Calling a linked process dynamically

When you use a linked process as the implementation for an activity, you can use an advanced option in the implementation properties to supply a predefined variable to dynamically call one of many linked processes, depending on your needs.

About this task

To use the dynamic option for a linked process, complete the following tasks first:

  • Create a variable of type String in the parent process to hold the name of the linked process that you want to run. Your parent process must also include the logic to determine the value of this variable at run time. For example, the parent process can include logic to set the value of this variable based on user input.
  • Establish the input and output variables for each potential linked process so that the parent process runs as expected regardless of which linked process is called. To meet this requirement, the variables in all potential linked processes must be the same. To map variables from the parent process to the linked process, follow the steps described in Working with linked processes.
  • Dependencies might exist between process applications and toolkits, as well as between toolkits and other toolkits. For example, ProcessApp PA1 might depend on Toolkit TK1, which in turn might depend on Toolkit TK2. This creates a dependency chain: PA1 -> TK1 -> TK2. In order for the search to be started at the beginning of the dependency chain (in PA1), the name of the invoked process must be prefixed with a double slash (//). If a process in TK1 invokes another process dynamically without the double slash prefix, it will find only the processes down the dependency chain (that is, in TK1 and TK2, but not in PA1).
Restriction: The Diagram tab on the Process Performance dashboard can drill down into subprocesses and statically linked processes that are defined in the process. It cannot drill down into dynamically linked processes that are called by the process at run time.

To configure an activity to dynamically call one of many potential linked processes, complete the following steps:

Procedure

  1. Open the parent process in the Process Designer.
  2. In the Definition page, add a linked process to the diagram.
  3. In the Implementation tab of the Properties view, select Linked Process.
  4. Select a predefined linked process from the library.

    You must initially select one of the predefined linked process for the dynamic configuration to function properly.

  5. Click the Data Mapping tab in the properties.

    Because you already created the input and output variables for the linked process, the Data Mapping tab for the activity in the parent process includes those variables.

  6. Under Input Mapping, click the auto-map icon in the upper-right corner, and then click the auto-map icon in the upper-right corner of the Output Mapping section.
  7. Click the Implementation tab in the properties.
  8. In the Dynamic process field under Processing Behavior choose the previously defined variable that provides the name of the selected process.
    Note: At run time, the value of this variable cannot be null and it must exactly match the name of an existing process or BPD.
  9. Click Save or IBM BPM version 8570 cumulative fix 2017.03Finish Editing.
Parent topic: Working with linked processes