Status Flow

Every instance and every step in RAMP follows a defined status lifecycle. Understanding these lifecycles — which transitions are possible, what triggers them, and who can perform them — is essential for effective execution management.

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Instance Status Lifecycle

An instance moves through a series of statuses from creation to completion. The diagram below shows all possible states and transitions.

                    +-----------+
                    |   Draft   |
                    +-----+-----+
                          |
                    Plan Execution
                          |
                    +-----v-----+
            +-------|  Planned  |
            |       +-----+-----+
      Reset to            |
       Draft        Start Execution
            |             |
            |       +-----v-----+        Force Cancel
            +------>|  Running  |-----+---or Cancel--->+------------+
                    +-----+-----+     |                | Cancelled  |
                          |           |                +------------+
                    Pause |           |
                          |           |
                    +-----v-----+     |
                    |  Paused   |-----+
                    +-----+-----+
                          |
                    Resume|
                          |
                    +-----v-----+
                    |  Running  |
                    +-----+-----+
                          |
                     Complete
                          |
                    +-----v-----+
                    | Completed |
                    +-----------+

Instance Statuses

Status	Description	Editable?	Steps Executable?
Draft	Initial state after creation. Instance can be freely configured: variables, notes, team assignments, step overrides.	Yes	No
Planned	Instance has scheduled start and end dates. Ready to begin execution. Can be reset back to Draft.	Limited	No
Running	Instance is actively being executed. Steps can be started, completed, and managed.	No	Yes
Paused	Execution temporarily stopped. No new steps can be started. Existing running steps remain in their current state.	No	No (paused)
Completed	All steps finished. Instance is finalized and read-only.	Read-only	No
Cancelled	Execution stopped before completion. Instance is read-only.	Read-only	No

Instance Transitions

From	To	Trigger	Who Can Do It
Draft	Planned	Plan Execution — set planned start and end dates	Instance Head, Deputy Head
Planned	Draft	Reset to Draft — return instance for further editing	Instance Head, Deputy Head
Planned	Running	Start Execution — begin active execution	Instance Head, Deputy Head
Running	Paused	Pause — temporarily halt execution	Instance Head, Deputy Head
Running	Completed	Complete — finalize the instance after all steps are done	Instance Head, Deputy Head
Running	Cancelled	Cancel or Force Cancel — stop execution before completion	Instance Head, Deputy Head
Paused	Running	Resume — continue execution	Instance Head, Deputy Head
Paused	Cancelled	Cancel — stop execution while paused	Instance Head, Deputy Head

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Planning an Instance

Before execution can begin, an instance must be transitioned from Draft to Planned.

1. Navigate to the instance detail page (instance must be in Draft status)
2. Click the Plan Execution button in the instance header
3. In the dialog:
   • Set the Planned Start Date/Time (when execution will begin)
   • Set the Planned End Date/Time (target completion date)
4. Click Plan Execution to confirm
5. The instance transitions to Planned status

Note

Once an instance is planned, you cannot change its template version or make structural changes. You can still modify variables, notes, team assignments, and step setting overrides.

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Reset to Draft

If a Planned instance needs further changes before execution begins, it can be returned to Draft status.

1. Navigate to the instance (must be in Planned status)
2. Click the Reset to Draft button (undo icon with warning color)
3. Confirm the action in the dialog
4. The instance returns to Draft status with full editing capabilities

Who can reset: Instance Head, Deputy Head, Global Instance Head, Global Instance Deputy Head

Caution

Reset to Draft is only available from Planned status. Once an instance transitions to Running, it cannot be returned to Draft. This ensures that execution history and step progress are preserved.

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Starting Execution

1. Ensure the instance is in Planned status
2. Click Start Execution in the instance header
3. The instance transitions to Running status
4. The actual start time is recorded
5. The first startable step(s) become available for execution

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Pausing and Resuming an Instance

Pause

Pausing an instance suspends all execution activity. No new steps can be started while the instance is paused, but steps that were already in Running status remain in that state.

1. Click Pause in the instance header
2. Optionally provide a reason for pausing
3. The instance transitions to Paused status

Resume

1. Click Resume in the instance header
2. The instance returns to Running status
3. Previously paused steps can be resumed
4. Execution continues normally

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Completing an Instance

1. Ensure all required steps are in a terminal state (Completed, Skipped, or Aborted)
2. Click Complete in the instance header
3. The instance transitions to Completed status
4. All data becomes read-only

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Cancelling an Instance

1. Click Cancel in the instance header (available during Running or Paused status)
2. Provide a mandatory reason for cancellation
3. Confirm the action
4. All running and pending steps are stopped
5. The instance transitions to Cancelled status

Danger

Cancelling an instance is irreversible. The instance becomes read-only and cannot be resumed. The cancellation reason is preserved in the audit trail.

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Step Status Lifecycle

Individual steps within an instance follow their own status lifecycle, which operates within the context of the instance’s overall status.

