Automation Loop limitation

Question

Hi, I have set up 2 automations for auto scheduling a chain of issues (mimicking gantt auto schedule features in similar tools).

The automation rules are:

1. If START DATE is being updated, then DUE DATE is auto calculated and set.

2. If DUE DATE is being updated, then the START DATE of the linked issue (BLOCKS) is auto calculated and set.

So I was hoping that both automation rules will fire each other until it will get to the last issue In the tree, which doesn't have linked issues it BLOCKS. (1 fires 2 which fires 1 and so on)

The problem that the Automation engine stops it after apx. 10 runs with the following error:

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Rule execution was stopped since an execution loop was detected. Please check *all* your rules and disable the 'Allow rule trigger' setting in 'Rule details' where it is not needed. We stopped execution after detecting a long chain of rules triggering other rules. Chain length: 10

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Can you please assist? Many thanks !!

YARON LEVY_idhna2 · Answer

Thank you Bill, As you said, branching is not being done in parallel, and also makes the whole automation setup to be too much to maintain further down the line.

It has to be a recursive operation.

Many thanks again.

Bill Sheboy · Answer

Hi @YARON LEVY -- Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

That error is telling you the rule(s) exceeded the service limit of 10 loop executions: https://support.atlassian.com/cloud-automation/docs/automation-service-limits/

This limit helps prevent rule errors / runaway conditions leading to self-triggering rules or chains of rules.

Please rethink your scenario to learn if it is possible to solve this without self-triggering rules, or to enforce updates in one direction only, where branching might help.  Also note rule branching for such cases is processed in parallel, not sequentially, and so other solution approaches may be needed.

Kind regards,
Bill