Can I trigger a specific step of automation I want to start ? Using SSJS

Question

I have this code that Start my automation, but I also would like to say what of steps start and finish Like : I just want that step 3 start and finish

Follow the code:

<script runat="server">

Platform.Load("Core","1.1.1");

var automationCustomerKey = "XXXXXXX-XXXXXX"

var rr = Platform.Function.CreateObject("RetrieveRequest");
Platform.Function.SetObjectProperty(rr, "ObjectType", "Automation");
Platform.Function.AddObjectArrayItem(rr, "Properties", "ProgramID");
Platform.Function.AddObjectArrayItem(rr, "Properties", "CustomerKey");
Platform.Function.AddObjectArrayItem(rr, "Properties", "Status");

var sfp = Platform.Function.CreateObject("SimpleFilterPart");
Platform.Function.SetObjectProperty(sfp, "Property", "CustomerKey");
Platform.Function.SetObjectProperty(sfp, "SimpleOperator", "equals");
Platform.Function.AddObjectArrayItem(sfp, "Value", automationCustomerKey);

Platform.Function.SetObjectProperty(rr, "Filter", sfp);

var retrieveStatus = [0,0,0];

var automationResultSet = Platform.Function.InvokeRetrieve(rr, retrieveStatus);

var ObjectID = automationResultSet[0]["ObjectID"];
var Status = automationResultSet[0]["Status"];

if (ObjectID != "null") {

    /*
    Code Status
    -1   Error
     0   BuildingError
     1   Building
     2   Ready
     3   Running
     4   Paused
     5   Stopped
     6   Scheduled
     7   Awaiting Trigger
     8   InactiveTrigger
    */

    if (Status == 2) {

        var obj = Platform.Function.CreateObject("Automation");
        Platform.Function.SetObjectProperty(obj, "ObjectID", ObjectID);
        var po = Platform.Function.CreateObject("PerformOptions");

        var performResult = [0,0,0];
        var performStatus = Platform.Function.InvokePerform(obj, "start", performResult, po);

    } else {
      Write("Started")

    }
} else {
   Write("Auto not found")
}

</script>

Answer 1

No, this is not how automations can be targeted.

They are by default meant to be linear, starting at the schedule on the left.

What you want to do doesn't seem necessary to me though: set up another automation that just contains only the relevant parts, and start that one. Automations are just references / wrappers around activities. A copy of an automation will not copy the activities themselves, but reference them a second time. A change to an activity included in two /more automations will change both /all simultaneously. While this can get confusing, in your usecase, it sounds like a good thing.

on the other end of the spectrum, you can run individual activities like SQL queries without placing them inside of an automation. Not recommended as you won't get the visual run logs of an automation, but sure possible and sometimes a good thing to do. See e.g. here SSJS Update and Perform Query Definition