                    +-----------+
                    |  Pending  |
                    +-----+-----+
                          |
                        Start
                          |
                    +-----v-----+
                    |  Started  | (transitional)
                    +-----+-----+
                          |
                          v
                    +-----------+
         +----------|  Running  |----------+----------+
         |          +-----+-----+          |          |
         |                |                |          |
       Pause          Complete           Skip       Abort
         |                |                |          |
   +-----v-----+   +-----v-----+   +------v----+  +--v--------+
   |  Paused   |   | Completed |   |  Skipped  |  |  Aborted  |
   +-----+-----+   +-----------+   +-----------+  +-----------+
         |
       Resume
         |
   +-----v-----+
   |  Running  |
   +-----------+

   Cancel can occur from Running or Paused:

   Running/Paused ---Cancel---> Cancelled

Step Statuses

Status	Description	Terminal?
Pending	Initial state. Step is waiting to be started.	No
Started	Transitional state immediately after initiation (brief).	No
Running	Step is actively being executed. Timer is running.	No
Paused	Step execution temporarily suspended. Timer stopped.	No
Completed	Step finished successfully with a completion result.	Yes
Skipped	Step was skipped (with reason).	Yes
Cancelled	Step execution was cancelled before completion.	Yes
Aborted	Step was aborted due to failure.	Yes

Step Transitions

From	To	Trigger	Notes
Pending	Started/Running	Start	Step must be startable (dependencies met, parent started)
Running	Completed	Complete	Requires completion result selection; evidence check if applicable
Running	Paused	Pause	Timer stops; paused duration tracked
Running	Skipped	Skip	Only if step is skippable; reason required
Running	Aborted	Abort	Reason required; marks step as failed
Running	Cancelled	Cancel	Reason required
Paused	Running	Resume	Timer resumes
Paused	Cancelled	Cancel	Reason required
Any non-terminal	Completed	Force Complete	Instance Head/Deputy only; reason + consent required
Any non-terminal	Skipped	Force Skip	Instance Head/Deputy only; reason + consent required
Any non-terminal	Aborted	Force Abort	Instance Head/Deputy only; reason + consent required

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Startability Rules

A step becomes startable (its Start button is enabled) only when all of the following conditions are met:

1. Instance is Running: The instance must be in Running status (not Draft, Planned, Paused, or terminal)
2. Step is Pending: The step must be in its initial Pending state
3. Parent is started: If the step has a parent, the parent must be in Started, Running, or Paused status
4. Sequential dependencies met: If the step has sequential siblings, all preceding siblings must be in a terminal state (Completed, Skipped, Aborted, or Cancelled)
5. Permissions: The user must have the Executor, Instance Head, or Deputy Head role

If any of these conditions is not met, the step displays a Blocked indicator. Hovering over the indicator shows the specific reason.

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Terminal vs. Non-Terminal States

Understanding which states are terminal is important for determining when subsequent steps can proceed and when the instance can be completed.

Terminal step states (no further transitions possible):

• Completed
• Skipped
• Cancelled
• Aborted

Non-terminal step states (transitions still possible):

• Pending
• Started
• Running
• Paused

Terminal instance states:

• Completed
• Cancelled

Non-terminal instance states:

• Draft
• Planned
• Running
• Paused

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Visual Indicators

The execution view uses color coding and animations to show status at a glance.

Step Status Colors

Visual	Meaning
Blue pulse animation	Step is currently Running
Green background	Step is Completed
Red background	Step is Cancelled or Aborted
Orange background	Parent step with one or more failed/aborted children
No background	Step is Pending or not yet started

Step Badges

Badge	Meaning
Sequential icon (arrow right)	Step must complete before next sibling starts
Parallel icon (branching arrow)	Step can run simultaneously with siblings
Virtual icon (refresh arrows)	Dynamically generated step from a variable list

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How Status Changes Propagate

All status changes are broadcast in real time to every user viewing the instance:

• Step status changes update the step tree and detail panel within approximately one second
• Instance status changes update the header status chip and available action buttons
• Color coding updates automatically as steps transition between states
• Blocked indicators recalculate when sibling or parent steps change status

Tip

If the real-time connection is interrupted (red connection indicator), refresh the page to see the current state. The system will automatically attempt to reconnect with exponential backoff.

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Summary: Complete Status Flow

INSTANCE LIFECYCLE:

  Draft --> Planned --> Running --> Completed
    ^          |          |
    +----------+          +--> Paused --> Running (resume)
  (Reset to Draft)        |
                          +--> Cancelled


STEP LIFECYCLE:

  Pending --> Running --> Completed (with result)
                 |
                 +--> Paused --> Running (resume)
                 |
                 +--> Skipped (reason required)
                 |
                 +--> Aborted (reason required)
                 |
                 +--> Cancelled (reason required)

  Force actions (Head/Deputy only):
    Any non-terminal --> Completed (Force Complete)
    Any non-terminal --> Skipped   (Force Skip)
    Any non-terminal --> Aborted   (Force Abort)

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Related topics

Step Actions Execute steps with granular completion statuses, skip, pause, resume, and manage execution modes

Force Actions Bypass normal execution rules with Force Complete, Force Skip, and Force Abort

Instance Detail View and manage instance configuration, team, variables, and execution