or record classification. Check out this recipe for Inline Tags for Side-by-Side Layout Pattern to get started.

Show Progress Prominently

We've given our Progress Bar Component two new display options to work with your interface. Use the new thick style when the progress bar should be a focal point, and change the color to reflect your branding or to show successful or unsuccessful progress.

In addition, your progress bar will gracefully handle when the percentage is set to less than 0 or greater than 100.

Create Richer Gauges

We've continued to improve on the gauge component that was released in 19.3. In this release, you have out of the box styling options to easily configure the center of the gauge to show percentage, fractions, icons, or any text of your choosing.

Add Icons and Tooltips to Buttons

The ability to add an icon and a tooltip to a button is here! Simply specify an icon from our list to call out an important button or give users an easy way to spot a familiar action, or add tooltip text to provide additional context to your users.

In addition, buttons now include accessibilityText as a parameter. This should be added when users of screen readers will need additional context to understand the purpose of a button.

Make a Bold Statement with your Billboard

Is it important that the entirety of the background image or video is shown on your billboard? Use the new AUTO height option. This will maintain the natural aspect ratio of your background media so you can be sure your users are seeing the background in its entirety, and will let you create a billboard that truly stands out.

Appian Records

Save Record List Filters

We want to make sure users can access the records important to them as quickly and easily as possible. From any record list, users can now save their own filter selections. Any saved filters will apply automatically once they return to the record list later. Each user can also update or apply their saved filters at any time and on any device.

Search Within Record Filters

Users can have a hard time finding the right choice in record list filters with a lot of options. With this release, a search box is automatically added to filters with more than 11 items.

Control Record Type Visibility in Tempo

Do you have lots of records? Keep the most important ones front and center in the main Tempo record type list while hiding any that are less important or supplemental. For any that you choose to hide, users can still see records data if it's available from another part of your application.

Health Check

Health Check is a powerful feature that helps you gain a deeper understanding of your Appian platform. It provides insight into application design patterns and performance risks on your environment, summarizing its findings in a detailed report.

We're excited to announce that with this release you can now set up, schedule, and run Health Check on each of your environments straight from the Administration Console! Plus, Health Check's interface makes tracking in-progress Health Checks simple and straightforward, and includes a detailed history of previous runs.

If you've already been using the Health Check plug-in from the AppMarket, don't worry - switching over is easy!

Task List in Mobile Sites

Developers can now enable a default task list on any Site for their mobile users through a new configuration option 'Show Task List (Mobile Only)' exposed under the Site properties.

When enabled, a list of all tasks assigned to the user is presented from the slide out menu in the Appian for Mobile Devices application.

This task list can be used to access any offline-enabled tasks even when the user is not connected to the internet and is only available on the Appian for Mobile Devices application.

Formatted Test Output for Rules and Integrations

Expression rules and integrations handle some of your most complicated data manipulation. So, we've made it easier to understand complicated results by formatting your outputs into a collapsible tree. In addition, we've added styling to better clarify between the data itself and the annotations describing the type and number of each field.

Toggle Between Precedents and Dependents

Have you ever wanted to switch from viewing an object's precedents to dependents or vice versa? Well now you can! We've added links to both views so that you can easily switch between the two with just one click.

Process Modeler Improvements

Reorder Process Model Swimlanes

Process model swimlanes are a great way to manage process node assignment in bulk. Now, working with swimlanes is even easier! You can move an existing swimlane up or down inside the process modeler, and all the associated nodes move along with it.

Launch Related Process Model from Start Process

When configuring the Start Process smart service, it is common to want to view or edit the process model that you're starting. Now you can open the selected process model by right-clicking on the Start Process node, similar to the experience with the Sub-Process node.

Diffs for All Object Configurations

Enhanced Process Model Comparisons

We know how important process model comparisons are, so we've improved them yet again. With this release, you can see differences for all remaining smart service configurations, making them even more effective for your peer reviews. We've also made it faster for you to compare your changes—now launch them from the Versions dialog inside the modeler!

Track Test Information Changes Across Objects

Test cases and default test values are valuable parts of your design objects. To get full visibility into what's changed, you can now compare test information between the latest and any historical version, and across environments for Decisions, Expression Rules, Interfaces, Integrations, and Web APIs.

