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About the Server Requests Business Service

This topic describes the predefined Server Requests business services. It includes the following topics:

• Using Synchronous and Asynchronous Modes
• Specifying the SRBroker Parameters
• Methods for the Server Requests Business Service
• Example of Using the Server Request Business Service to Invoke a Workflow From Script and Pass Values
• Example of Using the Server Requests Business Service to Invoke an EIM Task

You can use the predefined Server Requests business service to send generic requests to the server request broker. Processing modes in which the Server Requests business service can send requests include:

• Asynchronous.
• Synchronous.
• Schedule.

Using Synchronous and Asynchronous Modes

When in synchronous mode, the Server Requests business service sends a request to the server request broker then waits for a response. Otherwise, it sends the request but does not wait for a response.

It is recommended you use the Server Requests business service, in most cases, rather than the Workflow Process Manager (Server Request) business service. It is more efficient to make an asynchronous workflow process call. When a synchronous workflow call is made the workflow process runs in the Object Manager, causing the user to wait for the process to end.

Specifying the SRBroker Parameters

When invoking the Server Requests business service to submit a component request, you must specify SRBroker parameters in the input property set and component specific parameters in a child property set. Considerations to weigh include:

• When invoking the Server Requests Business Service to invoke a Siebel Component, the component parameter names must be referenced by the parameter's Alias Name. Note that the Alias Name usually does not contain spaces.
• Failure to use the correct format results in an error message. Table 81 describes correct and incorrect formats.

  Table 81. Description of Component Parameter Format for Invoking the Server Requests Business Service

  Correct Format	Incorrect Format
  ObjReq.SetProperty "BCName", "Account"	ObjReq.SetProperty "Buscomp Name", "Account"

• Component parameters must be specified with their Alias Names in the child property set.
• There is no validation of these Alias Names.
• These arguments do not appear in the picklist in the Administration-Business Process views.

Passing Parameters to Server Components

If you need to pass parameters to the server component that are not listed as available arguments, you can create a custom business service that contains the necessary parameters. Alternatively, you can create a component job that has the parameters defined as part of the job definition. For more information on component jobs, see Siebel System Administration Guide.

Methods for the Server Requests Business Service

Methods available for this service include:

• Submit Request. Use this method to submit a request to the server request broker.
• Cancel Request. Use this method to cancel server requests that are currently awaiting to be run.

Submit Request Arguments

Table 82 describes Submit Request method arguments.

Cancel Request Method Arguments

Table 83 describes Cancel Request method arguments.

Example of Using the Server Request Business Service to Invoke a Workflow From Script and Pass Values

This topic gives one example of how to use the predefined Server Requests business service to invoke a workflow process from script and to pass field values to process properties. You might use workflow processes differently, depending on your business model.

//Example: Passing Field Values to Process Properties and invoke workflow from script using the Server Request BS

//function Invoke_Process()

{

var svc = TheApplication().GetService("Workflow Process Manager(Server Request)");

var Input = TheApplication().NewPropertySet();

var Output = TheApplication().NewPropertySet();

var bo = TheApplication().ActiveBusObject();

var bc = bo.GetBusComp("Opportunity");

var rowId = bc.GetFieldValue("Id");

var accountId = bc.GetFieldValue("Account Id");

Input.SetProperty("ProcessName", "My Opportunity Process");

Input.SetProperty("Object Id", rowId);

// Pass the value of the Account Id field to the Account Id process property

Input.SetProperty("Account Id", accountId);

svc.InvokeMethod("RunProcess", Input, Output);

}

Example of Using the Server Requests Business Service to Invoke an EIM Task

This topic gives one example of how to use the predefined Server Requests business service from within a workflow process to invoke an EIM task. You might use workflow processes differently, depending on your business model.

You can use a workflow process to start a server task. For example, you can start the EIM task to export base tables to IF tables or to load IF tables into base tables. The required EIM component-specific parameters must be passed in a child property set. You can either use a wrapper business service for EIM, such as the Synchronous Assignment Manager Requests business service, or you can use the predefined Server Requests business service.

Since the Server Requests business service is designed to invoke a variety of server tasks, it does not contain definitions for component-specific parameters. Instead, component-specific parameters are passed down in a child property set which are not declared in the repository. To make workflow pass values in a child property set, you use the dot notation of [type].[property]. In this example, since the Server Request Manager service does not care about the child type, but takes the first child, you pass all parameters in the same child, such as EIM.Config.

To create a workflow process that uses the Server Requests Business Service

1. In Siebel Tools, in the Workflow Processes Object List Editor (OBLE), create a new workflow process object definition with the following values:

   Property	Value
   Process Name	EIM Export to IF (Tools)
   Business Object	Account
   Workflow Mode	Service Flow

   To view an example, see Creating a New Workflow Process Object Definition.

2. Open the Process Designer for the workflow process you created in Step 1, then create a workflow that resembles the workflow in the following diagram:

   For more information, see About Workflow Process Steps and Connectors, and Diagramming a Workflow Process.

3. Click the Export EIM workflow step, then use the Properties window to define values described in the following table:

   Property	Value
   Business Service Name	Synchronous Server Requests
   Business Service Method	SubmitRequest

4. With the Export EIM workflow step still chosen, in the MVPW add a new input argument using values described in the following table:

   Argument Field	Value
   Input Argument	Component
   Type	Output Argument
   Value	EIM

   For more information, see About Process Properties.

5. Add another input argument to the Export EIM workflow step using values described in the following table:

   Argument Field	Value
   Input Argument	EIM.Config
   Type	Output Argument
   Value	accnt.ifb

6. Make sure the Server section of the client .cfg file contains the configuration described in the following table:

   Variable	Value
   GatewayAddress	Gateway_Machine_Name
   EnterpriseServer	Enterprise_Server_Name
   RequestComponent	SRMSynch
   RequestServer	Siebel_Server_Name

7. To prepare the workflow process for testing, set up accnt.ifb in the Siebel_Server\Admin directory.
8. Validate then simulate the workflow process.

   For more information, see Process of Testing a Workflow Process.

   If the workflow executes successfully it finishes without errors. There is an EIM task log created in the Server Tasks screen in the Siebel client each time you step through the Process Simulator.

9. Deploy the workflow process.

   Once the workflow is Active, you can invoke it from a workflow policy, script, or as a sub-process from another workflow process. For more information, see Process of Deploying a Workflow Process.