JR47604: THE REST APIS FOR STARTING A PROCESS OR SERVICE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A WAY TO START A NON-DEFAULT TRACK'S TIP INSTANCE.

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Version 8.5.0 Fix Pack 1 for the IBM Business Process Manager products
Version 8.5 Refresh Pack 5 for the IBM Business Process Manager products

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• On Process Center, REST APIs for starting a process or service
  do not currently have a way to start a non-default track's TIP
  instance. This can lead to unexpect behavior in process portal
  when a track TIP item is started from the launch menu.
  This would not affect Process Server environments since tracks
  and the TIP concept does not apply there.
  The main behavior would be if you have track1 and track2 with
  track1 being the default. Click either track's link shown
  in the launch page for Process Portal would start an instance
  for track1.
  
  These are the two REST apis which can start tip instance related
  items via their start method:
  POST /rest/bpm/wle/v1/process/
  POST /rest/bpm/wle/v1/service/
  
  There needs to be a new parameter added to the APIs to allow for
  a specific branch ID(track) to be specfied without a specific
  snapshot so that TIP instances can be created.
  
  When the snapshot ID is provided then it should not create TIP
  instances.
  
  I would expect this to work the same way as items started in
  Process Designer.
  
  JR47726 will also be needed with this one to correct issues with
  Process Portal usage of this REST API.
  

Local fix

• Use Process Designer to start the instance for a non-default
  track.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:  Users of Process Center and the REST API.   *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: The "start process" REST API does not   *
  *                      provide a way for the caller to         *
  *                      specify the use of the "tip" snapshot   *
  *                      contained within a non-default track    *
  *                      of a process app.   This would          *
  *                      require the user to pass the            *
  *                      "branchId" parameter on the "start      *
  *                      process" REST API, but this parameter   *
  *                      is not yet supported (currently only    *
  *                      the processAppId and snapshotId         *
  *                      parameters are supported).              *
  *                      The main side-effect of this            *
  *                      shortcoming is that the user would      *
  *                      receive a link within Process Portal    *
  *                      that refers specifically to the         *
  *                      snapshot which happened to be the tip   *
  *                      of the non-default track at that        *
  *                      time, but would not be able to refer    *
  *                      symbolically to that track's tip        *
  *                      snapshot in the future.                 *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  The "start process" REST API doesn't allow user to start a BPD
  instance within the tip snapshot of a non-default track of a
  process application.
  

Problem conclusion

• With this iFix, we've added support for the "branchId"
  parameter within the "start process" REST API.   This
  parameter can be used to specify the "tip" snapshot of the
  specified non-default track.   In addition, the "exposed
  processes" REST API has been modified to detect the presence
  of an exposed BPD within the tip of a non-default track, and
  will compute a startURL value which uses the new "branchId"
  parameter.
  
  The interim fix on BPM v8.0.1.1 is available to download from
  Fix Central. This fix will be integrated into the next fix pack.
  Please reference to the README file for installation
  instruction.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  BPM ADVANCED

• Fixed component ID

  5725C9400

Applicable component levels

• R800 PSY

     UP