Restrictions for propagating workflows

Use the workflow propagation restrictions to ensure that your data model is propagated successfully.

Workflows reference other entities such as views, roles, users, attribute collections, and scripts within their definitions. When you propagate any type of workflow addition or change that contains entity references, the entities are not automatically propagated and you must ensure that any necessary entities are manually propagated.

The following workflow additions and deletions are propagated automatically:
  • Adding a workflow

    The import fails and you do not receive an error message to inform you of the failure if you attempt to add a workflow when the referenced entities do not exist.

  • Deleting a workflow is supported if the view is not associated to a collaboration area. Deleting a workflow can be propagated only through the delete import.

    The import fails and you do not receive an error message to inform you of the failure if you attempt to delete a workflow that is associated to a collaboration area.

  • Deleting a workflow if the workflow is not associated to a collaboration area. Deleting a workflow can be propagated only through deleting import jobs through the Collaboration Manager > Imports > Import Console in the user interface.
If you try to delete a workflow that is associated to a collaboration area, the import fails and you do not receive an error message to inform you of the failure.

Renaming a workflow is not supported.

The following workflow definitions are automatically propagated:
  • Adding a workflow
  • The import fails and you do not receive an error message to inform you of the failure if you attempt to propagate changes to a workflow definition when the associated entities are not available in the target system, including users, roles, and attribute collections.
  • Workflow access control group
The following step changes are automatically propagated:
  • Adding a step
  • Deleting a step

Deleting a step is not supported.

Adding an attribute collection is automatically propagated.

Removing an attribute collection from a workflow step is not supported.

The following performer changes are automatically propagated:
  • Adding a performer
  • Removing a performer
The following extension points and step links are automatically propagated:
  • Adding an extension point
  • Changing an extension point link
  • Deleting an extension point

Renaming an extension point is not supported.

Earlier, workflow definition could not be updated if the workflow was in use. For instance, if the workflow had collaboration area that is associated with it, and items were checked out to the collaboration area. Changes were made in Version 6.5.0 to enable you to change a workflow while it is in use.