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Revised 12/07/19
Application:
Process:
Prerequisites: 1. None
WORKFLOW OVERVIEW...................................................................................................................................................2
WORKFLOW COMPONENTS.............................................................................................................................................3
WORKFLOW BUILDER.......................................................................................................................................................5
WORKFLOW ENGINE..........................................................................................................................................................6
DEFINITIONS LOADER.......................................................................................................................................................7
NOTIFICATION SYSTEM....................................................................................................................................................7
WORKFLOW MONITOR.....................................................................................................................................................8
DIRECTORY SERVICES.......................................................................................................................................................9
CREATING A WORKFLOW...............................................................................................................................................11
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Workflow Overview
Oracle Workflow is a tool that facilitates business process reengineering by executing the
increasingly complex task of getting various types of information to many people according to
constantly changing business rules. Workflow has existed, in a sense, in the Oracle Applications for
some time. For example, the purchasing approval process in the Purchasing module is a workflow,
however, Oracle has packaged and labeled these types of processes as 'Workflow' and included
additional functionality and processes in order to accomplish three important business requirements:
Route Information
Define and modify business rules
Deliver electronic notifications
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Workflow Components
Workflow Builder
Workflow Engine
Workflow Definitions Loader
Notification System
Workflow Monitor
Directory Services
Notification System
How workflow
communicates with the
user.
Requires PC running
Windows 95 or NT.
Contains views that
Graphically create,
map to a designated
view, and modify a Workflow 2.5 data repository of
business process.
users and role
Save a process
information.
definition to a
database or flat file.
Works with Oracle
Apps 11i.
Use standalone or
imbedded in the Apps.
Engine Monitor
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
With Workflow, Oracle reuses old familiar terms within a new context where they sometimes take on
new meanings. For this reason, it is important to familiarize yourself with the terms used in
Workflow. The terms listed below are the most commonly used and may be the most confusing. For
a complete listing of terms refer to the glossary in the workflow manual available on the most up-to-
date Oracle Applications Documentation Library Release CD.
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Workflow Builder
The Builder is the interface which provides a graphical representation of your workflow process.
The builder runs on your PC allowing you to graphically create, view, and modify a business
process. You save a process definition to a database or flat file from the builder. The builder ties
together each of the components of a workflow process:
Attributes (Variables)
Processes
Notifications
Functions
Messages
Lookup Types
The Builder cannot be installed on a central file server or be shared by other client PC's over the
network. It is strictly an individual PC tool.
Workflow Engine
A workflow is initiated by calling one of the published Workflow Engine PL/SQL API's. Once the
workflow process has begun, the engine manages all the automated aspects of a workflow process:
Monitors the state of activities for an item
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Engine
Defers Processes to
Background Engine
Page 6 of 14
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
All Rights Reserved
R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Definitions Loader
The Definitions Loader is a utility program that lets you transfer workflow processes between a
database and your PC (flat file). The Definitions Loader runs on the server and allows you to
upgrade the database with new process definitions or upload existing process definitions after a
database upgrade. The definitions are stored on the server under the $PO_TOP, $INV_TOP, etc.
directories.
Notification System
The Notification System routes notifications to a role (responsibility) or a specific user. There are
three ways in which to access notifications - email, web browser, or via the Oracle Applications.
The method in which to view notifications can be set at the user level so applications users can
access notifications via the notification viewer, travelling salespeople can access via a web browser
or email, etc.
The Oracle Applications contains a Notification Viewer form in order for application users to access
their notifications. The form must be added to an existing responsibility menu in order to access
notifications. The form is not document or module specific so if the form is assigned to an Order
Management and Purchasing responsibility the OM responsibility will see notifications for PO, OM,
INV etc. and the PO responsibility will see the same.
Viewing notifications from a web browser requires Oracle Web Server 2.1 or higher or Oracle Web
Application Server 3.0.1 or higher. It is not necessary, however, to have the web applications
configured and running in order to use the web for notifications. If you have installed Oracle
Applications 10.7 NCA or 11+ the Web Application Server is installed as part of the applications
installation. In order to view notifications via the Web you would simply give users the 'Workflow
Self Service' application.
E-Mail notification can be done using Oracle Interoffice Messaging, UNIX Sendmail, or Windows
NT MAPI-compliant mail applications. Other mail systems can be used if the appropriate Oracle
InterOffice or UNIX gateway software is installed. If you use email notifications it is recommended
that you provide formatting instructions in notifications that require a response since they are case
sensitive. Example: APPROVE <> Approve.
