@Marvin We have set up an automation to notify us of fast failures, meaning that we want only alerts if flows fail within 5 seconds of starting. However, this automation is alerting us also if it takes longer than 5 seconds. How does one setup an automation to make sure it only alerts when the failure happened within X timeframe?

To create an automation in Prefect that notifies you only when a flow fails within a specific timeframe, like 5 seconds, you'll want to set up a custom notification strategy. This strategy needs to read the start and end time of the flow run and check if the duration is within the desired time frame before sending an alert. Here's a general approach you can follow, though specific implementation details might vary depending on your Prefect version: 1. Create a Flow State Handler: You can create a state handler in your flow that calculates the time difference between the start and failure time of the flow. If the difference is less than or equal to your defined threshold (e.g., 5 seconds), then trigger an alert. 2. Monitor State Changes: Use Prefect's ability to trigger actions based on state changes. You can write a function that triggers an alert conditionally based on the flow run duration. Let me check the appropriate Prefect documentation and GitHub issues for any specific examples or built-in functionality that directly supports your needs. I will find relevant resources for both Prefect 2.x and 3.x versions. It looks like there was an issue with my search queries. Let me correct that and perform the search again for both Prefect 2.x and 3.x documentation. I'll specifically look for guidance on setting up notifications based on flow run durations. To create an alert for flow failures that occur within a specific timeframe, such as 5 seconds after starting, you can use Prefect's custom triggers. Below are some ways to achieve your goal based on Prefect documentation for both 2.x and 3.x versions. ### Prefect 2.x While the documentation mainly discusses compound triggers for events, you can still create a custom solution for your use case: 1. State Handlers: Implement a state handler in your flow or task that calculates the time elapsed since the start and checks for failure within the 5-second window. Upon meeting this condition, it can trigger an alert via logs or a notification service. 2. Automations with Conditional Logic: Use a combination of state checks and conditional logic within your automation scripting to filter out alerts if the failure occurs beyond the specified duration. For more on automations in Prefect 2.x, you can refer to this Prefect 2.x automations guide. ### Prefect 3.x Prefect 3.x has more advanced automation and custom trigger capabilities, which might be more aligned with your needs: 1. Proactive Triggers: You can configure a proactive trigger that reacts if a

prefect.flow-run.Completed

event is not observed within a specified duration from the

prefect.flow-run.Running

event. You can adjust the

within

parameter to your desired timeframe. 2. Composite Triggers: Utilize composite triggers that can combine multiple event criteria and conditions to fire alerts. This is useful if you want to monitor more complex patterns. For detailed options and examples on using custom triggers in Prefect 3.x, check the Prefect 3.x custom triggers documentation. These strategies should help you set up the desired alerting mechanism based on the flow's execution timeframe. Please let me know if you need further assistance tailored to your Prefect setup!

@Marvin did I understand correctly that it is not possible to create an automation to check if a flow failed within 5 seconds without custom state handling?

Based on the documentation for both Prefect 2.x and 3.x, creating an automation to specifically alert when a flow fails within a 5-second window does indeed require some custom handling or setup. ### Why Custom Handling is Necessary: 1. Time-Based Conditions: Prefect does not natively offer a direct feature for performing time-based conditions solely through its built-in automation or trigger configurations. 2. State and Event Monitoring: While there are tools to monitor states and events, they typically require additional logic (like a state handler) to apply specific time-based conditions to those events. 3. Version Differences: In Prefect 3.x, triggers are more advanced, supporting composite and proactive conditions. However, you still need to configure them properly to cover your specific use case, which could involve combining multiple event types or adding timing logic. ### Conclusion To achieve exactly what you need—alerting only on failures within a specific time frame—implementing custom logic such as state handlers or leveraging advanced event monitoring and automations would be necessary. This allows you to precisely control when notifications are sent based on the flow's runtime characteristics. If you'd like, I can help you with a conceptual implementation plan or pointers on how to set up such handlers.

@Marvin I feel like this was possible before, was this the case?

There might have been a more straightforward or different approach in earlier versions of Prefect or specific setups. Prefect's capabilities can evolve quite a bit with new releases, often adding new features while sometimes also deprecating or modifying existing ones. ### Potential in Previous Versions: - Prefect Cloud and Prefect Server: In older versions of Prefect, particularly before Prefect 2.x, some users might have employed Prefect Cloud or Server API hooks and status reporting combined with external automation tools to achieve similar alerting behavior. - Simplicity in Early Versions: Early adopters may have found shortcuts or used Prefect's built-in components in unique ways to achieve specific tasks that now require more customization in newer, more robust versions. ### Changes Over Time: - Enhanced Complexity and Capability: Prefect 2.x and 3.x are generally more feature-rich, offering better scalability and integration options, but with those enhancements, some methods for achieving specific actions might have become more complex. - Focus on Flexibility: Newer versions provide more flexibility with custom configurations, but they may require digging into more detailed automation setup or state management. If you're noticing a behavioral change, it might be worth checking the release notes or migration guides from Prefect to see if there were any changes in how automation and state handling work. If you have a specific version in mind where you think this was possible, I can also look into the release notes or documentation changes for that version. Let me know if you would like further investigation into specific past capabilities!

@Marvin when was the possibility of adding a time filter into automations removed?

I couldn't find any specific information in the latest release notes or GitHub issues regarding the removal of a time filter feature for automations in Prefect. It's possible that changes related to automations and custom triggers might not have been explicitly documented in terms of "removal" but rather modified or replaced with new functionality in Prefect's transition from the earlier versions to 2.x and now 3.x. If you have a specific version in mind, I could look further into the documentation or release notes for that version. Additionally, reaching out to the Prefect community or support might provide more insights into historical changes related to this feature. If you have further questions, feel free to ask!