A Requirements workflow is a state transition model in
which you define the state that artifacts of a specified type can
be in and the actions that users can select to move these artifacts
from one state to another. You can find topics that are in a specific
state by creating a filter.
You can use the default workflow that comes with the Requirements Management (RM) application or
you can create your own custom workflows.
Note: The default workflow is available only in new
projects in new installations of IBM® Engineering Requirements Management
DOORS® Next (DOORS Next).
Workflows are not currently available if you upgrade the RM application from previous
versions.
In the default workflow, an artifact begins its life cycle in the
New state,
but users can select actions that move the artifact to
In
Progress,
Under Review,
Approved,
Rejected,
and
Complete. The following diagram shows all
the actions and states in the default workflow:
You can use the default workflow as is, or you can modify it for
your particular needs.
Associating a workflow with an artifact type
Before you can use the default workflow or a custom workflow,
you must first associate the workflow with an artifact type. To make
this association:
- Click .
- In the Artifact Type tab, click an artifact
type.
- Select a workflow in the Workflow field.
After a workflow is associated with an artifact type, users with
the proper permission can
select actions that move artifacts through the states that are defined
in the workflow.
Creating or modifying workflows
You can create or modify a workflow in the workflow editor. To
open the workflow editor, click . The
Requirements
- Workflows window appears with on-screen instructions
on how to create a workflow.
Tip: Keeping actions and
transitions separate provides flexibility for how you define permissions.
For example, you can set a permission to control every way to get
into a particular state by using a single action for every transition
to that state. Then you only have to define the permission once. You
can also have different permissions for different ways to get to a
given state by using different actions for the different transitions
into that state.
Using Workflows
After a work flow is created and is associated with an artifact type, users with the proper
permission can use workflows by changing the state of artifacts in the artifact editor and in the
Artifacts window.
To change an artifact state in the artifact editor, open the artifact
in the artifact editor, click
Edit, and in
the Overview section of the sidebar, select a state in the
State field,
as shown in this example:
To change the artifact state in the Artifacts window, first configure
the Artifacts window to display the
State column,
and then select a state from the
State drop
down menu, as shown in this example:
Note: The states that appear for
selection in the State field and in the State drop down menu are determined
by the user's role and the permissions that have been granted to that
role.
Tip: You can create a filter that displays
artifacts that are in a specific state, as shown in this example:
Workflow Permissions
By setting permissions on workflow actions, you can control which
user roles can move or transition an artifact to a particular state.
To set permissions for workflow actions:
- From the Administration menu, click Manage
this project area.
- Click the project name.
- Click Permissions.
- Select a role.
- Expand and
under the work flow name, click either the Grant access button
or the Revoke access buttons for a particular
action.
Note: You can also set permissions that define which roles can
modify artifact content, attributes, and tags in each state of a workflow.