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Workflow Monitor
The Workflow monitor is a Java applet that displays status information for a single workflow
process instance. It can only be viewed by Netscape 4.0+ or Internet Explorer 4.0+. The monitor
can be displayed in 'User' mode to display end-user information or 'Admin' mode to display
administrator information and functionality.
Process Title: Displays the name of the workflow process and the name of the item type
and user key. If no user key has been set, then the item key is displayed.
Process Diagram Graphical representation of workflow processes and subprocesses
Window: currently listed in the process title. Also displays color-coded status cues
for activities:
Red: Error
Green: Active/In Progress. Status could be ACTIVE, NOTIFIED, or
DEFERRED.
Yellow: Suspended. Status would be HOLD.
<none>: Normal. Status could be COMPLETE, WAITING, or
NULL.
Detail Tab Window: Provides detailed information about a selected process of activity.
Note: Some information will only appear when monitor is run in
‘ADMIN’ mode
Administration Buttons: Available only in ‘ADMIN’ mode. Can be used to perform administrative
functions by calling the appropriate workflow engine API:
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Directory Services
Oracle Workflow does not maintain its own repository of users and roles, instead it consists of three
views that pull the information from a variety of Oracle Applications tables. Each view contains the
columns that Workflow needs to reference to get information about a user or role. These views are:
WF_USERS
WF_ROLES
WF_USER_ROLES
Note: Please refer to the latest Oracle Workflow Technical Reference Manual for a detailed
description of these views.
The directory service will map to additional data sources of users and roles as additional products in
Oracle Applications implement workflow process. This will require the application of patches. If
you are using workflow in standalone mode then there are three local tables you will need to
populate. The local tables are:
WF_LOCAL_USERS
Name Null? Datatype
NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
DISPLAY_NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(80)
DESCRIPTION VARCHAR2(240)
NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE NOT NULL VARCHAR2(8)
LANGUAGE NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
TERRITORY NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
EMAIL_ADDRESS VARCHAR2(240)
FAX VARCHAR2(240)
STATUS NOT NULL VARCHAR2(8)
EXPIRATION DATE DATE
WF_LOCAL_ROLES
Name Null? Datatype
NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
DISPLAY_NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(80)
DESCRIPTION VARCHAR2(240)
NOTIFICATION_PREFERENCE NOT NULL VARCHAR2(8)
LANGUAGE NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
TERRITORY NOT NULL VARCHAR2(30)
EMAIL_ADDRESS VARCHAR2(240)
FAX VARCHAR2(240)
STATUS NOT NULL VARCHAR2(8)
EXPIRATION DATE DATE
WF_LOCAL_USER_ROLES
Page 9 of 14
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
All Rights Reserved
R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Page 10 of 14
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
All Rights Reserved
R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
Creating a Workflow
Page 11 of 14
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
If installing Oracle Applications release 11+, you must install workflow as part of the
applications installation in order for it to work correctly.
If installing Oracle Applications release 10.7, then you will need to install workflow on
top of the existing installation. If you install the standalone workflow you will not get the
'seeded' workflows used by the Oracle Applications.
486 processor
Clock speed of 66Mhz (90 Mhz+ is recommended)
Network card
SVGA color monitor
At least one PC at the site should be configured with a modem and dial-in access for
Oracle support
Dual speed, ISO 9660 format CD-ROM available as a logical drive
17.3 MB of disk space to install Oracle installer, workflow Builder, and Net8
Note: Oracle Net8 requires and only supports the use of Microsoft’s TCPIP
drivers.
Workflow Server requires previously installed Oracle Web Application Server 3.0.1+ or
Oracle Application Server 4.0.7+
The E-mail notification component works with Oracle Internet Messaging 4.2, UNIX
Sendmail, or a Windows NT MAPI-compliant mail applications. Requires Oracle
Internet Messaging 4.2 or UNIX gateway product to communicate with any other e-mail
application
Note: To send and receive mail with HTML attachments, E-mail application
should support HTML attachments and have a web browser application that
supports JavaScript and frames.
Web notifications and Workflow Monitor require Oracle WebDB or Oracle Application
Server to be installed first. To view the Workflow Monitor you need a web browser that
supports Java Development Kit (JDK), 1.1.4+, and Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT).
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Copyright 2000 KPMG Consulting, LLC
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R2i Workflow Basics Training
Revised 12/07/19
You can use Oracle Workflow to customize the following predefined workflow processes. For a full
description of each workflow refer to the respective product's User's Guide.
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