Workflow Mode for Order Managment(SIS OM) Workflows

As we all know, “Workflow Mode” is an important attribute of the workflow and it also defines the characteristic and usage of the workflow. All the time this parameter is editable and it can be changed from one mode to another depending on the usage. I have come across a scenario where this cannot be possible in particular.

Changing workflow mode for standard (vanilla) SIS OM workflows can produce adverse results. Most of the SIS OM workflows are designed in 7.0 Flow Mode and workflow mode cannot be changed for these workflows. Exceptions caused due to this change might not result correct error to debug this issue. Aware and don’t change the workflow for these workflows.

Enabling Spool..

Spool file can be generated in whenever client application is accessing either a Local DBF or Server DB(Dedicated Client)

1. Right-Click on the mobile client --> Properties

2. Add the below string right after your mobile client cfg file

/s "C:\spool.txt"

this will generate spool file in your local drive C:\. 

Logging in dedicated client.

Logs are very important for developers to debug critical issues like core dumps and performance. Along with server side logging, developers can monitor and debug the dedicated application. Following steps are required to set the logging for a dedicated application.

1. Open Command Prompt and execute the following command.

set SIEBEL_LOG_EVENTS= (Value can be set from 0-5)

2. Run the siebel application from command prompt. Following command can be used to do the same.

/bin/siebel.exe /c /bin/enu/ /d Local /u sadmin /p sadmin

--> Web client installation directory (E.g: C:\Program Files\Siebel\7.8\web client)

--> Application configuration file (E.g: uagent.cfg for call centre applications)

/d --> Data source Name as in cfg file

/u --> username to login the application

/p --> password to login the application.

By default, log file with name "Siebel.log" will be created in /log.

Siebel Workflow Activation -- Highlights

I had recently come across a problem on workflow activation which revealed some interesting facts about activation process. Some of them are listed down below and it will be helpful for Siebel beginners (bees)

· All versions (both completed and Not in use) of workflow process are stored on repository tables. These can be migrated from one environment to another environment through repository migration.

· Only completed workflows can be activated.

· Activation of workflow process is nothing but creating a run time instance of a workflow. These activated workflows are stored in Siebel runtime tables and these will not migrated along with repository migration.

· Siebel applications use only active version of workflows which are available in Siebel runtime tables.

· For successful activation, Workflow constructed on a business object should satisfy the following conditions.

o Business object should have a primary business component.

o Business object should be compiled on Siebel application SRF.

You can post any query on workflows in comments or email at siebelbee at gmail dot com

Usage of ReadPropSet in EAI XML Read From File

Though I use this method many times, always there is a confusion in retrieving the outputs from this method. If you clearly observe the output arguments of this method, you would find nothing. There starts the confusion..

Today, I am going to explain a thumb rule to retrieve the outputs from method "ReadPropSet" of Business Service "EAI XML Read from File"

"EAI XML Read From File" will be mainly used to read the xml hierarchies, Siebel messages(IO messages) and Property sets. Usage of it's methods is completely depend on the type of message we are going to read..

Here, ReadPropSet is used to read the property sets(Top element of this particular message should be PropertySet)
Example of Property set:

The above image is an example of property set.

Let's see how we can read this message from the file system using a workflow. Consider our workflow consists of only one step excluding start and end(as shown below)



Step Read from File is of type business service and invokes the vanilla business service "EAI XML Read From File" method "ReadPropSet".

Inputs for this step is FileName ==> Location of the file on Filesystem. Now the tough part is how to get the output from this step.

To get the output from this step.. Follow these steps sequentially..

1. Open the property set in any notepad or browser and indentify the name of the tag below the tag <PropertySet>. In this particular example it is Message.
2. Define a process property in workflow with the same name and type as Hierarchy.
3. Define the output arguments of the read step as shown below..



Note: Property Name and Output Argument should be always same.

The above configuration resolves the problem of retrieving the data from the method "ReadPropSet".

How to invoke a vanilla method in e script which is defined under the object "Command"?

In a recent discussion with my colleagues, I got stuck on this question. How can we invoke a command? With a little research and experiments I found out the way. Here it is ….
Vanilla methods defined under command objects can be invoked with the help of Business component instances.

Let's take an example with one command 

Clear LOV Cache (SWE), hope every one is familiar about this command.
The underlying method for this method is ClearLOVCache. This method can be used with button controls on any applet based on BC "List Of Values", since this method is available under the business component "List Of Values". Not only on the same BC methods, but also you can invoke methods of a different BC methods through Applet, BC, and BS scripts. Have a look at the sample code below

var bo = TheApplication().GetBusObject("List Of Values");
var bc = bo.GetBusComp("List Of Values");
bc.InvokeMethod("ClearLOVCache");

Bottom line for this approach is that the method you are invoking should be available in the active instance of the Business component

Please let me know ur view on this . You can write me at siebelbee at gmail dot com.