Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide > About Workflow Process Steps and Connectors > About Workflow Process Step Types >

About the Sub Process Step

This topic describes the main parts for creating a Sub Process step. A Sub Process step allows you to invoke a separate process from within a process. A workflow process can have one or more Sub Process steps.

You can also define a Sub Process step to support Pass By Reference. For more information, see Passing a Process Property In and Out of Workflow Steps and Defining a Sub Process to Support Pass By Reference.

When using the Process Simulator, you must publish and activate a subprocess called by the workflow process you are simulating prior to invoking the simulator. For more information, see Using the Simulator With a Workflow Subprocess.

For a description of Sub Process step properties, see Table 106.

Defining a Sub Process Step

Before you define a Sub Process step, you must define the workflow process that calls the step.

Once a Sub Process step is created within a workflow, to directly edit the corresponding subprocess definition, double-click the Sub Process step to reach the design canvas for that subprocess. You can also right-click the Sub Process step, then choose Edit Sub Process.

To define a Sub Process step

Perform the procedure described in Adding a Step to a Workflow Process with the following modifications:

1. Use the Subprocess Name property in the Properties window to choose the name of the workflow process the Sub Process step calls.
2. In the MVPW, create new input and output arguments.

   For more information, see About Process Properties and Defining an Input Argument for a Sub Process Step.

3. Create recipient arguments in the MVPW.

   For more information, see Argument Fields for a Recipient Argument.

Defining an Input Argument for a Sub Process Step

An input argument allows you to populate process properties in the Sub Process step. For example, the Object Id is passed from the main workflow process to the sub-workflow process through an input argument. If the subprocess is based on a different business object, you must pass the relevant row ID of the target object as the subprocess Object Id Process Property.

NOTE:  The Object Id passed to a subprocess must not contain the Object Id of the parent process if the subprocess creates a child object. When a subprocess creates a child object, it is recommended the Object Id passed to a subprocess be null.

Copying Values from a Parent Process to a Subprocess

You can copy a value to a record being updated or inserted in a subprocess by creating a process property in the subprocess and assigning the value to it through the Sub Process Input Arguments applet in the Sub Process step. The process property can then be used in the subprocess's Siebel Operation step.

In the example below, you copy an order's Order Name into the Name field of a newly created Opportunity.

To copy a value to a record being updated or inserted in a subprocess

1. Add a process property to the subprocess called Opportunity Name.
2. In the Sub Process step, map Order Parent Product Name to Opportunity Name.
3. Assign Opportunity Name to the Name field of the Opportunity record created within the Siebel Operation step.

Defining a Sub Process to Support Pass By Reference

In some instances a subprocess can modify large amounts of data, requiring the subprocess to copy large quantities of data that negatively impacts performance and scalability. In such cases, you can use the Pass By Reference feature so that a pointer to the data is passed, but not the data itself.

The example displayed in Figure 15 displays an example workflow process that passes a large property set created by the Create Siebel Message step to the 11i Process Order step.

Figure 15. Example Workflow for Which Pass By Reference with a Sub Process Step is Useful

When you configure a Sub Process step to support Pass By Reference, it is not necessary to map the output argument in the Sub Process step for the hierarchical properties that you are passing. The Sub Process step overwrites the passed input hierarchical argument. Optionally, you can have the Sub Process step modify the passed input hierarchical argument.

To define a Sub Process step to support pass by reference

1. In the Workflow Processes list, choose the workflow process that is your subprocess.
2. In the Properties window, set the Workflow Process property Pass By Ref Hierarchy Argument to TRUE.

   In the Worfklow Process list, the Pass by Ref Hierarchy property is now checked for the child workflow.