An expert guide to new SAP workflow capabilities · PDF fileIntroduction Handling Data with Containers and Expressions Controlling Flow with Conditions and Blocks ... describes new

An expert guide to new SAP workflow capabilities

IntroductionHandling Data with Containers and ExpressionsControlling Flow with Conditions and BlocksDealing with EventsDistributing WorkMonitoring Your ProcessesTesting Workflows and Using ABAP Objects

IntroductionHandling Data with Containers and ExpressionsControlling Flow with Conditions and BlocksDealing With EventsDistributing WorkMonitoring Your ProcessesTesting Workflows and Using ABAP Objects

© SAP AG 2006, 4

What This Session Is About

This session…

… describes new features in the SAP Business Workflow areaWeb Application Server releases 620 to NetWeaver 2004S

… is not an introduction to SAP Business WorkflowYou have to be familiar with SAP Business Workflow to fully profit from this session

… covers a lot of different independent topicsIt should give you an overview and a first impression of the newconceptsMore details can be found

in the slide notesin the appendixin the documentation

… is about technology, not about real-world scenarios

© SAP AG 2006, 5

Release Dependency

New workflow features introduced in this presentation are associated with the Web Application Server release they are first available in

The release number is highlighted in the upper right corner of each slide

NW04S

IntroductionHandling Data with Containers and ExpressionsControlling Flow with Conditions and Blocks Dealing With EventsDistributing WorkMonitoring Your ProcessesTesting Workflows and Using ABAP Objects

© SAP AG 2006, 7

Re-implementation of the Container 6.20

Complete reimplementation of container technology

No restrictions concerning data typesDDIC types with arbitrary lengthsBinary dataStructures with arbitrary depth and complexityABAP OO references

Container is by default stored as XML documentFacilitates diversity of supported data typesSaves storage space (especially for large containers/structures)

No database entry for each structure field required anymoreEntails serialisation / deserialisation effort

Old container persistence (SWCONT, SWCONTOB) still supportedCompatibility modeWorkflow Builder setting ( Appendix)

© SAP AG 2006, 8

Parameter Container Interface

The old container was represented as an internal tableManipulating the container meant using awkward container macros

The new container implementation is ABAP Objects based

A (released) API is provided for reading an manipulating container datathe ABAP Objects interface IF_SWF_IFS_PARAMETER_CONTAINER

This interface represents the container already in a number of workflow APIs (and will get more ubiquitous from release to release)

IF_SWF_IFS_PARAMETER_CONTAINER contains the following methods:

Delivers a list of names of all elementsLIST_NAMES

Sets the value of an elementSET

Delivers a reference to the value of an elementGET_VALUE_REF

Delivers the data type of an elementGET_TYPE

Delivers the value of an elementGET

Resets an element to its type-based initial valueCLEAR

DescriptionMethod

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 9

Expressions

Expressions now provide index access to multi-line elements

Second order of first customer&customers[1].orders[2]&

Projection to a single column&table[].columnName&

Access to a component of a table line&table[index].columnName&

Access to an entire table line&table[index]&

Expressions can contain functional method calls to BOR or ABAP Objects The expression evaluates to the result value of the method It is possible to pass parametersMethods used in expressions must not have side effects

„Read only“ methodsNo database changes

%my_class.static_method( param1=&exp2& )%Static method&my_object.methodA( param1=&exp1&; param2=17 )&Instance method w parameters&my_object.get_value( )&Instance method w/o parameters

No more restrictions concerning data typesABAP-OO object referencesStringsNested structures

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 10

New Binding Editor

target container

source container

import binding

export bindingbinding

instructions

drag & drop

drag & drop

drag & drop

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 11

Binding Instructions

Source and Target of a binding instruction are expressionsAssigning a table line to a structure component is now possible (if compatible)

Several binding operators are availablefor expression to expression binding (as above)for container to container binding

The button lets you choose the right binding operator

source expression binding operator dataflow direction target expression

6.20

Merge (Copy all elements)Container to container

Assign value

Expression to expression Append to table

Programmed Binding (SWCONT)Programmed Binding (Container-IF)

