Bookshelf Home | Contents | Index | PDF     

Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide > Administering Workflow Processes > Diagnosing a Failed Workflow Process in a Production Environment >

Diagnosing a Failed Workflow Process

This topic includes procedural information to diagnose problems in the production environment:

  • Diagnose a workflow process using tracing.
  • Diagnose a workflow process using instance monitoring.
  • Diagnose a workflow process using the Business Service Simulator.

In addition, the following topics are included:

For reference information on some of the tools described in this topic, see Monitoring Workflow Processes in a Production Environment

To diagnose a workflow process using tracing

  1. Turn on tracing for the appropriate component running the workflow: Workflow Process Manager, Workflow Process Batch Manager, or the application Object Manager.
  2. View the event log files.

For details on how to turn on tracing, see Setting Tracing and Event Log Levels.

To diagnose a workflow process using instance monitoring

  1. In the Siebel client, navigate to Administration-Business Process > Workflow Deployment.
  2. In the Active Workflow Processes applet, choose the workflow process you need to monitor.
  3. Set the monitoring level to 3-Detail or 4-Debug.

    At this level, each execution of a process, from whichever component it is run, records state and process properties values for each step.

    NOTE:  The 3-Detail and 4-Debug monitoring levels affect performance of the Workflow engine. For this reason, use these levels for troubleshooting purposes only.

  4. Navigate to Administration-Business Process > Workflow Instance Monitor > Process Instances.
  5. View the monitoring information and take corrective action.

To diagnose a workflow process using the Business Service Simulator

  1. Run the workflow process from the Business Service Simulator using the Workflow Process Manager business service.

    This step executes the workflow process in the application object manager.

  2. In the Siebel client, navigate to Administration-Business Service > Simulator.
  3. In the Simulator applet, create a new record then set the fields using values described in the following table:
    Field
    Value

    Service Name

    Workflow Process Manager

    Method Name

    RunProcess

    Iterations

    1
  4. In the Input Arguments applet, create a new record, and perform the following procedure:
    1. Set the Test Case # field to 1.
    2. Choose and open the Property Name field.

      The Property Name field opens a multi-value applet.

  5. In the multi-value applet, click New then set the fields using values described in the following table:
    Field
    Value

    Property Name

    ProcessName

    Value

    (Enter the name of the workflow process)
  6. Click Save.
  7. Repeat Step 5 and Step 6 for other parameters passed to the process, especially RowId, if necessary.
  8. In the multi-value applet, click OK.
  9. In the Simulator applet of the Simulator view, click Run.

TIP:   To increase data available to you for troubleshooting, set the monitoring level to 4-Debug, as described in Step 3, launch the workflow with the Business Service Simulator, then view process execution information in the Workflow Instance Monitor views.

For more information, see About the Business Service Simulator.

Disabling Persistence to Avoid Excessive Records in S_WF_PROP_VAL

S_WF_PROP_VAL stores process property values for workflow processes. Records are created in S_WF_PROP_VAL along with a new S_WF_STEP_INST record when a workflow process is executed.

There is the potential for S_WF_PROP_VAL to become very large over time, since a workflow process definition typically contains five or more process properties. Therefore, five records can be added to S_WF_PROP_VAL for a given process instance.

Having Persistence defined on a large number of workflows can cause an increase in the size of S_WF_PROP_VAL. To avoid this, review workflow process definitions and disable persistence unless it is absolutely necessary. Persistence can be disabled by setting the Auto Persist property to NO on the workflow process object definition in the OBLE. For more information, see About Events.

Getting Help With A Workflow Error

For help with a workflow error, create a service request (SR) on OracleMetaLink 3. Alternatively, you can phone Global Customer Support directly to create a service request or get a status update on your current SR. Support phone numbers remain the same and are listed on OracleMetaLink 3.

The ways you can communicate workflow errors include:

  • Send the log files.

    Generated by turning on tracing, as described in Step 1.

  • Communicate the error code and error message.

    Except for service flows, when a workflow process encounters an error, the process state is persisted with a status of In-Error. If a workflow process encounters an error in one of the workflow's subprocesses, the subprocess state is also persisted. Both the error code and the error message are saved in the process properties. An administrator can examine the error codes and error messages in the Process Properties applet of the Workflow Process Instance Admin view. When a record is chosen from the All Workflow Process Instances list, the related instance applet lists its parent and child processes. You can communicate the error code and the error message for further assistance.

    
Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide Copyright © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved.