# Understand RFC action and activity states
<a name="ex-rfc-action-state"></a>

`RfcActionState` (API) / **Activity State** (console) help you understand the status of human intervention, or action, on an RFC. Used primarily for manual RFCs, the `RfcActionState` helps you understand when there is action needed by either you or AMS operations, and helps you see when AMS Operations is actively working on your RFC. This provides increased transparency into the actions being taken on an RFC during its lifecycle.

`RfcActionState` (API) / **Activity State** (console) definitions:
+ **AwsOperatorAssigned**: An AWS operator is actively working on your RFC.
+ **AwsActionPending**: A response or action from AWS is expected.
+ **CustomerActionPending**: A response or action from the customer is expected.
+ **NoActionPending**: No action is required from either AWS or the customer.
+ **NotApplicable**: This state can't be set by AWS operators or customers, and is used only for RFCs that were created prior to this functionality being released.

RFC action states differ depending on whether the change type submitted requires manual review and has scheduling set to **ASAP** or not.
+ RFC **ActionState** changes during the review, approval, and start of a manual change type with deferred scheduling:
  + After you submit a manual, scheduled, RFC, the **ActionState** automatically changes to **AwsActionPending** to indicate that an operator needs to review and approve the RFC.
  + When an operator begins actively reviewing your RFC, the **ActionState** changes to **AwsOperatorAssigned**.
  + When the operator approves your RFC, the RFC Status changes to Scheduled, and the **ActionState** automatically changes to **NoActionPending**.
  + When the scheduled start time of the RFC is reached, the RFC Status changes to **InProgress**, and the **ActionState** automatically changes to **AwsActionPending** to indicate that an operator needs to be assigned for review of the RFC.
  + When an operator begins actively running the RFC, they change the **ActionState** to **AwsOperatorAssigned**.
  + Once completed, the Operator closes the RFC. This automatically changes the **ActionState** to **NoActionPending**.  
![\[RFC ActionState changes during the review, approval, and start of a manual change type with deferred scheduling\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/managedservices/latest/userguide/images/actionStateRfc.png)

**Important**  
Action states can't be set by you. They are either set automatically based on changes in the RFC, or set manually by AMS operators.
If you add correspondence to an RFC, the **ActionState** is automatically set to **AwsActionPending**.
When an RFC is created, the **ActionState** is automatically set to **NoActionPending**.
When an RFC is submitted, the **ActionState** is automatically set to **AwsActionPending**.
When an RFC is Rejected, Canceled, or completed with a status of Success or Failure, the **ActionState** is automatically reset to **NoActionPending**.
Action states are enabled for both automated and manual RFCs, but mostly matter for manual RFCs because those type of RFCs often require communications.

# Review RFC action states use case examples
<a name="ex-rfc-action-state-examples"></a>

**Use Case: Visibility on Manual RFC Process**
+ Once you submit a manual RFC, the RFC action state automatically changes to `AwsActionPending` to indicate that an operator needs to review and approve the RFC. When an operator begins actively reviewing your RFC, the RFC action state changes to `AwsOperatorAssigned`.
+ Consider a manual RFC that has been approved and scheduled and is ready to begin running. Once the RFC status changes to `InProgress`, the RFC action state automatically changes to `AwsActionPending`. It changes again to `AwsOperatorAssigned` once an operator starts actively running the RFC.
+ When a manual RFC is completed (closed as "Success" or "Failure"), the RFC Action state changes to `NoActionPending` to indicate that no further actions are necessary from either the customer or operator.

**Use case: RFC correspondence**
+ When a manual RFC is `Pending Approval`, an AMS Operator might need further information from you. Operators will post a correspondence to the RFC and change the RFC action state to `CustomerActionPending`. When you respond by adding a new RFC correspondence, the RFC action state automatically changes to `AwsActionPending`.
+ When an automated or manual RFC has failed, you can add a correspondence to the RFC details, asking the AMS Operator why the RFC failed. When your correspondence is added, the RFC action state is automatically set to `AwsActionPending`. When the AMS operator picks up the RFC to view your correspondence, the RFC action state changes to `AwsOperatorAssigned`. When the operator responds by adding a new RFC correspondence, the RFC action state may be set to `CustomerActionPending`, indicating that there is another response from the customer expected, or to `NoActionPending`, indicating that no response from the customer is needed or expected.