# Execute External Process

## Contents
Overview Configuration

## Overview
The Execute external process filter enables you to execute an external process from a policy circuit. You can use this filter to execute any external process (for example, start an SSH session to connect to another machine, run a script, or send an SMS message).
## Configuration
To configure the Execute external process filter, specify the following fields:
Name | Name of the filter to be displayed in a circuit. Defaults to Execute process.
Command tab This tab includes the following fields:
Command to execute | Specify the full path to the command that you wish to execute (for example, `c:\cygwin\bin\mkdir.exe`).
Arguments | Click the Add button to add arguments to your command. Specify an argument in the Value field (for example, `dir1`), and click OK. Repeat these steps to add multiple arguments (for example, `dir2` and `dir3`).
Working directory | Specify the directory to run the command from. You can specify this using a property, which is expanded to the specified value at runtime. Defaults to `${VINSTDIR}`, where `VINSTDIR` is the root of your Enterprise Gateway installation.
Expected exit code | Specify the expected exit code for the process when it has finished. Defaults to `0`.
Kill if running longer than (ms) | Specify the number of milliseconds after which the running process is killed. Defaults to `60000`.
Advanced tab This tab includes the following fields:
Environment variables to set | Click the Add button to add environment variables. In the Environment variable dialog, specify an Environment variable name (for example, `JAVA_HOME`) and a Value (for example, `c:\jdk1.6.0_18`), and click OK. Repeat to add multiple variables.
Block till process finished | Select whether to block until the process is finished in the checkbox. This is enabled by default.