Starting Workflows starting-workflows
When administering workflows you can start them using a variety of methods:
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Manually:
- From a Workflow Model.
- Using a workflow package for batch processing.
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Automatically:
- In response to node changes; using a Launcher.
Workflow Models workflow-models
You can start a workflow based on one of the models listed on the Workflow Models console. The only mandatory information is the payload, though a title and/or comment can be added as well.
Workflows Launchers workflows-launchers
The Workflow Launcher monitors changes in the content repository to launch workflows dependent on the location and resource type of the changed node.
Using the Launcher you can:
- See the workflows already launched for specific nodes.
- Select a workflow to be launched when a certain node/node-type has been created/modified/removed.
- Remove an existing workflow-to-node relationship.
A launcher can be created for any node. However, changes to certain nodes do not launch workflows. Changes to nodes below the following paths do not cause workflows to launch:
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/var/workflow/instances -
Any workflow-inbox node located anywhere in the
/home/usersbranch -
/tmp -
/var/audit -
/var/classes -
/var/eventing -
/var/linkchecker -
/var/mobile -
/var/statistics- Exception: Changes to nodes below
/var/statistics/trackingdo cause workflows to launch.
- Exception: Changes to nodes below
Various definitions are included with the standard installation. These are used for digital asset management and social collaboration tasks:
Workflow Packages for Batch Processing workflow-packages-for-batch-processing
Workflow packages are packages that can be passed to a workflow as payload for processing, allowing multiple resources to be processed.
A workflow package:
- contains links to a set of resources (such as pages, assets).
- holds package information such as the creation date, the user that created the package and a short description.
- is defined using a specialized page template; such pages allow the user to specify the resources in the package.
- can be used multiple times.
- can be changed by the user (add or remove resources) while the workflow instance is actually running.
Starting a Workflow from the Models Console starting-a-workflow-from-the-models-console
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Navigate to the Models console using Tools, Workflow, then Models.
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Select the workflow (according to the console view); you can also use Search (top left) if required:
note note NOTE The Transient indicator shows workflows for which the workflow history will not be persisted. -
Select Start Workflow from the toolbar.
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The Run Workflow dialog will open, allowing you to specify:
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Payload
This can be a page, node, asset, package, amongst other resources.
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Title
An optional title to help identify this instance.
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Comment
An optional comment to help indicate details of this instance.
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Creating a Launcher Configuration creating-a-launcher-configuration
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Navigate to the Workflow Launchers console using Tools, Workflow, then Launchers.
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Select Create, then Add Launcher to open the dialog:
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Event Type
The event type that will launch the workflow:
- Created
- Modified
- Removed
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Notetype
The type of node that the workflow launcher applies to.
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Path
The path that the workflow launcher applies to.
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Run Mode(s)
The type of server that the workflow launcher applies to. Select Author, Publish, or Author & Publish.
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Conditions
A list of conditions for node values that, when evaluated, determine whether the workflow is launched. For example, the following condition causes the workflow to launch when the node has a property name with the value User:
name==User
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Features
A list of features to be enabled. Select the required feature(s) using the drop down selector.
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Disabled Features
A list of features to be disabled. Select the required feature(s) using the drop down selector.
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Workflow Model
The workflow to launch when the Event Type occurs on the Nodetype and/or Path under the defined Condition.
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Description
Your own text to describe and identify the launcher configuration.
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Activate
Controls whether the workflow launcher is activated:
- Select Enable to launch workflows when the configuration properties are satisfied.
- Select Disable when the workflow should not execute (not even when the configuration properties are satisfied).
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Exclude List
This specifies any JCR events to exclude (i.e. ignore) when determining whether a workflow should be triggered.
This launcher property is a comma separated list of items: ``
property-nameignore anyjcrevent which triggered on the specified property name. ``event-user-data:<*someValue*>ignores any event that contains the*<someValue*>user-dataset through the [ObservationManagerAPI](https://www.adobe.io/experience-manager/reference-materials/spec/jsr170/javadocs/jcr-2.0/javax/jcr/observation/ObservationManager.html#setUserData(java.lang.String.
For example:
jcr:lastModified,dc:modified,dc:format,jcr:lastModifiedBy,imageMap,event-user-data:changedByWorkflowProcessThis feature can be used to ignore any changes triggered by another workflow process by adding the exclude item:
event-user-data:changedByWorkflowProcess
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Select Create, to create the launcher and return to the console.
Once the appropriate event occurs the launcher will be triggered and the workflow started.
Managing a Launcher Configuration managing-a-launcher-configuration
After you have created your launcher configuration you can use the same console to select the instance, then View Properties (and edit them) or Delete.