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Workflow Run-Time Architecture

This topic includes the following topics:

• Workflow Run-Time Architecture Overview
• About the Workflow Process Manager
• Workflow Process Mode
• Invoking a Workflow Process
• Administering and Monitoring a Workflow Process

Workflow Run-Time Architecture Overview

The Workflow run -time architecture is based on the Siebel Object Manager layer and the server infrastructure layer of the Siebel Business applications architecture. The run-time environment is available both as a business service and as a server component. Modes in which to invoke and resume a workflow process include:

• Local Synchronous
• Remote Synchronous
• Remote Asynchronous

Figure 7 illustrates the Workflow run-time architecture.

Figure 7. Workflow Run-time Architecture

About the Workflow Process Manager

The Workflow Process Manager is a server component that uses the Siebel Object Manager framework and runs workflows as a business service. The Workflow Process Manager, hosting the Business Object layer and the Data Object layer, is an architecture that provides the ability to run multiple object managers and multiple tasks for each object manager. The name Workflow Process Manager refers to both the Workflow engine and the workflow server components.

The Workflow Process Manager is active and can receive and process requests when it is in Online status. The Workflow Process Manager is inactive in other statuses, such as Shutdown and Offline. In such cases, requests to the WfProcMgr and WfProcBatchMgr server components cannot be processed. For example, if the requests have been saved to the database and the requests are submitted in DirectDB, the requests can be submitted later when WfProcMgr comes back online. Otherwise, the requests are lost.

This topic provides a conceptual overview of the Workflow Process Manager. For more information, see Invoking a Workflow Process That Runs in the Workflow Process Manager.

Running Workflow as a Business Service

Workflow execution in an application object manager is invoked as a business service. The Workflow Process Manager business service and the Workflow Process Manager (Server Request) business service are referred to collectively as the Workflow engine. As a business service, the Workflow engine takes input arguments and returns output arguments.

Table 5 describes how the business service used determines where the business process is run.

Running Workflow in the Workflow Process Manager Server Component

A workflow process can be executed in the background using a Workflow Process Manager server component that is configured and optimized to run the Workflow Process Manager business service. The Workflow Process Manager server component acts as the object manager to run the workflow process, including application logic within the workflow process.

Ways in which the WfProcMgr accepts the process name include:

• Through the Process Name component parameter. For example, when starting a task from Server Manager or (Repeating) Server Component Requests.
• Through the Encoded Args component parameter. For example, when submitting requests from WorkMon or the Server Requests business services.

When a policy invokes a workflow process, Workflow Monitor Agent typically uses Encoded Input Arguments to pass input arguments to the Workflow Process Manager. However, setting Encoded Input Arguments at the Component Request Parameters applet will fail because it is not in a format that can be recognized by the WfProcMgr server component.

Workflow Management Server Components

Table 6 describes server components in the Workflow Management server component group.

Workflow Process Mode

Workflow process modes that characterize run-time behavior in Siebel Workflow include:

• Service Flow. Executes a set of operations upon event invocation.
• Interactive Flow. Navigates the user across Siebel views.
• Long Running Flow. A persistent workflow that can last for hours, days, or months.
• 7.0 Flow. Provides backward compatibility for workflows created prior to version 7.7.

The mode is set through the Workflow Mode property in the Workflow Processes OBLE in Siebel Tools. For more information, see About the Workflow Mode Types.

Invoking a Workflow Process

There are a number of different ways to invoke a workflow process. A few examples include through a run-time event or a workflow policy. For more information, see Invoking a Workflow Process.

Administering and Monitoring a Workflow Process

You can use the Administration-Business Process views in the Siebel client to administer and monitor a workflow process. Tasks can be performed in these views include:

• Stop a workflow process.
• Delete a workflow process instance.
• Purge a workflow process instance from the database.
• Monitor a workflow process that is running.
• Recover a workflow process that is interrupted.

For more information, see Administering Workflow Process Instances.