Monitoring Workflows

 

The following sections discuss workflow monitoring:

• Using the Workflow Monitoring Features

• Viewing Workflow Status

• Viewing Workflow Variables

• Deleting Workflow Instances

• Using Workload Reports

• Using Statistics Reports

 

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Using the Workflow Monitoring Features

Use the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator workflow monitoring features to monitor and modify workflows, gather information, and make informed decisions based on available data. You can perform the following tasks:

• Display the status of workflow instances.

• Modify the tasks associated with a workflow instance, for example, reassigning tasks or forcing work to be redone.

• Graphically display the workload status of the system, showing the number of tasks categorized by status (pending, inactive, done, overdue) and user or role.

• View historical statistical data associated with workflows in order to determine bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the business processes.

• View a user or role worklist in order to dynamically maintain workflows.

User Interface

The following WebLogic Process Integrator folder tree items are relevant to the monitoring features:

• Template — shows a list of defined workflow templates. Select a particular workflow template definition from the folder tree, right-click, and choose Instances to display all workflow instances associated with the definition that have actually been executed for the specified organization.

• Workload Report — allows you to create graphical reports based on workflow, task, user or role, and task status

• Statistics Reports — allows you to generate statistical reports based on workflow, task, user or role, and date

• Users and Roles — displays the user and role worklists. Right-click the user or role and choose Open User/Role Worklist.

Workflow Instance Status

A workflow instance is a session of a workflow template definition that has been placed into run-time. To monitor the status of workflow instances, select a workflow template definition within a workflow template in the folder tree, right-click, and choose Instances from the pop-up menu. This displays the Workflow Instance dialog box, which contains status information for the instances of the selected workflow template definition.

Figure 10-1 Workflow Instances Dialog Box

 

The Workflow Instances dialog box contains the following:

• Started — if selected, this option finds all workflow instances with a start date in the specified date range. This option is mutually exclusive of the Completed option.

• Completed — if selected, this option finds all workflow instances with a completed date in the specified date range. This option is mutually exclusive of the Started option.

• From — workflow instances started or completed (depending on the selected option) on or after this date will be shown. Select the date from the drop-down list.

• To — workflow instances started or completed (depending on the selected option) on or before this date will be shown. Select the date from the list.

  Figure 10-2 Workflow Instance From/To Dates

  
   

For each workflow shown, the following information is displayed:

• ID — workflow template definition ID. This is maintained automatically by the workflow engine from the expression specified in the properties at workflow template definition time.

• Started — date the workflow was instantiated.

• Completed — completion date of the workflow. If it is not completed, this column will be blank.

For performance reasons, the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server only returns 100 items at a time. If there are additional items, a button (+) appears which, when pressed, will retrieve the next 100 items. When no additional items remain, the button is no longer shown.

 

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Viewing Workflow Status

Right-clicking or double-clicking a particular workflow template definition instance in the list of instances in the Workflow Instances dialog box displays a menu. Choose the first item on the menu to display the overall workflow status for a particular instance.

Figure 10-3 Workflow Status Menu Option

 

The Workflow Status command displays a window showing either the graphical representation of the workflow with the active task highlighted or a list view of all tasks. The following two icons upper in the right hand side of the dialog box to allow toggling between the graphical representation and the list view.

Table 10-1 Workflow Status Icons

Symbol	Shape Name	Purpose
	Graphical Representation	Displays a graphical representation of the workflow.
	List View	Displays a list view of the workflow.
	Refresh	Refreshes the workflow view.

Clicking the graphical representation icon displays a graphical representation of a workflow template definition that has been instantiated (is now an instance of the workflow template).

Figure 10-4 Graphical Representation of Workflow

 

In the graphical representation, the active tasks are green, the executed tasks are gray, and the inactive tasks are white.

ClickingVars displays the Workflow Variables dialog box. For details about this dialog box, see Viewing Workflow Variables.

Clicking the list view icon displays a list view of the workflow and its associated tasks.

Figure 10-5 List View of Workflow

 

Various properties are displayed for each task within the workflow, depending on the way the list is tailored. Usually, the task name is shown in the list. The first column shown is the task status. A box indicates that the task is pending, or waiting to be executed (it has a start date, but not a completed date). Tasks shown without a box are not yet in a state that allows them to be executed (meaning that they have neither a start date nor a completed date). A box with a check mark in it indicates a task that has already been completed (has a completed date). Furthermore, a pending task is shown with a red box, indicating the task is now overdue (meaning its due date is before the current date).

