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.

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

Starting with Business Automation Workflow 23.0.2, upgrading both the Workflow Center (development environment) and project versions is no longer required before deploying a workflow project snapshot to the Workflow Server (production environment).

For more details, see: Rolling upgrade for case projects and legacy case solutions in the production environment

Installing snapshots from versions earlier than Business Automation Workflow 22.0.1 are not supported. In such cases, ensure that both the Workflow Center and Workflow Server are running the same version, or that the case solution has been upgraded to a supported version before creating the snapshot.

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.