Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide > Developing Workflow Processes > Process of Planning Workflow Processes >

Determining How to Manage Objects You Modify

This task is a step in Process of Planning Workflow Processes.

When you plan a workflow process, you can determine the requirements that are necessary to manage the development of objects, such as special requirements that exist for merging, archiving, and importing data maps, or for copying message tables. If a team of developers is involved in the development environment, then you must consider if the team can use project check in and check out.

To determine how to manage objects you modify

1. Consider the number of developers that are involved in the project and the requirements of their development environments.
2. Choose a tool that you can use to manage objects.

   For more information, see Object Management Tools That You Can Use in Siebel Tools.

Object Management Tools That You Can Use in Siebel Tools

When you develop a workflow process in Siebel Tools, you work on a local database where Siebel Workflow is a repository object and where a workflow process belongs to a project. Though compiling a Siebel Repository File is a typical practice for other repository objects, a workflow process uses a different deployment mechanism. You do not compile an SRF after you develop a workflow process. For more information, see Process of Deploying a Workflow Process.

Although Siebel CRM typically uses the following behaviors for other repository objects, a workflow process does not use them:

• Merge. A workflow process does not participate in three way merge. If you import a workflow process to the repository, then Siebel Workflow maintains versioning for the workflow process.
• Object Comparison. Siebel CRM disabled object comparison starting with Siebel CRM version 8.0.
• Archive. For more information, see Backing Up Workflow Processes.

To develop a workflow process, a developer usually uses a local database. To use a local database, the developer must check out the workflow process from the master repository. The local database must contain the data objects that the workflow process references. The developer must import into the local database any data objects that are not docked and that are not packaged as part of the database extract. Siebel Workflow does not dock or reference the following objects:

• Data maps. To import a data map to the local database, you use the Siebel Developer Web Client connected to the local database and the import utility on the client.
• Message tables. You can copy a message table to the local database. Alternatively, you can use the unbounded drop-down list to define a message. While this tool allows you to create messages, it does not verify message validity when you define it.

If you lock the project in the master repository, and if you connect Siebel Tools to the development database, then you can develop or modify a workflow process. It is not necessary for you to make lists of values available to the local database.