Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide > About Workflow Process Design Options > About the Workflow Mode Property >

About the Workflow Mode Types

The types of available workflow modes that are described in this topic include:

• Service Flow.
• Interactive Flow.
• Long Running Flow.
• 7.0 Flow.

About the Service Workflow Process

The Service Flow is a type of workflow process that executes a set of operations, performing a unit of work from start to finish. A Service Flow workflow process is a transient workflow. A transient workflow runs to completion in a short period of time without stopping or pausing for an event or activity. A service workflow is the lowest common denominator of the workflow process mode types, in that it has no special behavior associated with it and it can be a subprocess in another service workflow, an interactive workflow, or a long-running workflow, but not a 7.0 flow. The service workflow mode simply executes a set of operations upon invocation of an event.

One example of a service workflow is a workflow that sends an email.

Restrictions when using a service workflow process include:

• A service workflow process cannot wait for run-time events or by pausing for time.
• A service workflow process cannot have User Interact steps or Wait steps. The Process Designer does not allow you to build User Interact steps or Wait steps into a service workflow process. You cannot drag then drop these step types onto the design canvas if the workflow's mode is Service Flow.

For an example, see Example Workflow Process That Creates an Activity for a Sales Representative.

About the Interactive Workflow Process

The Interactive Flow is a type of workflow process that assists and controls user navigation across Siebel views and screens. An interactive workflow includes one or more User Interact steps, and usually includes a run-time event.

For an example, see Example Workflow Process That Manages Service Request Creation then Navigates the User.

Running an Interactive Workflow in a UI Context

An interactive workflow can run only in the context of a user session. An interactive workflow cannot run in the Workflow Process Manager server component, nor in other server components that do not have a UI context, such as Business Integration Manager.

To be run in the context of a user session means the workflow must run within an Application Object Manager that has UI context-such as Siebel Call Center, Siebel Service, Siebel eSales, or Siebel eService. These applications can support view navigation, view display, and so forth. This is necessary for interactive workflows because they perform view display through the User Interact step and they require interaction with the user for clicking buttons and hyperlinks.

Synthetic Event Usage Within An Interactive Workflow Process

An interactive workflow process can be controlled through the use of a synthetic event attached to an explicit user interface button. A synthetic event is a specialized run-time event that is dedicated to controlling workflow navigation.

Examples of synthetic events include Suspend, Resume, Next, and Back.

Associated with buttons on the user interface, these synthetic events are interpreted by the Workflow engine to control workflow navigation by moving the user back or forward, and by suspending or resuming a workflow process.

Comparing Synthetic Events and User Events

A synthetic event differs from a user event. A user event is an event internal to Workflow which is used purely to resume a workflow from the WFProcMgr server process. A user event can be used only in long-running workflows.

A synthetic event is a run-time event and is used to resume a workflow from the application object manager where the synthetic events are generated. Therefore, a synthetic event can only be used for interactive and 7.0 workflows.

For more information about using synthetic events and the interactive workflow process, see Defining an Interactive Workflow Process.

About the Long-Running Workflow Process

The Long Running Flow is a type of workflow process that is a persistent workflow that can last for hours, days, or months. One example of a long-running workflow is Send Order to External. In this example, the workflow sends an order to an external system and waits for a response.

You can use the Long Running Flow mode to create a single workflow to handle an entire business process transaction to coordinate between multiple subprocesses. The Quote to Cash business process is an example transaction where Long Running Flow is useful.

You can build a long-running workflow process that is collaborative by assigning subprocesses to users. You do this by employing the Workflow User Event Service business service, which generates user events that can span from one user or session to another user or session. For more information, see About the Workflow User Event Service Business Service.

Note that you cannot build User Interact steps into long-running workflows, but you can build interactive workflows into long-running workflows as subprocesses. Also, you cannot simulate long-running workflows using the Process Simulator in Siebel Tools.

For more information about the long-running workflow, see Defining a Long-Running Workflow Process and Assigning a Subprocess to Users to Create a Collaborative Long-Running Workflow.

About the 7.0 Workflow Process

The 7.0 Flow is a type of workflow process that provides backward compatibility for existing workflows that were created in Siebel releases prior to version 7.7. If you have an existing workflow that was defined prior to version 7.7, and you upgrade to Siebel version 7.7, the existing workflow becomes a 7.0 workflow by default. For new workflows that you create you must use a service, interactive, or long-running workflow mode.

Upgrading a workflow that was defined prior to version 7.7 to version 8.0 applies the same rule because a pre-7.7 workflow must first be upgraded to version 7.7 before the upgrade to Siebel version 8.0.

NOTE:  It is strongly recommended you not use the 7.0 Flow workflow mode when creating a new workflow process. Prior to Siebel version 8.1, if you do not specify a workflow mode the mode is assumed to be 7.0 Flow. When you create a new workflow process, be sure to specify a Workflow Mode other than 7.0 Flow so that 7.0 Flow is not assumed as the default mode. In Siebel version 8.1, when you create a new workflow process, the Workflow Mode defaults to Service Flow.