Launch a workflow from Process Designer

About this task

When you are ready to test a workflow definition, you can launch it directly from Process Designer. Before you launch, we suggest that you validate the workflow definition and correct any errors. See Validate the workflow definition.

Note: Some popup blocker utilities interfere with the Launch process—turn off the popup blocker in your browser to display the Launch page.

The Launch tool automates the following activities:

  • Prompts you to check in the workflow definition to an object store or library, unless you have disabled the automatic Add/Check in Before Transfer/Launch feature in workflow preferences. (To make a workflow definition available for automatic launching and other production use, you must check in the workflow definition to the object store or library.) See Workflow preferences for additional information.
  • Validates the workflow definition (checks for invalid expressions and routing conditions), unless you have disabled validation in the workflow preferences.
  • Transfers the workflow definition to the workflow database. See About transfer for additional information.
  • Launches the workflow, displaying the Launch step for the workflow author.

NOTE  If the workflow definition file contains multiple workflows, only the current workflow definition is launched using the Action menu. To launch the main workflow in a collection, click the File menu, then Launch Main Workflow. See Workflow Collection for information about specifying which workflow is the main workflow.

To launch a workflow, you must have Create access to the roster specified for this workflow (Workflow Properties > Advanced). If you have access rights that allow you to use the Configuration option in Process Designer, you can create queues, rosters, and event logs with restricted access rights.

To launch the open workflow definition

Procedure

  1. Click Action > Launch Workflow. If you have not disabled check in (Settings > Preferences > Workflows), do one of the following, depending on whether you have previously saved the workflow definition to an object store or library.
    • If you have never saved the workflow definition to the object store or library, you are prompted to save the workflow definition. See Save the workflow definition for complete instructions.
    • If you have previously saved the workflow definition, but have since made changes, the modified workflow definition is checked in and immediately checked out again for you. (Note that the version number of the workflow definition in the title bar increments by 1.)
    • If you have previously saved the workflow definition and have not made changes, the launch processor specified in the workflow definition displays.

    After you complete the save, if necessary, the launch processor displays.

  2. On the Launch processor page, follow the Launch instructions to enter the appropriate information, then click Launch.

Results

TIP Once you complete the launch step, you can log on as the participant for the first step, and then look in your Inbox for work assigned to that participant. If you are assigned as the participant for the first step or if the first step is in a queue to which you have access, you can use Personal Work Manager (Tools menu) to access the first step task.

To launch the main workflow in the workflow collection

  1. Click File > Launch Main Workflow, or click the Launch Main Workflow icon on the Process Designer toolbar.
  2. On the Launch processor page, follow the Launch instructions to enter the appropriate information, then click Launch.