Work Queues & Retry Strategy in Blue Prism for AD01

 

If you’re preparing for the AD01 (Accredited Developer) certification from Blue Prism, understanding Work Queues and Retry Logic is absolutely critical.

This cluster article expands on exception handling and focuses specifically on how AD01 tests your ability to design scalable, queue-driven automation.

 Why Work Queues Matter in AD01

In enterprise automation, bots rarely process one item at a time. Instead, they:

• Pull items from a queue

• Process them independently

• Handle failures intelligently

• Retry when appropriate

Work Queues allow Blue Prism to build resilient, scalable, and parallel automation systems.

AD01 often includes scenario-based questions around:

• Retry logic

• Exception marking

• Queue configuration

• SLA & prioritization

What Is a Work Queue?

A Work Queue is a structured list of work items stored in the Blue Prism database.

Each item includes:

• Key data fields

• Status

• Attempts count

• Exception reason

• Priority

Queues allow multiple runtime resources to process items simultaneously.

Work Queue Item Lifecycle

Understanding this lifecycle is important for the exam.

1. Pending

Item is waiting to be processed.

2. Locked

A runtime resource is processing the item.

3. Completed

Successfully processed.

4. Exception

Failed permanently (no more retries).

System vs Business Exception in Queues

System Exception

Example:

• Application timeout

• Element not found

• Network failure

👉 Strategy:

• Retry up to defined limit

• Increment attempt count

• If limit exceeded → Move to Exception state

Business Exception

Example:

• Invalid customer ID

• Missing invoice data

• Duplicate record

👉 Strategy:

• Do NOT retry

• Mark as Exception immediately

• Log clear reason

AD01 frequently tests this distinction.

Designing Proper Retry Logic

Here is the best-practice retry framework:

Step 1: Get Next Item

Use Get Next Item action.

Step 2: Try Processing

Wrap logic inside exception handling block.

Step 3: On Exception

Check exception type.

Step 4: Decision Logic

If System Exception:

• Retry if Attempts < Max Retries
  If Business Exception:

• Do not retry

 AD01 Exam Tricky Questions

Expect questions like:

• What happens if retry limit is exceeded?

• Should business exceptions be retried?

• Where should retry logic be implemented?

• Should object-level exceptions be re-thrown?

Correct concept:

Retry logic belongs in the main process layer, not inside object-level code.

Queue Configuration Parameters (Important for AD01)

When creating a Work Queue, understand:

• Max Attempts

• Retry Delay

• SLA (Service Level Agreement)

• Priority

• Key Fields

AD01 may test theoretical understanding of these.

 Enterprise-Level Queue Strategy

A production-ready automation should:

✔ Separate business & system logic
✔ Log detailed exception messages
✔ Avoid infinite retries
✔ Allow parallel processing
✔ Maintain audit trails

This shows architectural maturity — something AD01 values.

Real-World Scenario (Exam Style)

Scenario:
Bot processes 500 invoices.

Case 1:
Application crashes → System Exception
→ Retry up to 3 times
→ If still fails → Mark Exception

Case 2:
Invoice number missing → Business Exception
→ Mark Exception immediately

If you understand this flow clearly, you can handle most AD01 queue questions.

 Common AD01 Mistakes

• Retrying business exceptions

• No max attempt limit

• Not logging exception reason

• Placing retry logic inside Object Studio

• Not updating queue status properly

Relationship to Exception Handling Strategy

This cluster directly supports:

Blue Prism Exception Handling Strategy for AD01

Because queue management and exception handling work together:

• Object level catches

• Process level decides

• Queue level controls retry

Conclusion

Mastering Work Queues is not optional for AD01 — it’s foundational.

If you can confidently explain:

• Queue lifecycle

• Retry strategy

• Exception classification

• Max attempts behavior

You are exam-ready.