Snapshot installation

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When you install a snapshot to a workflow server, the library items for that snapshot (including toolkit snapshots) are copied from the repository to the selected workflow server if they do not exist on the workflow server. The workflow server can be connected or offline. Depending on your needs and whether the workflow server is connected or offline, you can use Workflow Center or wsadmin commands to install the snapshot.

Important:
  • Make sure the version of the Workflow Center server is equal to or earlier than the version of the connected or offline workflow server before you install to the workflow server.
  • To import a snapshot that was created in IBM® BPM V8.5.5 or V8.5.6, which contains Basic Case Management features, into a new installation of Business Automation Workflow 22.0.2 that no longer has Basic Case Management features, you must first import the .twx file that contains Basic Case Management content into a 22.0.2 Workflow Center to update the case types to the 22.0.2 model and remove the document types.

    If your installation of IBM BPM V8.5.5 or V8.5.6 had Basic Case Management features and was upgraded to 22.0.2, your deployment environment still has Basic Case Management features and you can import snapshots that contain Basic Case Management features.

If you plan to install a snapshot that contains Integration Designer artifacts, the user or group to which you belong must be assigned to the Configurator, Operator, and Deployer administrative security role. If you are not currently assigned to all of these roles, click Users and Groups in the WebSphere administrative console to modify the user or group roles. For more information, see Administrative security roles. In addition, if the snapshot contains BPEL process and human task applications, you can use the serviceDeploy command or the wsadmin tool to deploy the EAR file that contains the applications. For more information, see Deploying BPEL process and human task applications.

Connected workflow servers

You can install snapshots to connected workflow servers in your environment by using either Workflow Center or the BPMInstall command. Ordinarily, you have connections to one or more servers in your environment, as shown in the following figure.

Workflow Center connects to multiple workflow servers in your development environment.

Offline workflow servers

You can also install snapshots to an offline server that is running but is not connected to Workflow Center (for example, if the workflow server is behind a firewall). In this situation, use the wsadmin commands to create an installation package for a particular snapshot on the Workflow Center server, transfer the package to the offline workflow server, and then run the wsadmin command to install the package. Always install snapshots to an offline workflow server from the same Workflow Center.

Custom and generic installation packages

When you install snapshots, you can use generic installation packages or custom installation packages. Custom installation packages include migration information for a specific server while generic installation packages omit this information. Instead, you provide the migration instructions separately during the snapshot installation if there is a need to migrate running process instances from existing snapshots to the snapshot you are installing. With generic installation packages, you can use the exact same installation package to install a snapshot onto multiple workflow servers, even if the workflow servers are not the same. Additionally, if you are scripting the installation, you can use the same script on the Workflow Center server to create and extract the installation package. On each workflow server, you can customize the script that installs the snapshot for that particular server. The following set of diagrams shows the difference between using a generic installation package and by using multiple custom installation packages to install a snapshot.
Generic installation packages Custom installation packages
One generic installation package is extracted from Workflow Center and combined with migration instructions for installation on more workflow servers
Multiple custom installation packages are extracted from Workflow Center and installed on their specific workflow servers.

With custom installation packages, you can continue to use scripts and installation services that are created for IBM BPM version 8.5.5.0 or earlier.

Requirements for Case solution projects snapshots installation

To install the Case solution project snapshots from a Workflow Center to a Workflow Server, the snapshot needs to be installed or exported from a Workflow Center version that matches the Workflow Server. Installing a snapshot from a different version of Workflow Center to a Workflow Server is not supported. For example,

Not supported: Installing a snapshot from Workflow Center v19.0.0.3 to Workflow Server v20.0.0.2.

Supported: Installing a snapshot from Workflow Center v20.0.0.2 to Workflow Server v20.0.0.2.

You can migrate the solutions from a Workflow Center to another Workflow Center by using the snapshot .twx files that allow for migrating a case project solution from a lower or older version of Business Automation Workflow to a higher or newer version of Business Automation Workflow. See Importing and exporting projects.