Closing idle bot-to-bot conversations

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Closing Idle Bot-to-Bot Conversations

    The feature for managing idle bot-to-bot conversations in ServiceNow's Virtual Agent API automatically closes conversations that have been inactive for over an hour. This is handled by the scheduled job titled Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations, which executes hourly. The default timeout for these conversations is set to one hour (3600 seconds).

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    Key Features

    • Automatic Closure: Conversations left idle for more than the specified timeout period are automatically closed.
    • Customizable Timeout: Admins can modify the default timeout by adding the system property com.glide.cs.b2bconversationidletimeout to adjust how long a conversation remains open.
    • Scheduled Job Management: The scheduled job can be modified in terms of timing and frequency of execution.

    Key Outcomes

    By managing idle bot-to-bot conversations effectively, customers can ensure that system resources are optimized, reduce clutter from abandoned conversations, and provide a better user experience. Adjusting the timeout can help align the system's behavior with specific operational needs, while changes to the scheduled job allow for flexible management of conversation handling.

    In bot-to-bot integrations (Virtual Agent API), abandoned conversations that are "idle" for more than an hour are automatically closed by the scheduled job, Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations. This job runs hourly each day.

    The default timeout period for abandoned bot-to-bot conversations is one hour (3600 seconds). The Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations job closes any bot-to-bot conversations that have been open longer than one hour (3600 seconds). You (admins) can change the default timeout period for idle bot-to-bot conversations by adding the system property com.glide.cs.b2b_conversation_idle_timeout.

    The timeout value that you specify in this property applies to all bot-to-bot conversations involving the Virtual Agent.

    Change the timeout period for idle bot-to-bot conversations

    Add the com.glide.cs.b2b_conversation_idle_timeout property to the System Property [sys_properties] table to specify the length of time that an abandoned bot-to-bot conversation remains open (idle). When the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations job runs hourly, it closes any bot-to-bot conversations that have been idle longer than the specified time.
    1. Navigate to All, and then enter sys_properties.list in the navigation filter.
    2. Click New.
    3. On the form, fill in the fields.
      Field Value
      Name Enter the system property name:com.glide.cs.b2b_conversation_idle_timeout
      Description Enter an explanation for this property: Idle timeout period (in seconds) for all bot-to-bot conversations
      Type Select integer.
      Value Enter the number of seconds that the abandoned bot-to-bot conversations remain open, after the requester's last response.

      For example, a value of 1800 seconds (30 minutes) means that an abandoned bot-to-bot conversation remains open for 1800 seconds (30 minutes). When the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations job runs, it closes any conversations that have been idle longer than 1800 seconds.
    4. Click Submit.

    Change the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations scheduled job

    To change the time that this hourly scheduled job runs or to make other adjustments to the scheduled job:
    1. Navigate to All > System Definition > Scheduled Jobs and open the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations record.
    2. In the Scheduled Script Execution form, change the Time at which the scheduled job runs. Or, depending on how you want to adjust the timing, change other fields in the form as needed.

      For example, to change the interval at which the job runs, in the Run field, select Periodically. You then specify the Repeat Interval (Days and Hours) that the job runs and the Starting date for the interval. For a description of the other fields that you can change in this form, see Automatically run a script of your choosing.

    3. Click Update.

      The job runs at the specified time and frequency.