Types of timeouts
Timeouts define how long WEBCON BPS waits for an operation – an SQL query, an HTTP request, an action or an automation – to complete before stopping it with an error. The overview below lists the timeouts that apply in version 2025 R2; the Comments column shows the changes introduced in this version.
Timeout overview
Timeouts are not mutually exclusive – several of them can apply to one operation at the same time, and the operation is stopped by whichever is exceeded first (see Dependencies between timeouts).
Actions and automations
| Timeout type | Where it applies | Default value | Configurable | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQL queries in actions | User-defined SQL queries, e.g. in the Change value of single field, Update item list values and Add attachment actions, and in SQL COMMAND rules. When exceeded, the automation is rolled back and the path transition stops. | 30 s | No | – |
| Invoke REST Web service action | Waiting for the server response for REST actions and data sources – both when run from the Portal and from the service. | 100 s | No | As of version 2025.2.1.138, the timeout for REST actions and data sources run from the service was aligned to 100 s (the same as in the Portal). |
| HTTP requests to Microsoft Graph | OneDrive and Exchange actions, fetching messages from HotMailBox and MailApproval mailboxes, and user synchronization with Microsoft Entra ID. | 100 s | No | – |
| Microsoft Graph authentication request | Getting a token before a connection is established, e.g. at the start of user synchronization with Microsoft Entra ID. | 120 s | No | – |
| Run a PowerShell script action | Time to execute the action command. When exceeded, the script keeps running on the server in the background. | 60 s | No | – |
| Automation Execution time limit | Total automation execution time, checked before entering each block (action or process automation). When exceeded, the automation ends with the error "Execution time exceeded". | 30 s | Yes – in the automation configuration (Automations) | – |
Workflow Service
| Timeout type | Where it applies | Default value | Configurable | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service operations timeout in seconds | Operations performed by the service: timer actions, cyclical actions, HotFolders and HotMailBoxes (monitoring, starting instances and attaching to instances by barcode), default paths from steps waiting for the text layer, OCR AI and OCR AI Learn, path transitions from MailApproval. When exceeded, the path transition performed by the service is cancelled, together with the actions executed and scheduled on that path. | 120 s | Yes – System settings > Services, Configuration tab (Services) | – |
| OLAP query | Queries that refresh step statistics and the KPIs defined in processes, run at the KPI refresh time. | 7200 s (2 hours) | No | – |
| SQL operation during SOLR indexing | The query that reads instance data (form data, item lists, permissions, attachment data) before passing it to the SOLR index. | 300 s | Yes – System settings > Services, SOLR Configuration tab | – |
| Operation when connecting to the SOLR server | Waiting for the SOLR server to process the documents and respond. | 300 s | Yes – System settings > Services, SOLR Configuration tab | – |
| Text extraction from an attachment file | Indexing attachment content in processes with the Add attachment content to SOLR search index option enabled (version 2024 R1 and later). The timeout applies to each file separately; exceeding it does not affect indexing of the instance data itself. | 60 s | No | As of version 2025.2.1.35, text extraction runs in a separate process, so files with many pages or a complex structure do not block indexing. |
| Loading a single portion of data during user synchronization | User synchronization with directory services. | 15 min | No | – |
Portal and IIS
| Timeout type | Where it applies | Default value | Configurable | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report data loading | Loading report data in applications in the Portal. | 60 s | No | – |
| HTTP request to the IIS server | Every browser request to the Portal. When exceeded, the user sees a "Bad Gateway" error, while the SQL Server transaction may still complete in the background. | 120 s | Yes – in the IIS server configuration | – |
| Access authorization session | Access authorization for form fields, groups and tabs with the Periodically require option. During the session, the user can reveal any number of form fields protected by this option; the session is shared with path authorization. | 5 min | Yes – authorization methods in System settings > Global parameters > Security | – |
Connections
| Timeout type | Where it applies | Default value | Configurable | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connection Timeout of the MSSQL database connection | Establishing a connection to an external MSSQL database defined in Connections. | 30 s | Yes – in the connection definition (MSSQL database) | As of version 2025.2.1.212, the default value was changed from 120 to 30 s – applies to new and existing connections. |
| Timeout (s) of the LDAP directory connection | Establishing a connection to the LDAP server. | As set in the connection configuration | Yes – in the connection definition | – |
| SQL server connection in the health check mechanism | Checking the database connection status through the Portal's /health endpoint. The first call after the Portal starts may take up to the Connection Timeout from the database connection string, if that value is longer; subsequent calls respect the timeout from the configuration file. | 5 s | Yes – in the appsettings.json file, healthCheck node, sqlTimeout parameter (value in milliseconds) | – |
Dependencies between timeouts
- Timeouts apply in parallel. For example, an automation with a 240 s limit that runs for 150 s completes successfully, but the user sees a "Bad Gateway" error after 120 s because of the IIS request timeout.
- Exceeding the SQL query timeout in an action (30 s) stops and rolls back the entire automation, even if its Execution time limit is longer.
- A rollback does not undo changes already made in external systems, e.g. by the Invoke REST Web service action.
- Automations run On timer and Cyclical are additionally subject to the Service operations timeout in seconds. Exceeding it stops the automation immediately, without running the error handling automation.
- A cyclical action run in a transaction that exceeds the service timeout rolls back changes for all processed instances – including those whose path transition completed successfully.
- Exceeding the timeout of the Run a PowerShell script action or of the IIS request does not stop the operation – the script or the SQL transaction may complete in the background.
info
For a detailed description of the timeouts, including examples of error messages, see the article Types of timeouts in WEBCON BPS.