AIOps 4.9.0 introduced the concept of Conditional branching in automated runbooks. This feature allows a runbook author to configure an automated runbook step so that the next step taken depends on the status, output, execution time, or return code of the action.

With AIOps 4.9.1, this capability was enhanced further: runbook operators can now preview possible branches before running a runbook step, providing better visibility and decision-making support. 

What's new in AIOps 4.10.0?

AIOps 4.10.0 a new capability has been added: runbook operators can now review which conditional branch was taken after an automated runbook step has been run. This helps in understanding why a particular path was followed during the automation, improving transparency and troubleshooting.

Use cases

Here are some typical use cases for conditional branching across AIOps versions.

• AIOps 4.9.0
  •  A runbook author wants to configure an alternative action if a step in the FARB (Fully Automated Runbook) fails - enabling automated recovery instead of halting on failure.
  •  A runbook author wants to take different actions based on the status, return code, output or execution time of an action, allowing more precise handling of different scenarios.
• AIOps 4.9.1
  • A runbook operator wants to preview the possible outcome branches for a step before running it.
• AIOps 4.10.0
  •  A runbook operator wants understand which branch was selected after running a step - and why it was selected - based on the action's result. 

Using conditional branches when running a runbook

When running a  runbook that includes a step with conditional branches, an informational tooltip indicates how many branches are configured for the step (see screenshot below).

By clicking the conditional branch link, an information dialog opens, showing all the configured branches for that step. 

Once the automated step completes, the dialog is updated to indicate:

• Which condition matched
• Which target step was executed

This allows operators to quickly review the logic flow and verify whether the expected branch was followed.

Summary

Conditional branching in AIOps runbooks empower both runbook authors and operators by:

• Enabling flexible, automated decision-making based on real-time automated step results.
• Providing visibility into branching logic before and after runbook execution.
• Supporting faster troubleshooting and more resilient automtion flows.

With AIOps 4.10.0, operarors now gain full transparency into why a certain branch was taken, completing the loop from planning to execution analysis.