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Using Error Processes to Handle Errors

You can use an error process for handling errors. An error process is a standard workflow process. It becomes an error process when you associate it to another (main) process using the Error Process Name field in the Workflow Processes list to choose the error process from the picklist. When an error occurs, the exception branch calls this error process

Like the subprocess step, the error process must have been predefined in order to be selected. When the selection button associated with the Error Process Name field is clicked, a pick applet of all available processes will be shown. Once an error process is selected, this process will be called when the current process reaches an error state. Processing of the current process will stop and end, and will instead start the error process.

If a workflow process that has an error process defined for it encounters an error, it stops processing and passes all system-defined process properties to the error process.

When a workflow process reaches an error state, one of the following events happens depending on whether or not an error process is defined for the workflow process:

• If no error process is defined for the workflow process, the process remains in the state called In Error. The original error code is returned to the caller of the process.
• If an error process is defined for the workflow process, one of the following events happens:
  • The error process handles the error successfully.

    The error handling is considered successful if the error process arrives at an End step. In this case, the error process will be in the Completed state. No error code will be returned to the caller of the workflow process. The workflow process terminates immediately with a Completed state.

  • The error process tries to handle the error, but fails with a different error.

    The error handling is considered failed if the error process arrives at a Stop step. In this case, the error process will be in the In Error state. A new error code, which you have selected in the Stop step, is returned to the caller of the workflow process. The workflow process remains in the In Error state.

  • The error process cannot handle the error.

    If no Start conditions are satisfied, the error process ends immediately. In this case, the error process will be in the In Error state. The original error code will be returned to the caller of the workflow process. The workflow process remains in the In Error state.

The following sections provide more information about error processes:

• Passing User-Defined Process Properties and Property Sets to Error Processes
• Assigning Error Processes to Subprocesses