Right-clicking a task in the list displays a menu with the following options:

• Mark Task as Done — changes a task status to done. When executed, this command sends a message to the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server to set the task's completed date to the current date, and to then perform the actions defined for the marked done event of the task. Tasks can only be marked done if their properties allow it.

• Unmark Task Done — resets a task status to change it back to pending. When executed, this command sends a message to the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server to clear the task's completed date. It has no effect on a task that is not complete. Tasks can only be unmarked done if their properties allow it.

• Reassign Task — reassigns a task to another user or role. When executed, this command displays the Reassign Task dialog box, which allows for the selection of a new user or role to assign the task to.

  Figure 10-6 Reassign Task Dialog Box

  
   

A task can be assigned to a user, a user within a role (determined by the workflow engine so that workload balancing is automatically done), or a role. When a selection is made, a message is sent to the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server to set the task's assignee to the selected user or role.

Tasks can only be reassigned if their properties allow reassignment of tasks, and the task is not already done.

• Task Properties — display and change properties of the selected task. When executed, the Task Properties dialog box is displayed.

  Figure 10-7 Task Properties Dialog Box

  
   

The Task Properties dialog box contains the following:

• Priority — select the task priority from the drop-down list: Low, medium, or High.

• Task Permissions — determine what a user can do with a task from the worklist. The permissions are:

  • Mark done without executing — if selected, any end user assigned this task can perform the Mark Task as Done command from the Worklist application. The task's completed date can be set manually by the end user.

  • Re-execute if marked done — if selected, any end user assigned this task can perform the Execute Task command from the Worklist application, even if the task has already been completed.

  • Unmark if marked done — if selected, any end user assigned this task can perform the Unmark Task as Done command on the task from the Worklist application.

  • Modify at execution time — if selected, any end user assigned this task can change the task permissions by selecting Properties from the Task menu of the Worklist application. If this is not selected, then none of the task permissions can be altered.

  • Reassign at execution time — if selected, any end user assigned this task can perform the Take and Reassign commands from the Worklist application, meaning they can take the task as their own responsibility or reassign it to another user.

 

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Viewing Workflow Variables

The second option on the pop-up menu, which is displayed by right-clicking the instance, is the workflow variables. This command is used to display a list of all workflow instance variables.

Figure 10-8 Variables Menu Option

 

When selected, the Variables menu option displays the Workflow Variables dialog box, which lists the variables of the selected workflow instance.

Figure 10-9 Workflow Variables Dialog Box

 

The Workflow Variables dialog box displays each variable in a list, showing its name and its current value. Use the buttons in the dialog box as follows:

• Update — select a variable and click Update to display the Set Variable dialog box showing the current value. You can change this value.

  Figure 10-10 Set Variable Dialog Box

  
   

  When you save the change, a message is sent to the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server to reset the variable. Because workflow logic often depends on the value of variables, use caution when manually changing the value of a variable.

• View XML — select an XML-type variable and click View XML to display the XML contents of the variable.

 

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Deleting Workflow Instances

The Delete menu option allows you to delete a workflow instance. Selecting this menu option displays the Delete Workflow dialog box.

Figure 10-11 Delete Workflow Dialog Box

 

A positive confirmation sends a message to the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator server prompting the deletion of the selected workflow instance(s).

 

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Viewing User Worklists

In the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator folder tree, right-click a user from the list and select Open User Worklist from the pop-up menu. A list of tasks assigned to the user is displayed in the User Worklist dialog box.

Figure 10-12 User Worklist Dialog Box

 

Note: You cannot execute tasks on worklists invoked from within the Studio. To execute tasks from a worklist you must invoke the Worklist client application.

 

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Viewing Role Worklists

In the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator folder tree, right-click a role from the list and select Open Role Worklist from the pop-up menu. A list of tasks assigned to the role is displayed in the Role Worklist dialog box.

Figure 10-13 Role Worklist Dialog Box

 

Note: You cannot execute tasks on worklists invoked from within the Studio. To execute tasks from a worklist you must invoke the Worklist client application.