XSLT TransformationInitialize

see Appendix for further cofiguration possibilities


© SAP AG 2006, 13

Step Conditions 6.20

READY

CHECKED

SELECTED

STARTED

COMPLETED

CreateWork ItemConditionInstantiation

Execution

CompleteExecutionCondition

CompleteWork ItemCondition

see Appendix for further details

© SAP AG 2006, 14

SWITCH: The New Multiple Condition Flavor

1. Double-click on multiple condition icon

2. Select Multiple Condition Flavour

3. Enter Branches and Conditions

4. Name Default Branch

Each branch of the SWITCH carries a condition definition

The conditions are evaluated in the given order

The first branch whose condition evaluates to TRUEis taken

If none of the conditions evaluates to TRUE, a default branch is taken

Condition Editor

Condition 1 is TRUE

Condition 2 is TRUE

Default branch

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 15

Blocks: Basic Features

Blocks…

are modeling elements

can contain other modeling elements

represent a data sub-contextall modeling elements within the block refer to this data context (binding, conditions, …)

have a data interface

have one start and one end node

are represented by block work items new work item type

can be deadline monitored (latest end only)

can catch exceptions ( see Appendix)

Start node

Block

End node

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 16

Blocks: Work Item Hierarchy

Block items introduce new levels in work item hierarchies

Blocks can contain dependent work items

Blocks are represented as folders in the workflow log

Block structure is sustained at runtimeBlock is completed only if dependent work items are in a final stateIf a block is cancelled, all its dependent work items are cancelled, too

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 17

Blocks: Data Context Properties

Every block has a containerNested blocks form nested data contexts

Parent relationships between containersWorkflow is the top level block

Parent context is visible within sub contextBindings can be defined from

the parent context to the sub context (Import binding at block instantiation)the sub context to the parent context (Export binding after block completion)

Blo

ck C

onta

iner

Wor

kflo

w C

onta

iner

Visi

bilit

y of

da

ta

Impo

rt

Bin

ding

Expo

rt

Bin

ding

Pare

nt

Con

tain

er

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 18

Blocks: Dynamic Parallel Instantiation

Block instantiation can be dynamically controlled by multilinecontainer elements (ParForEach)

Similar to the „ParForEach“ dynamic parallel processing for activities!

For each entry in the multiline element, one block instance is createdCorresponding line data transported to the block context via binding

Process continues after the ParForEach block if eitherall instantiated parallel blocks are completed ora special join condition evaluates to TRUE after completion of a block

Block definition

+

Multilinecontainer element

:objectN

object2object1

= :

N parallel block instances

N

2

1

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 19

Blocks: Dynamic Sequential Execution

Block execution can be dynamically controlled by multilinecontainer elements (ForEach)For each entry in the multiline element, the sequence of steps defined within the block is executed once

Only one block item is created!ForEach loop semantics

Process continues after the ForEach block if eitherall table entries are processed ora special condition evaluates to TRUE after completion of a loopsequence

Block definition

+

Multilinecontainer element

:objectN

object2object1

=

N block sequence cycles

…1 2 N

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 20

Local Workflows

Local workflows…are control flow snippets

not part of the main process sequence

are just special blocksrepresented by block work items

are started via local eventsdata binding event – local flow

have full access to process datacan be instantiated an arbitrary number of timesare cancelled if still active when main process completes

3. Local event is raised

2. Exception is caught by block

1.Exception is raised

4. Local workflow is started

6.40


© SAP AG 2006, 22

Workflow Header Events (1)

1. Select „Basic Data“

2. Select „Version-Dependent“

3. Select „Events“4. Enter event data

5. Choose receiver type

Conditions „Create Work Item“ and „Complete Work Item“ are evaluatedEvaluate Pre- and Postconditions

Agent determination of all active dialog work items is repeatedReevaluate Rules

The workflow instance is set to status CANCELLEDA new instance is started with the same data

Cancel and Restart Workflow

The workflow instance is set to status CANCELLEDCancel WorkflowReaction of Workflow to EventReceiver Type

The workflow instance can listen to eventsEvent couplings only exist if the corresponding object exists in the workflow container The receiver type tells you how the workflow processes the event

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 23

Workflow Header Events (2)

A specified local event is triggeredThis local event could

start local workflowscomplete wait steps (event items)

see one of the next slides for the extended wait step!

