DocuShare Workflow Example 9

DocuShare® Enterprise Workflow
Example 9
Using DSBranchTask
Introduction
Installation
Deploying the Workflow
1. Using the Workflow Studio to Create and Deploy the Workflow
2. Summary
Testing
Appendix A
1. Importing and Deploying an XML file Using Workflow Studio

DocuShare® Enterprise Workflow

Example 9

Using DSBranchTask

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Introduction

This example demonstrates how to use the

DSBranchCallback interface. This interface

allows the developer to provide his/her own evaluation for the branch condition of the

DSBranchTask. This exercise demonstrates a sample DSBranchCallback

implementation that scans its predecessor tasks for their “For Approval” replies and sends

an approval notification message if at least two approved and sends a rejection

notification message otherwise.

Installation

1) Package the callback classes in a JAR file (for example,

custom.jar) and include

the JAR file in the WorkflowServer’s classpath in

<DS_HOME>\config\Monitor.xml.

Note

This example already comes with prepackaged callback classes

(

custom.jar). You need not do anything unless you modify the callback

classes.

<Name>WorkflowServer</Name>

…;

+DSH+\drala\dwe\lib\custom.jar

</StartJVMClassPath>

</JavaServerParam>

</JavaServer>

</Server>

2) Add the

custom.jar to the classpath in start_studio.bat/sh and

start_manager.bat/sh scripts located in the <DS_HOME>\drala\dwe\bin

directory.

3) Ensure that DocuShare server is licensed with Full Workflow Service license

features. This can be verified by checking in the

Site Management->License

page in

the DocuShare administration console.

Deploying the Workflow

There are two ways to deploy the workflow.

1) Using the Workflow Studio to manually go through the exercise of building this

workflow and deploying it.

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2) Opening the saved workflow file using workflow studio (easiest).

See Appendix

Using the Workflow Studio to Create and Deploy the Workflow

1) Start up the Enterprise Workflow Studio application by running

<DS_HOME>\drala\dwe\ bin\start_studio.bat in Windows or start_studio.sh

in Linux or Solaris. Then login as a DocuShare administrator or content

administrator.

Since we are assigning and removing rights to a certain users, we need a user who has

these access privileges to deploy the workflow.

2) Upon successfully logging in, you should see the workflow studio application. Using

the menu, create a

Document Routing Workflow (

File->New Workflow-

>Document Routing Workflow

)

with three

DSRoutingTask, a DSBranchTask and two DSNotificationTask

instances. To do this, click on the button, on the right hand side of the Workflow

Studio window that corresponds to the item you want added and then click on an

empty spot in the workspace.

Connect the objects as shown in the figure below by dragging your mouse from one

object to another.

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3) Double click on the

DSBranchTask and enter the callback class that you want

executed for this event. In this exercise, we will use a prewritten callback class called

my.workflow.ex9.BranchCallback.

Click Save

then

For more information on what this callback class does,

see

<DS_HOME>\drala\

dwe\custom\src\my\workflow\ex9\BranchCallback.java

4) Double click on one of the

DSRoutingTask instance to open the property sheet, go

to the

Property Editor

tab, and fill in the values for the

DSUser

and

Type

field. Set

the

Type

field to “For Approval”. Set the

DSUser

field to the person you’re assigning

the task to. The

Document Handle

field should contain the handle to the document

you’d want to route.

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Go to the two remaining

DSRoutingTask instance and set their

DSUser

field to

5) rom the menu bar, go to

Edit->Workflow Properties…

and type in text in the

6) ouble click on

DSNotificationTask instance that’s connected to the

a true

o the same thing to the other

DSNotificationTask instance connected to the

)

u are finally ready to deploy the workflow! Select

Tools->Deploy Workflow

other users that have not been used. Also, set their

Type

field to “For Approval”.

Subject field. Then select a document version to be routed. Click on Apply then

when you’re done.

DSBranchTask by a green link (or true link). Fill in the desired values. This

notification message will be sent when the DSBranchTask callback returns

value – in this case, when at least two people approved.

false branch. This will be the rejection message.

7 Now yo

from the menu bar. You should see the Deploy Workflow dialog.

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Click on the

Select

button to select the workflow engine you want to connect to. In

9 ) then C

lick

nter a Template UID to identify this template. The following are deployment

k this checkbox if you want to update or deploy a new

●

rmines whether the deployed

) Start up the Workflow Manager application by running

<DS_HOME>\drala\dwe\bin\

) Select

File->Connect…

from the menu bar then select the RMI tab, from the resulting

0) Select the “All Workflows” tab, check the Include Templates checkbox and then click

1) Select the deployed workflow template; click on the

Instantiate

button then the

the Host field, type in the connection string in the following format:

rmi://<hostname>:<rmi_port> (

example:

rmi://localhost:109

options for the template:

●

Update

Chec

version of an existing template. If this is the first time you’re deployin

the template leave this box unchecked.

Enable on Deploy

This checkbox dete

template is instantiable or not. Check this box if you want to be able to

create a workflow out of the template and run it.

start_manager.bat in Windows or start_manager.sh in Linux or Solaris.

Then login as a DocuShare administrator or content administrator.

Engine Connection dialog, and edit the “Host” field to reflect your environment.

Click on the

button when you are done.

on the Workflow Search button. You should see the workflow template you’ve just

deployed.

Activate

button. You should see a running workflow at this point.

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Summary

So what have we done? We have deployed a workflow with tasks assigned to three

people. When the task arrives in the DSBranchCallback, the callback implementation

will scan its predecessor tasks and count how many approved. If more than two people

approved the callback returns true, otherwise false. In addition, an approval or rejection

notification will also be sent.

For more information about the callback,

see

<DS_HOME>\drala\dwe\custom\src

\my\workflow\ex9\BranchCallback.java

Testing

1) Deploy the workflow then go to the Workflow Manager and click on the

All

Workflows

tab. You should see a list of workflows including the one that you just

deployed.

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2) Double click on the workflow that you just deployed. You will see that the entire

approval tasks are active – indicated by the green status indicator. The other tasks are

in ready status – indicated by the blue status indicator. As each active task is

completed, the status indicator changes from green to dark gray to indicate that the

task is done.

3) Login as the resource assigned to each task and approve or disapprove the assigned

task. Observe the status indicator of each task in Workflow Manager as you go on. In

the figure below, the notification task below the

DSBranchTask (false node) is

grayed (light gray) out, indicating that the task is “passive” – meaning, the task is not

considered required for the workflow to complete. The other notification task,

however, is in the “done” state.

In this example test run, you will see that

DSBranchTask callback returned true just

by looking at the status indicator in each task. Obviously, because it returned true the

branch connected to the false node becomes irrelevant, that’s why it’s in a passive

state.

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Appendix A

Importing and Deploying an XML file Using Workflow Studio

1. Launch the Workflow Studio application

2. Go to

File->Open Workflow…

and browse to the location of example 9:

<DS_HOME>\drala\dwe\custom\src\my\workflow\ex9\Example_9_Workf

low_Template.xml.

3. Select the desired workflow file then click on Open. The workflow should appear in

your workspace.

4. Go to the Attributes tab for all the tasks and make sure that they have the required

values as stated the

Using the Workflow Studio to Create and Deploy the Workflow

section.

5. Follow the workflow deployment instructions in step 7 – 11 of the

“Using the

Workflow Studio to Create and Deploy the Workflow”

section.

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