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Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide > Testing a Workflow Process > Process of Testing a Workflow >
Using the Process Simulator
This task is a step in Process of Testing a Workflow. In this task, you run the Process Simulator on a workflow process. For more information about:
CAUTION: It is recommended that you use a test database to test your workflow process. If you use the Process Simulator to test a workflow process, then the workflow process runs the same as if Siebel CRM calls it in a production environment. For example, if the workflow process includes a Siebel operation step that updates records, then Siebel Tools updates records in the Siebel database when you run the Process Simulator.
To use the process simulator
- Close every Siebel client session.
To avoid encountering a multiple client session error, you must close every client session before you start the Process Simulator. If a Siebel client session is running, then you cannot start the Process Simulator.
- Make sure the Microsoft Taskbar does not include any Siebel client icons.
- In Siebel Tools, locate the workflow process you must modify.
For more information, see Locating a Workflow Process in the Workflow Processes List.
- Right-click the Workflow Process.
You can also start the simulator in the Process Designer. To do this, start the Process Designer for the workflow process you must simulate, right-click the canvas of the Process Designer, and then click Simulate.
- Choose Simulate Workflow Process.
Siebel Tools opens the Process Simulator. It displays a read only version of the workflow process with a pale yellow canvas, highlights the start step, and makes the Start Simulation button on the Simulate toolbar active.
- In the Simulate toolbar, click Start Simulation.
Siebel Tools displays the Simulation In Progress dialog box momentarily.
- Observe the Siebel client start, and then wait for control to return to Siebel Tools.
The simulator starts a new instance of the Siebel client according to the debug settings you entered in Preparing to Use the Process Simulator. You use this Siebel client instance as the run-time environment for the simulation. You are not required to do any other work in this Siebel client instance unless the simulated workflow process is an interactive workflow process. For more information, see Simulating an Interactive Workflow Process.
After the Siebel client starts, the Simulation In Progress dialog box disappears, control passes back to Siebel Tools, the start step runs, and then control pauses at the next step in the workflow process. If the first step runs as expected, then Siebel Tools highlights the next workflow process step in the Process Simulator view.
- In the Simulate toolbar, click Simulate Next to run the highlighted step.
- Continue clicking Simulate Next until the last step finishes.
As you step through the workflow process, you can examine results of each step in the Watch window until the workflow process finishes. For more information, see Using the Watch Window.
- If the workflow process does not run as expected, then correct the problem, and then restart the simulation at Step 6.
For more information, see Troubleshooting a Problem That Occurs During Simulation.
- Optional. Examine test results in the Siebel client.
If the workflow process modifies record data, you might be able to examine test results in the Siebel client. For an example, see Simulating the Workflow Process.
- Close the Simulator window.
After the last step of the workflow process runs, the simulation automatically ends. You can also use the Stop Simulation button to stop the simulation before the last step runs. Guidelines for Using the Process Simulator
If you use the Process Simulator, then it is recommended that you use the following guidelines:
- If the workflow process does not contain a user interact step, then do not navigate or click UI elements in the Siebel client while the Process Simulator runs. If you must navigate in the Siebel client, then it might be necessary for you to close the Siebel client and Siebel Tools, open Siebel Tools, and then run the Process Simulator again.
- In Siebel Tools, do not navigate outside of the Process Designer while the Process Simulator runs.
- It might be necessary to ALT+TAB back to Siebel Tools to proceed with the simulation after the Siebel client starts.
- You can use the Process Designer to change values in step properties, and then return to the Process Simulator to test the workflow process. To change values in step properties, you must stop the Process Simulator, change these values, and then restart the simulation.
- You can hide the Object Explorer and the Properties window so that you can view your work in Siebel Tools. You can resize the Siebel Tools window so that it covers only a part of the display area.
- If you define a wait step in seconds, then the Workflow Process Simulator simulates a wait period according to the number of seconds that you define for this wait step. If you define the unit of time in minutes or greater, then the Simulator continues to the next step.
- It is not necessary for a workflow process to be active to run it in the Process Simulator. The simulator ignores activation date, expiration date, and status.
Simulating an Interactive Workflow Process
If you use the Process Simulator to simulate an interactive workflow process, then you must perform some actions in the Siebel client while the simulator runs. To simulate an interactive workflow process
- If the Process Simulator highlights a user interact step, then click Simulate Next.
Siebel CRM displays the view that the user interact step references in the Siebel client.
- Switch to the Siebel client, and then make sure the run-time event runs in the client according to the definition for the user interact step.
Siebel CRM passes control back to Siebel Tools after the user interact step runs successfully in the Siebel client. The Process Simulator then moves to the next step in the workflow process.
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