Trigger Local Event

Event is delivered to existing appropriate wait step (event work item)If no active event work item exists, the event is parkedsee one of the next slides for parked events and the extended wait step!

Wait Step EventReaction of Workflow to EventReceiver Type

WAS 640 (NW04) offers you two new receiver types

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 24

Parked Events (1) 6.40

event

Problem/Feature 1:

Workflow can only react on events ifappropriate wait step has already beeninstantiated

If event is raised „too early“, it is lost forthe processwait for

event

event

Problem/Feature 2:

Events always complete all correspondingactive wait step instances (event items)

token

© SAP AG 2006, 25

Parked Events (2) 6.40

event

parked eventsevent

parked eventsevent

consume parked event

The process instance can act as an intermediate event storage

If active receiver event items exists, the one created first receives the event

If no active receiver event item exists, the event is parked

The first matching event item created consumes the first event parked

In any case: One event is delivered to exactly one event item

See Appendix for further details

© SAP AG 2006, 26

workflow

Correlations (1)

Event couplings are created using

event name (design time information)

event object instance (run time information)

The object instance has to be known to theprocess

6.40

container

A

A

A

Problem: How to wait for events of yet unknown objects?

Knowing an object means knowing its key ( unique identifier)

But: objects can also be identified using semantic information

Goal: Wait for events of objects semantically coupled to objects known

knownobject

instantiate event item

© SAP AG 2006, 27

Correlations (2) 6.40

B

A

Correlations are objects which group other objects by semantic criteria (correlation key)

“objects having to do with each other”

correlationinstance

correlatedobject

instance

known object instance

Event couplings can also be created using

event name (design time information)

event object type (design time information)

correlation instance (run time information)

The object instance does not have to be known to the processbut at least one correlated object instance has toExample: know order to identify correlated invoice

© SAP AG 2006, 28

workflow

Correlations (3)

Correlations are instantiated using oneparticipating object instance

(semantic) correlation key has to be determined

Example: order ID

Wait step (event item) is instantiated using

correlation instance (semantic key)

object type

event

Example: wait for creation of invoice referring to known order

6.40

container

A knownobject

instantiate event item

Correlationinstance

A

instantiate correlation

B event

Event of unknown, yet correlated object is delivered to event item via the correlation instance

see Appendix for further details

© SAP AG 2006, 29

Wait for condition

SWWCOND

Wait for local eventWait for event using workflow

Wait for event

Wait Step: Four Different Flavours

Conventional wait step

Wait for global event

Correlations can be used

Condition specified in wait step

Evaluated by periodic background job SWWCOND

Wait for global event

received by workflow instance

dispatched to event item

Correlations can be used

eventevaluate condition

workflow instance

event

workflow instance

Local event

Wait for local event raised by trigger step within the same workflow instance

6.40


© SAP AG 2006, 31

Boosting SBWP Performance

Means to improve SBWP performance have been provided

Scenarios that benefit most are

Many agents work on large pools of work items (e.g. call center scenario)

Large, slow work listsNecessity to often refresh the work list (due to work item „overlaps“)

Extensive usage of dynamic columnsparticularly with large work lists

Grouping of work items in large work lists using container dataGrouped according to contentGrouped according to content typeGrouped according to sort key

To mitigate SBWP performance issues, BAdIs have been defined

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 32

SBWP-BAdI: Filtering Work Lists

BAdI WF_BWP_SELECT_FILTER enables the reduction of the number of work items displayed in the Business Workplace workflow inbox

It imports the entire work list (work item header information)It exports the (reduced) work list to be displayed as inbox

Custom filtering algorithms can be implementedExample implementation based on random numbers available

Performance critical operations applied to reduced work listDefault attributes, dynamic columns, work item text in differentlanguages, …

