Run actions in the Inspector

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This topic is shared by BAW, CP4BA, CP4BASaaS. Last updated on 2025-03-13 12:15
The actions that are available in the Inspector when you run a process or service in the designer.

The actions that are available in the Inspector depend on the element that you selected and its run time state. When you select a process instance, you see the actions that you can perform on that instance. Similarly, if you select an activity or a task, the actions that you can perform on that activity or task are available.

Process Instance actions

The following table lists the actions that you can take on a running process. The list of actions that you see depends on the state of the process instance.
Table 1. Process instance actions
Action Description
Delete Delete a completed, failed, or suspended process or service on the server.
Refresh Reload the process data.
Resume Resume a suspended process.
Suspend Pause the execution of an active process.
Terminate Terminate the execution of failed or suspended process.

Before you terminate a process instance, check if the instance has dependent relationships. If the instance depends on other instances, terminating the instance also terminates the instances that it depends on. You can wait for all of the instances to complete before you terminate the dependent instance. Or, if you want to keep these dependency instances, you can remove the relationship before you terminate the instance. If you still want the relationship to be visible, you can add an independent relationship before you remove the dependent relationship.

To terminate instances in a dependent relationship, you must have the authorization to terminate all the dependent instances. For example, instance A depends on instance B and instance B depends on instance C. Terminating instance A terminates instance B and instance C. Terminating instance B terminates instance C. If you have the authorization to terminate instance A and instance B but not instance C, you must either remove the relationship between instance B and C or get a user with the appropriate access to terminate instance C, before you can terminate instance A.

After a process instance is terminated, you can only delete the process instance. There is no way to revive a terminated process instance.
Modify due date Change the date on which the process is due.
Set user authentication Determines whether all tasks run as either Current user (no authentication is required) or Another user (authentication is required). See Logging in as another user.

Activity actions

Ad hoc (or unwired) activities in a process are listed in the Activities section. The following table lists the actions and describes the transition that happens for the activity when you click the action. The list of actions that you see depends on the state of the process instance.

Table 2. Activity actions
Action Description
Disable Moves READY and WAITING activities to DISABLED state.
Start Moves READY and WAITING activities to WORKING state. If the action is repeatable, the process instance gains an copy of this activity and the copy is optional. For WAITING activities, clicking Start overrides the wait condition on the activity.
Enable Moves the DISABLED activity according to whether it is automatic or manual and whether its preconditions are fulfilled or not:
  • Automatic activities that do not have preconditions or that have fulfilled preconditions move to WORKING state
  • Manual activities that do not have preconditions or that have fulfilled preconditions move to READY
  • Activities that do not have fulfilled preconditions move to WAITING state.

Task actions

The following table lists the actions that you can take on a task. The availability of some of the actions depends on the status of the task and its parent instance.

Table 3. Task actions
Action Description
Run Runs the task
Debug Debugs the task
Return to team Removes the assignment to the user from the task and returns the task back to the team.
Edit data Expands the Data section so that you can review and edit the task data.
Modify due date Changes the due date to the day and time that you specify.
Modify priority Changes the priority to the level that you specify.
Skip Skips the task to send the process instance to the next step in its flow. You cannot undo the skip action.

Timer actions

The only available action is Fire now. This action overrides the timer and sends the flow along the path that exits the timer. For example, a review activity has an attached timer (a boundary event) that leads to an escalation path.

Message event actions

There no available actions for message events. The presence of a message event indicates that the instance is waiting for a message to arrive.

Relationship actions

The following table lists the actions that you can take on a process instance relationship. To see these actions, click a relationship in the instance relationships list.

Table 4. Relationship actions
Action Description
Edit description Opens a window from where you can edit the description of the relationship.
Remove Removes the relationship between the two instances. The instances themselves are not affected.