Siebel 8.

0 Essentials

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Module 36: Executing Workflow Processes
Module Objectives

• To Describe the workflow execution architecture

• To List several ways to invoke workflow
• To Invoke a workflow process using a run-time event
• To Invoke a workflow process using a custom control

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Executing Workflow Processes

• Workflow processes are executed either in

– The user’s application object manager
• Supports synchronous processing
– A separate server component known as the Workflow Process
Manager component
• Supports asynchronous processing
– Another separate server component known as the Workflow Process
Batch Manager component
• Enables workflow processes to be run in batch mode
• In both cases workflow processes are executed using the
Workflow Process Manager business service
• Is often referred to as the Workflow Engine

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Synchronous Workflow Processing

• Is typically executed in the user’s application object manager

– User is forced to wait until the workflow completes (or pauses)
–Hourglass icon appears

• Can be triggered by an action on the part of the user:

– Directly by clicking a button or menu item
– Indirectly by performing a record or applet operation

• Is used to execute specific business logic that:

– Is triggered by the user’s activity
– Should be completed before the user continues activity

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Asynchronous Workflow Processing

• Is executed in the Workflow Process Manager server

component
– User (if any) is not prevented from continuing activity
• Is typically triggered by a change in the value of some column in
a database table
– Can respond to changes not associated with user activity
• For example: updates resulting from Enterprise Integration Manager
imports
– Can respond to conditions that exist for some threshold period of
time
• Is used to execute specific business logic when a specified
condition is satisfied

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Invoking Workflow Processes

• A workflow process can be invoked by a variety of mechanisms

– Run-time events
– Custom buttons and menu items
– Workflow policies
– Programmatically (that is as part of script)

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Run-Time Events

• Are a mechanism that allows customer-configured processing

to be triggered by user activity
• Consist of:
– A specification of some user activity such as:
• Record being updated
• Navigating to/from an applet
– The resultant processing
• Workflow
• One or more calls to business services
• Known as an action set

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Run-Time Events…
• Can be defined for three types of objects:
– Application
• Examples: logging in, logging out
– Applet
• Examples: displaying an applet, displaying a record
– Business component
• Examples: Querying, deleting a record, setting a field value
• Are fired when a user performs the corresponding activity

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Business Component Events

• Business component events often come in pairs such as:

– PreDelete/Delete
– PreSetField/SetField
– PreWriteRecord/WriteRecord
• The Pre- event is fired immediately prior to object manager
executing the operation
– Example: PreWriteRecord executes customer processing before
the record is saved
• Allows for possible verification of field values
• The other event is fired immediately after the object manager
executes the action
– Example: WriteRecord executes customer processing after the
record is written
• Allows for follow-on processing after a record is saved

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Adding a Run-Time Event to a Workflow Process

• A run-time event can be added to a workflow process as a

condition on the connector out of a:
• Start step
– Used to invoke the workflow
• Wait step Add Runtime
– Used to resume the workflow event here
• User interact step
– Used to resume the workflow

Add Runtime
event here

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Invoking a Workflow Using a Run-Time Event

1. Add the Run-Time Event

2. Deploy and Activate the Workflow

3. Reload the Run-Time Events

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1. Add the Run-Time Event
• Create the workflow process as usual
• Select the connector to attach a run-time event
– Must be a start, wait, or user interact step
• In the properties window, specify the triggering event
• Caution: A workflow with a run-time event on the start step
cannot be tested with the workflow simulator

Select
Specify the event Connector
type, business
component and event
to monitor

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2. Deploy and Activate the Workflow

• In Siebel Tools, deploy the workflow

• In the Siebel client, activate the workflow

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 2. Deploy and Activate the Workflow…
Check for the Activated Workflow process in Active Workflow Processes View

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2. Deploy and Activate the Workflow…
• Activating the workflow automatically registers the run-time
event and associated workflow with the Siebel run-time event
engine
– Creates an action set that invokes the Workflow Process Manager

Row ID of Activated
Workflow
Business Service,
method to invoke

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3. Reload the Run-Time Events

• Navigate to Administration - Runtime Events > Events

• Select Menu > Reload Runtime Events
– Updates the run-time event engine with the new run-time event
– Not necessary to query for the specific run-time event

Run- Time event created by

activating the workflow
process

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Invoking Workflows Using a Custom Control

• User explicitly clicks a custom button or menu item to invoke

the workflow
• Configuration involves applet user properties

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Invoking a Workflow Using a Custom Menu Item

• Create a command object

– Specify a value for the Method property
• Add an applet method menu item to reference the command

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Invoking a Workflow Using a Custom Menu Item…

• Add a new Applet User property that associates the workflow to

be invoked with the new named method

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Invoking a Workflow Using a Custom Button

• Create a custom control for the button

– Specify a value for the Method Invoked property
• Add a new Applet User property that associates the workflow to
be invoked with the new named method

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Invoking a Workflow Process Explicitly
• The Workflow Process Manager business service can be
referenced explicitly:
– In a script
– As parameters in declarative configuration
• Developers must specify:
– The name of the business service and method
– The name of the workflow process and other parameters as input
arguments
• Often the RowId parameter must be passed in

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Invoking a Workflow Process Explicitly…

• A workflow process can also be executed using the business

service simulator
– Is an alternative way of testing new workflows

Business Service that executes

workflow processes

Provide name of workflow

process as input argument

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Module Highlights
• Workflow processes are executed in the Workflow Process
manager in either the application object manager or in a server
component
– Can be executed either synchronously or asynchronously
• A workflow process can be invoked by a variety of mechanisms
– Run-time events
– Custom buttons and menu items
– Workflow policies
• Run-time events are a mechanism that allows customer
configured processing to be triggered by user activity

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Lab

• In the lab you will:

– Invoke a workflow from a custom menu item
– Invoke a workflow using a run-time event

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