 

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Using Workload Reports

BEA WebLogic Process Integrator allows you to view workload reports, showing the number of tasks, by workflow, task, user or role, and task status. In the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator folder tree, right-click Workload Report, and choose Open from the pop-up menu to display the Workload Report Properties dialog box.

Figure 10-14 Workload Report Properties Dialog Box

 

Compiling Workload Report Information

The workload report will display information according to the selections you make in the Workload Report Properties dialog box:

• Workflow Templates folders — select a workflow template to include information pertaining to all workflow template definitions within that workflow template, or expand a workflow template and select only one workflow template definition. Only information within the selected workflow template or workflow template definition will be included in the workload report.

• Pending — displays pending tasks. Pending tasks have been started and not yet completed.

• Inactive — displays inactive tasks. Inactive tasks are those which have not yet been started.

• Done — displays completed tasks.

• Overdue — displays those tasks which are now overdue. Overdue tasks are pending tasks with a due date on or before the current date.

• Total Tasks — displays all tasks, regardless of task state (that is, inactive, pending, and completed tasks are all counted).

• All users — displays workload information for each user.

• All roles — displays workload information for each role.

• Specified users — displays workload information for each the selected users in the displayed users list.

• Specified roles — displays workload information for each of the selected roles in the displayed roles list.

• Users of specified roles — displays workload information for each user who is a member of one of the selected roles in the displayed roles list.

• Group together and display totals only — displays total counts of tasks only for the group identified by the above selected option. If not selected, each individual user or role is shown in the workload report.

Viewing Workload Reports

After you make your workload report selections, click OK to display a graphical representation of the current workload.

Figure 10-15 Workload Report Dialog Box

 

The contents of the report are broken down by user, role, or totals, depending on the options selected. This display may scroll left and right if there is a lot of information. A bar chart indicates the total number of tasks of various state counted. The legend at the top of the window shows what each color represents, depending on the options selected at design time. For more precise indicators, the actual number of tasks is shown above each bar.

 

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Using Statistics Reports

You can view statistics reports that are based on tasks, users, roles, and so on. A statistics report provides statistical information based on historical data kept for completed workflows. It shows number of tasks completed, total time, average time, minimum and maximum times spent for task. Standard deviation is also shown.

Compiling Statistics Report Information

In the BEA WebLogic Process Integrator folder tree, right-click Statistics Reports and choose Open from the pop-up menu to display the Statistics Report Properties dialog box. The report includes information according to the selections you make in the Statistics Report Properties dialog box.

Figure 10-16 Statistics Report Properties Dialog Box

 

• List of workflow templates — list of available workflow templates. Expand a template to select the workflow template definition to include in the statistics report.

• For all dates — statistical calculations are gathered regardless of date.

• From — all tasks, in completed workflows, completed on or after this date are included in the statistical calculations.

• To — all tasks, in completed workflows, completed on or before this date are included in the statistical calculations.

• All users — displays statistical information for each user.

• All roles — displays statistical information for each role.

• Specified users — displays statistical information for each selected user.

• Specified roles — displays statistical information for each selected role.

• Users of specified roles — displays statistical information for each user who is a member of one of the selected roles in the displayed roles list.

• Group together — the report displays total counts of tasks only for the group identified by the above selected option. If not selected, each individual user or role is shown in the workload report.

Viewing Statistics Reports

When you make your statistics report selections, click OK to display the statistics report.

Figure 10-17 Statistics Report

 

The top of the dialog box has several options:

• Build/Rebuild — rebuild the report if you change the units of time or the precision level.

• Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days — units of time used in the report.

• Precision — drop-down list from which you can select how many decimal places you want in the statistical information.

Several columns are displayed in the report, depending on the options selected at report design time:

• Task — name of the task being measured.

• User — user or role assigned to the task. If the Group together option was selected at report design time, this column is not shown, because the results are totaled for all users or roles.

• Number — total number of tasks completed.

• Total — total amount of time spent on doing the task. This is the time interval between the task start date and completed date.

• Average — average amount of time spent performing this task.

• StdDev — standard deviation from the average.

• Min — minimum amount of time spent performing this task.

• Max — maximum amount of time spent performing this task.

Because the report definition is stored separately from the results, the statistics report can be run at any time.