Deploying and Maintaining Processes :: SAS(R) Workflow Studio 1.2: User's Guide

Overview

Process diagrams defined using SAS Workflow Studio can be stored as flat files in XML format. Alternatively, SAS Workflow Studio supports persistence and versioning of the workflow templates using SAS Content Services. Users can also activate the specified template stored in the workflow repository. Activation results in uploading the specified version as a formal workflow definition into the SAS Workflow Engine for instantiation by end-user client applications. See Workflow Lifecycle for more details.

Note: Process changes made in SAS Workflow Studio do not take effect until the new version is uploaded and activated. After a new process is uploaded and activated on the workflow server, any new processes that are started use the newly activated version. Any currently running processes continue using their respective version of the workflow definition.

Saving a Workflow Template

To a save the current workflow template to the local file system, follow these steps:

From the File menu, select Save or Save As.

Alternatively, select the Save icon ().
Navigate to the desired directory in a dialog box.
Enter the filename for the process definition, or select an existing file to replace.
Select Save to close the dialog box and return to the drawing panel.

Restoring a Workflow Template

To restore a workflow template from the local file system, follow these steps:

Select FileOpen from the menu bar.

Alternatively, select the Open icon () on the toolbar.
Navigate to the desired directory in the dialog box.
Select the desired file.
Select OK to open the template in the drawing panel.

Logging On to the Server

With SAS Workflow Studio, you are limited to managing locally stored workflow templates on your system until you have logged on to the SAS platform. After you have logged on to the server, you can access additional process templates stored in the SAS metadata repository.

To log on, follow these steps:

Select ServerLogon from the menu bar, or press F9.
In the Log On dialog box, enter the host name.

The address used is prepopulated based on the SAS platform environment properties file.
Enter your user name and password.
Select Log On.

Note: The available host parameters are configured in the environments.xml file.

<environment name="localhost" default="false">
   <desc>SAS Environment: localhost</desc>
   <service-registry>
      http://localhost:8080/SASWIPClientAccess/remote/ServiceRegistry
   </service-registry>
   <service-registry interface-type="soap">
      http://localhost:8080/SASWIPSoapServices/services/ServiceRegistry
   </service-registry>
</environment>

For details about this configuration, see SAS Intelligence Platform: Web Application Administration Guide.

Versioning Process Definitions

Who Can Activate Process Definitions?

Any user configured using the SAS platform metadata can upload, download, or activate process definitions using SAS Workflow Studio.

Uploading a Process

Uploading a process file stores it in the SAS Content Server.

To upload a process, follow these steps:

From the Server menu, select the Save to Repository option.

Alternatively, you select the Save a Process Definition to the Workflow Repository icon () in the toolbar or press F5.

Note: These options are not active until you log on to the server.
Enter relevant comments in the Save to Workflow Repository dialog box.

Note: Comments are optional but highly recommended because the version history displays them. Summarize the high-level differences for each version so it is easier to identify the changes at a glance.
Select the Activate option if you would also like to activate the current version in workflow.
If the definition has not been previously saved locally, then the Save dialog box appears. See Saving a Workflow Template for details.

Downloading a Process

Downloading a process retrieves the workflow definition from the Workflow Repository, so that it can be viewed or revised in SAS Workflow Studio.

To download a process, follow these steps:

Select ServerOpen from Repository.

Alternatively, you can select the Open a Process Definition from the Workflow Repository icon () in the toolbar or press F7.

Note: These options are disabled until you log on to the server.

The Open from Workflow Repository dialog box appears and displays a list of processes available for download along with the relevant version information (repository and activated) and check-out status.
Select the desired process.
Choose one of the following download options:

Get copy

retrieves and views as a local copy.

Check out

checks the selected template out of the repository. This selection is required if you want to revise and save any changes to the workflow template.

Note: The checked out version is locked for editing by other users until the template is checked back in or the check-out operation is undone.
Select OK to load the specified process definition in the diagram editor.

Overriding a Process Template

If you forget to check out a workflow template before making changes to a local version open in SAS Workflow Studio, then you can overwrite the repository version.

To override the version of a template in the repository, follow these steps:

Download and check out the workflow template.

The current repository version opens in a new tab.
Navigate to the tab for the revised workflow diagram.
Upload the revised template to the repository.

Process Management

SAS Workflow Studio includes the following process management functions from the Manage Processes dialog box:

Get a copy of a workflow template

retrieves a local copy for viewing.

Check out a workflow template

retrieves a local copy for revision in SAS Workflow Studio and locks the repository version from access by other users.

Check in a workflow template

checks in the current local template as the next incremental version in the repository and unlocks it.

Undo a check out for a workflow template

unlocks the repository version for access by other users.

Activate a workflow template

uploads the workflow template as a formal definition in the SAS Platform for instantiation by end-user client applications.

Note: Only one version of a workflow definition is active at any time. Any process instances based on previous versions of the definition are unchanged. However, any new instances are generated using the current activated version.

Show version history for a workflow template

displays a version history for the specified template version.

To access these functions, follow these steps:

Select ServerManage Processes.

Alternatively, select the Manage Process Definitions icon () or press F3.

The Manage Processes dialog box appears. The dialog box displays a list of processes in the workflow repository along with the relevant version information (repository and activated), modification status, check-out status, comments and tags.

If a green check mark is visible, then the designated template is checked out and locked by the specified user.
Select a workflow template and right-click on the selected item.
Select the desired management function from the menu.

If the Show Versions option is selected, then the version history is displayed in a separate dialog box. You can get a copy, check out, or activate specific unlocked versions from this dialog box.

Note: It is strongly recommended that process templates are not deleted from the repository. Deleting a process template can cause unpredictable results when process information is accessed from SAS Workflow Administrator.