Availability: WAS 620 SP 44, WAS 640 SP 9 (see note 765783)

end user standard work list selection

entire work list

filtering

BAdI

work list subset

preparation for display

Business Workplace

WF_BWP_SELECT_FILTER

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 33

SBWP-BAdI: Accelerating Dynamic Columns

Dynamic columns can be customized on task levelDisplay work item container information in Business Workplace inbox

Usage of dynamic columns is performance criticalRead container for every single work itemInstantiate objects and read object attributesContainer and Business Object Repository are not mass-enabled

BAdI WF_BWP_DYN_COLUMN can help to improve performanceThe BAdI implementation facilitates

custom bufferingmass selection from database

Availability: Future Support Packages for WAS 620 and WAS 640see note 848382 (not released yet)

work list to be

displayed

1st stage (determination

by BAdI)

WF_BWP_DYN_COLUMN

BAdI

dynamic columns partly

determined

subset with dynamic columns

2nd stage (standard

determination)

work list to be

displayed

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 34

SBWP-BAdI: Evaluating Default Attributes

Default object attributes are displayed as object representatives

Determination of object attributes is time consumingNot mass-enabledVery critical for large numbers of work items

BAdI WF_BWP_OBJ_ATTRIBUTE can help to improve performanceAllows a custom, mass-enabled determination of default attributes

Availability: Future Support Packages for WAS 620 and WAS 640see note 848382 (not released yet)

_WI_OBJECT_ID _WI_GROUP_ID

_WI_OBJECT_ID

_WI_GROUP_ID

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 35

Email Notifications

Replacement for SAP MAPI is providedClient-based MS Outlook integration of SAP Business WorkflowSupport ends 10/2005

New solutionsServer-based (zero footprint)Mail client independentCovers 90% of workflow-related MAPI customer scenarios

Different replacements for different SAP releases

Report RSWUWFML2Polling report sending email notificationsReleases 4.6C – 620

Extended NotificationsServer notification frameworkReleases > 640

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 36

Extended Notifications: Overview

SAP Business Workflow

send e-mails

Extended Notifications

process workitem

collect workitems

Email

End user

Email client

SAP GUI or Portal UWL

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 37

Extended Notifications: Basic Features

Notify users about work items that need to be processed Send workitems to groupware (e.g. MS Outlook or Lotus Notes) carrying direct callbacks to backend transactions

Execution of web-based work items (Web Dynpro, People centric UI, …)Execution of work items via SAP GUI for Windows

6.40


© SAP AG 2006, 39

BI Integration for SAP Business Workflow (1)

The Workflow Information System (WIS) has become obsolete with WAS release 610

Customers do their reporting using BI

Workflow projects with BI requirementscould not use standard workflow-related data extractionhad to implement their own extraction logic for workflow data

This gap has now been closedTechnical work item data is available in BI as infocubeHow many workflows of type ‘xy’ were executed?What is the average processing time for a given workflow (step)?How many steps of type ‘xy’ were executed by org unit ‘abc’?

Workflow and Business Objects worlds are linked by work item to object relation information available

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 40

BW Integration for SAP Business Workflow (2) 6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 41

Work Item Programming Exits (1)

Work item exit classes have to implement the ABAP Objects interface IF_SWF_IFS_WORKITEM_EXIT

Exit classes can be attached toSteps (activity, decision, wait, web activity) corresponding work itemsBlocks block itemsWorkflows flow items

Exit classes are called at particular times in the work item lifecycle

work item exit implementation

BEFORE_CREATIONAFTER_CREATIONAFTER_RULE_EXECSTATE_CHANGEDBEFORE_EXECUTIONAFTER_ASYNC_INVOKEAFTER_EXECUTIONBEFORE_REMOVE

IF_S

WF_

IFS_

WO

RK

ITEM

_EXI

Twork item

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 42

Work Item Programming Exits (2)

The workflow runtime provides the work item exit withthe name of the lifecycle eventa work item context object (reference to IF_WAPI_WORKITEM_CONTEXT)

