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Watch Lifecycle
To understand watch behavior, separate two ideas:
- Activation state: whether the watch is currently monitoring
- Health state: whether the monitored condition is healthy or in error
Activation state vs health state
| Category | Typical values | What it answers |
|---|---|---|
| Activation state | Active or Inactive | Should this watch currently be evaluating check-ins? |
| Health state | Relax or Error | Is the monitored condition currently healthy? |
How a watch becomes active
Scheduled
Schedule activation
The watch becomes active automatically according to its configured schedule and duration.
Event-driven
API activation
A workflow or system event activates the watch when monitoring should start.
Self-starting
Activate on Check-In
For eligible non-scheduled watches, the first valid check-in can activate the watch and count as the first check-in.
Chained
Activate on Deactivation
One watch can start another when the source watch fully deactivates, which is useful for handoff workflows.
How health is evaluated
Once active, the watch evaluates whether check-ins arrive as expected. If they do, the condition stays in Relax. If they do not, or if another configured rule is violated, the condition moves to Error.
Timing model
Active missed-action watches use one of two timing strategies:
| Strategy | How it works | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed period | The next required check-in is tied to fixed time boundaries | The schedule itself is the important rhythm |
| Cascading period | The next required check-in is calculated from the last check-in | The workflow should keep proving progress relative to its latest activity |
Deactivation and deadlines
Watches may deactivate because:
- the schedule window ends
- the workflow explicitly deactivates the watch
- all child conditions in a queue- or machine-aware design become inactive
Some runs also use a Deactivate-By Deadline, which marks the condition as unresolved if the run was not deactivated in time.
Important behavior
Deactivation is not the same as recovery. A watch can become inactive while still showing unresolved error reasons.