DocsBlue Prism Browser Automation Agent 2.0: March 2023
About this release
The Blue Prism Browser Automation Agent is a complementary application to Blue Prism Enterprise that is launched by a compatible Blue Prism Manifest V3 (MV3) browser extension. This application is provided as a separate installer that will detect the installed version of Blue Prism and install the appropriate MV3 browser extension while removing selected Manifest V2 (MV2) extensions installed on the machine.
The application provides the ability to insert and invoke JavaScript on web pages via a Chrome or Edge MV3 browser extension and it can be used with any Blue Prism version from 6.4.2 to 7.1.2. The Blue Prism Browser Automation Agent is not valid for use with the Blue Prism Firefox browser extension because this uses MV2.
Applying this patch release
This component release must be installed on runtime resources and interactive clients within a Blue Prism environment to allow the automation of Chrome and Edge browsers with continued support of Insert and Invoke JavaScript functionality, after the removal of MV2 support for browser extensions. Unlike Blue Prism product releases, this update can be applied to individual runtime resources and interactive clients in an environment without installing it across the entire estate.
Secure development policy
Blue Prism’s secure development process is a market-leading, embedded security culture, focused on delivering security excellence through four key principles:
- Education – Providing up-to-date knowledge, information, and training to the development team.
- Evaluation – Carrying out regular reviews of our products using industry standard frameworks and security tools.
- Elimination – Removing potential threats through the evaluation of standards, compliance, and performance.
- Evolution – Continued improvement of our security program, ensuring alignment with our product technologies and by reacting effectively to new and emerging threats.
Blue Prism secure development is based on OWASP ASVS, ISO 27034 and GDPR Article 25 standards and practices. For more information, see Blue Prism's comprehensive secure development process.
Enhancements and improvements
The following enhancements and improvements are included in this release:
|
Description of change |
Reference |
|---|---|
|
The Blue Prism Browser Automation Agent installer now provides the ability to insert and invoke JavaScript on web pages via a Chrome or Edge MV3 browser extension for Blue Prism versions 6.4.2 to 7.1.2. For more information, see the Blue Prism Browser Automation Agent installation guide. |
BP-10808 BP-10032 BP-12392 |
|
Insert and Invoke JavaScript functionality can be used by downloading version and browser-specific web drivers and installing them locally. To enable JavaScript functionality, the browser must be launched with remote debugging enabled. This now also applies to fixed ports in versions 6.4.2 to 6.4.5, and to the native messaging host in versions 7.0 to 7.1. For more information, see the Blue Prism Browser Automation Agent installation guide. |
BP-11236 |
|
Users can now invoke a JavaScript statement directly by providing the statement in the function name and leaving the arguments empty. When invoked in this way, any stored scripts are ignored to avoid unintended invocations. Previously, if the arguments were left as an empty string, parentheses "()" were appended to represent an empty set of arguments, which caused exceptions in the JavaScript Invoker when automations were run. If JavaScript functions need to be inserted into a page context, these must be refactored to insert the functions fully and then invoke the function with arguments. |
BP-12457 |
|
The use of Insert and Invoke Javascript functions against iFrames using Selenium is now supported from Blue Prism 6.4.2 onwards. The Blue Prism 6.4 and 7.0-7.1 MV3 extensions have been updated to include the frame URL in the Insert and Invoke JavaScript functions. |
BP-12569 BP-12438 |
|
An issue has been fixed, where the JavaScript invoker only matched on the host part of the URL and could target an incorrect tab or window. The method of identifying whether a tab or window is a possible match has been updated, so by default the JavaScript invoker matches on the full URL (AbsoluteURI) of the invoking window. |
BP-12664 |
|
System timeout parameters used in browser automations can now be configured in the Chrome and MV3 browser extension settings. This allows system administrators to optimize automations on a particular machine. Configurable timeout parameters are only available if using the Browser Automation Agent with Blue Prism version 7.1.2 or later. |
BP-12301 |
|
The process of disconnecting web pages and applications following a browser automation carried out using the Browser Automation Agent in a Blue Prism version 7 deployment has been improved. Such web pages and applications are now disconnected by the service worker as soon as the automation has finished, so users can continue to automate applications without an impact on performance. |
BP-11869 |
|
When using a Blue Prism 7.1.2 deployment with the Browser Automation Agent, Blue Prism now remains attached to a web page even if the window title changes. Previously, when the window title of a browser instance changed, the browser extension could not be detected and an error message displayed. |
BP-12585 (BP-12246) |
|
The performance of ephemeral ports when used with MV3 browser extensions has been improved. The browser extensions will not attempt to connect at all when the Browser Automation Agent is not able to start. |
BP-12730 |
|
When installing the Browser Automation Agent and clicking No in the User Account Control prompt, the confirmation message now indicates that nothing has been installed. Previously, it incorrectly stated that the installation had been successful. |
BP-12229 |
|
Nlog configuration has been added for the Browser Automation Agent and JavaScript Invoker so that when there is no Nlog configuration present in Blue Prism, the Browser Automation Agent and JavaScript Invoker will fall back to using the Nlog configuration in the Browser Automation Agent install folder. All Nlog logs are output to the C:\ProgramData\Blue Prism Limited\Blue Prism\Logs directory. |
BP-12717 |
|
An issue has been fixed where browser automations running on Blue Prism versions 7.0.0 to 7.1.1 would fail if a user opened one page then navigated to another page with a different title. |
BP-13874 |
|
All previously installed browser extensions are now automatically removed following the installation of the Browser Automation Agent 2.0. Previously, the Blue Prism 7.1.2 extensions were not automatically removed as expected. |
BP-13742 |
Browser extensions
The table below shows when each Blue Prism extension compatible with this release was introduced and the browser version against which they were evaluated. See the browser compatibility matrix for the latest browser versions evaluated.
| Browser | Blue Prism extension versions |
Date available |
|---|---|---|
|
Chrome |
Blue Prism BAA v2 Extension 6.4 |
March 2023 |
|
Edge Chromium |
March 2023 |
|
|
Firefox |
N/A |
N/A |
*The Edge browser extension can only be installed for use with Blue Prism versions 6.8 and later using the installer. The Edge browser extension is not supported in Blue Prism versions earlier than 6.8.