The work item context provides methods toread work item data (header, task, agents, texts, …)get container handles (IF_SWF_IFS_PARAMETER_CONTAINER)

of the work item itselfof the super ordinate workflow

read properties ( see next slide)write messages to the workflow log

work item exitwork item event nameevent name

work

item

context

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 43

Properties

Properties are custom labels for workflow definition entitiessteps (activities, decisions, wait steps, web activities)blocksworkflows

Properties can be used tocategorize stepsmark process states (milestones)

Properties are just name value pairsThey can be queried in work item exits ( custom process reporting)

„Is the current work item an approval work item?“„Is the current process still in negotiation phase?“

6.20

© SAP AG 2006, 44

Application Specific Workflow Reporting

Reporting tool

Application specific reporting database

Work item exit

Workflow definition

workflow completed

workflow started

activity

activity

activity2

1

Work item context

step with work item exit

step property

6.20


© SAP AG 2006, 46

Testing Workflows: Start Options (1)

Workflow test transaction (SWUS) offers start options

Select „Goto“ „Options“

Switch on workflow trace and set trace levelTrace Level

Use aRFC instead of tRFCDebug Mode

Switch off synchronous dialog chains Start Dialog Automatically

Background steps are executed synchronously, not via tRFCValuable for debugging background steps

Simulate background processing

The workflow instance is started via aRFCStart Workflow AsynchronouslyExplanationOption

Start options can be specified when testing workflows (SWUS)Options enable better error analysis

DebuggingTracing

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 47

Testing Workflows: Start Options (2)

Extended start options with release 700

Specify container persistence profile for single step tasks (TS…)The persistence profile for workflows (WS…) is specified in the workflow definition

Persistence ProfileInstantiate and start workflow a specified number of timesRepeated Starts

ExplanationOption

NW04S

© SAP AG 2006, 48

Using ABAP Objects in Workflows (1)

SAP Business Workflow now supports two object repositoriesBOR (Business Object Repository)SE24 (ABAP Objects)

Persistent object keys now have three componentsObject category (CATID) ( BOR or ABAP Objects)Object type (TYPEID) ( BOR object type or ABAP Objects classname)Object key (INSTID)

Both repositories equally well supportedBut: No delegation feature in SE24

SE24 support covers the same aspects as BOR supportContainerExpressionsMethodsEvents

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 49

Using ABAP Objects in Workflows (2)

Container can reference ABAP OO objectsobject category

classname

ABAP OO objects can be used in expressions

just as BOR objects are used

ABAP OO object methods can be used in standard task definitions

just as BOR object methods are used

object category

classname

method

6.40

© SAP AG 2006, 50

Resources

Public Web:www.sap.comhttp://service.sap.com/bpmsSAP Developer Network: www.sdn.sap.com (Platform -> Business Process Managment)

Related LecturesWhat you need to know about SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure message processing, monitoring, and troubleshooting(Tuesday, March 28,10:00 am - 11:15 am)

Related SAP Education Training Opportunitieshttp://www.sap.com/education/BIT600, BIT601, BIT603, BIT610

© SAP AG 2006, 51

7 Key Points to Take Home

1. Start to use BI cubes for workflow reporting and for process analysis; this is a building block for Business Activity Monitoring.

2. Local workflows enable you to have a process within a process that can run as many times as the workflow requires.

3. Local events enable workflow flexibility without additional performance overhead.

4. Extended notifications replace SAPMAPI for sending work items to Outlook.

5. Switch your workflow container to use XML instead of SWCONT. This saves storage space since there is no database entry for each structure field requied any longer.

6. Try to get involved in SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure. Many new workflow features are created to support the BPM runtime. Business Process Managment (BPM) is a natural skill-extension to SAP Business Workflow.

7. Move towards the Universal Worklist as the inbox for workflow items.

© SAP AG 2006, 52

Q&A

Questions?

© SAP AG 2006, 53

Please complete your session evaluation.

Be courteous — deposit your trash, and do not take the handouts for the following session.

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Thank You !

© SAP AG 2006, 54

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© SAP AG 2006, 55

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An expert guide to new SAP workflow capabilities · PDF fileIntroduction Handling Data with Containers and Expressions Controlling Flow with Conditions and Blocks ... describes new