Administration

Improved Mobile Management and Configuration

Starting in 19.4, the Appian for Mobile Devices applications for iOS and Android will be compliant with AppConfig. AppConfig is a standard approach to mobile application configuration and management introduced by a group of leading Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) providers and Application Developers who have come together to make it easier to drive mobile adoption in business. Deployments of mobile enterprise applications are streamlined in AppConfig by leveraging the extensive application security and configuration frameworks available in the underlying OS.

Learn more about how your users can benefit with instant mobile productivity and a seamless out-of-the-box experience using your secure work-ready applications here.

Appian Cloud

New Appian Cloud Region

Appian Cloud now supports hosting Appian Cloud sites in a new region: Bahrain

Customers can use this new region to better serve their users and operations globally.

Customers in need of hosting new sites in these regions or wish to move their existing sites to one of them should contact their Account Executive.

This change also benefits customers with sites hosted in other regions. Users located close to the Bahrain region will benefit from improved communication speeds when accessing Appian Cloud.

For a full view of all available regions and other information please visit Appian Cloud Availability.

Appian Cloud Insights

Appian now offers the ability to view key performance metrics and configuration information for Appian Cloud instances via the Cloud Insights Site on Appian Community.

Authorized technical support contacts can view current and historical data for the following metrics:

Average Response Time

Number of Requests

Percentage of Requests > Three Seconds

Average CPU Utilization

Heap Usage (%)

Disk Usage (%)

Each metric is accompanied by additional information that explains what the metric means and how to interpret abnormal values.

The following Cloud Environment configuration information is also available:

HA (High Availability) Configuration Status

Appian Release

Region

Allocated Disk, Memory, and CPU

For full details on this feature, please see the Cloud Insights documentation. Please note that this capability will only be available to premier customers at launch, but it will be rolled out to all other cloud customers over time.

Server Administration

Enhanced Data Server Security

We have enhanced the security of the data server in this release. For Appian Cloud customers, this security enhancement comes for free after upgrading. For on-premise customers, a new custom security token must be set as outlined in the Upgrade Guide.

Resolved Issues

The following issues have been resolved in this release.

AN-132464 - High

The Kafka component used by the Internal Messaging Service has been upgraded to version 2.2. This upgrade resolves stability issues, such as KAFKA-2729.

AN-141323 - Low

The box layout heading level is now correctly labeled as level 3 rather than level 2. This is for accessibility purposes only; produces no visible change.

Deprecations

The features or functionality listed below have been deprecated and will be removed in a future release of Appian. Do not start using deprecated features, and transition away from any prior usage of now deprecated features. Where applicable, supported alternatives are described for each deprecation.

Appian for BlackBerry

We will be discontinuing the Appian for BlackBerry iOS and Android mobile applications effective as of the dates set forth in the table below. Starting in 19.4, the Appian for Mobile Devices application from the iOS and Android App stores can be used and configured with BlackBerry, as well as over 20 other Enterprise Mobility Management vendors via AppConfig.

Date Program Activity September 19, 2019 19.3 Appian for BlackBerry released for iOS October 01, 2019 19.3 Appian for BlackBerry released for Android November 15, 2019 19.4 Appian AppConfig compliant application released April 01, 2020 End of support for 19.2 Appian for BlackBerry for iOS March 01, 2020 End of support for 19.2 Appian for BlackBerry for Android July 01, 2020 End of support for 19.3 Appian for BlackBerry for iOS July 01, 2020 End of support for 19.3 Appian for BlackBerry for Android

We will continue to provide support for the 19.2 and 19.3 versions of Appian for BlackBerry applications through dates mentioned above. However, we suggest that you start transitioning away from the Appian for BlackBerry application for your enterprise deployments in Q4/2019. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to mobile@appian.com. We will be happy to guide you through this process and/or discuss any specific concerns you have with this transition.

Appian Health Check Plug-ins

Now that Health Check is available from the Administration Console, the Health Check plug-ins (for Cloud, On-Premise, and On-Premise Distributed) and application will be deprecated and removed from the AppMarket. If you are using the Appian Health Check plug-in, remove it from your site before setting up Health Check in the Administration Console.

Removals

The following features or functionality have been removed from Appian as of this release.

Admin Console Settings

The following settings from the Mobile System Settings under the Appian Administration Console have been removed:

Require Passcode Lock for Mobile Apps Require Minimum iOS Operating System Version Require Minimum Android Operating System Version

These properties can be configured and enforced through your Enterprise Mobility Management.

Behavior Changes

The following behaviors have changed in this release.