2. Agenda
●
Objectives
●
Workflow Types
●
Design Goal
●
Architecture
●
Introduce to sample application
●
Guide to setup sample application
●
How to run the sample application
●
How to use the workflow engine
●
How to setup development environment
2
3. Objectives
●
Promote a common Workflow capability across products
▬
Make it platform agnostic with drivers that encapsulate the platform differences
▬
Full based on top of Java/OSGi
▬
Come with a robust implementation dedicated to the Domino platform
▬
Allow the move to a more robust architecture, like Lombardi
●
Increase the Domino Application Development capability by providing an
easy to use Workflow capability
▬
Increase the value of Domino as an application development platform
▬
Better compete with Microsoft Sharepoint, and .NET
▬
Workflow is one of the Domino app dev selling point, so make it real!
3
4. Workflow Types
●
Different types of workflows are available
▬
Ad hoc workflows, for simple, no administration workflows
▬
Defined as part of the forms, using simple components
●
Similar to the Workflow sub form
▬
Changing a process means opening Domino Designer and editing an XPage
component
▬
Actions are happening synchronously
▬
Managed Workflows
▬
Defined outside of the form, generally is external databases
▬
Actions are happening asynchronously, using a background router
●
Workflow context abstraction
▬
The workflow is accessed the same way, regardless of the underlying implementation
●
XPages common controls
▬
Comes with a set of ready to use controls (action bar, display history...), connected to
the worklow context
4
5. Design Goals
●
Make the workflow engine easy to use and integrate for the simple
cases
▬
Predefined Workflow templates
▬
Simple approval...
▬
Easy to parameterize
▬
Connects to the existing infrastructure (directory, ...)
▬
Built-in drivers
▬
Ready to go set of XPages controls/API
●
Make the engine customizable for more complex cases
▬
Custom workflow templates
▬
Requires some custom Java/XPages custom development
●
Developer can use similar API to access workflow data regardless of the
workflow type
▬
A workflow context object exposes the current state of the workflow and allows actions to
be triggered
●
Ensure that nothing is “hard coded” but provided through pluggable
services
▬
From an XPages standpoint, the services will be available through Complex types
5
6. Architecture
Lotus
XPage Connection
Profile
Connector
Common Workflow API
Social Profile
Connector
Workflow
People
Engine
Adapter
Adapter
Lotus Workflow
Org Connector
Simple Lotus
Lombadi BPM
Workflow ....
...
Workflow
Connector
Engine Connector
6
7. Introduction to the Sample Application
The sample application is called: End of Year Review. It is an application to help evaluating
employee's work in a year. It contains the following workflow:
1. At the beginning of year, employee create an objective for a year
2. Manager approve/reject employee's objective
3. At the end of a year, employee create a self assessment for the year
4. Manager evaluate employee's assessment and give a evaluation result.
Create an Create self
Employee
objective assessment
reject approve reject
End
submit submit approve
Evaluate Evaluate
Manager
objective assessment
7
8. Guide to Setup Sample Application
1. Install XPage Extension Library first;
2. Unzip the xflow.zip and get com.ibm.xsp.xflow.updatesite.zip. Install the update site to
Domino.
3. Copy the Sample NSF(EmployeeReview.nsf) to domino data folder. The default user has
manager authority, please change access control if needed.
4. Sign the design elements
5. Access Admin Page ("http://yourDominoServer/EmployeeReview.nsf/WebAdmin.xsp"),
input 3 Notes users in your Domino server, press “Create Sample data set” button to
generate sample data, including Employee Data and Review Data(These three users will
be added to the demo workflow system).
6. If you want to create more employee, you can create them with Employee form in Notes
client(see explanation of Employee field in page 10).
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9. Guide to Setup Sample Application (cont')
7. The Navigation List on Admin Page(Home page) has entries to access “Create Review”,
"WebMyReviews.xsp", "WebMyEmployees.xsp", "WebMyTodo.xsp",
▬
in "WebMyReviews.xsp" page, user can choose one employee to view his/her review
process, if the review process is not finished, you can edit it.
▬
in "WebMyEmployees.xsp" page, manager can view all the review process in the tree
structure of Manager and his/her managed people, if the review process is not
finished, you can edit it. (Only manager or XFlow_admin role can view this page)
8. In "WebEditReview.xsp", you can see the sample usage of "xe:simpleWorkflow". We can
define a simple workflow with it.
9
10. Employee Form
ID to identify user in workflow system
Corresponding Notes ID for workflow user
User's manager id
User's second line manager id and user's manager id
All managed people ids, separated with comma.
10
11. How to Run the Sample Application
1.Login the sample application with an admin user(with Manager authority),
and press "Setup" button
11
12. How to Run the Sample Application
2.In setup page, input 3 valid Notes Ids of your Domino server: one for
employee, one for first line manager, one for second line manager. Click
"Create Sample Data Set" will generate sample data for you.
12
13. How to Run the Sample Application
2.In setup page, input 3 valid Notes Ids of your Domino server: one for
employee, one for first line manager, one for second line manager. Click
"Create Sample Data Set" will generate sample data for you.
13
14. How to Run the Sample Application
3.Login with employee Notes Id. In "My Reviews", you will see 3 years'
reviews. For current year, if it is still in "Objectives to be submitted", you can
click on "Edit".
14
15. How to Run the Sample Application
4.The employee can input this year's objective and submit it.
15
16. How to Run the Sample Application
5.Login as first line manager id and in the "Pending Tasks" view, you can
see all current tasks including the Objective submitted by previous
employee. You can click "Edit" view detail information of the objective.
16
17. How to Run the Sample Application
5.Login as first line manager id and in the "Pending Tasks" view, you can
see all current tasks including the Objective submitted by previous
employee. You can click "Edit" view detail information of the objective.
17
18. How to Run the Sample Application
6.As manager, you can input objective comments and Approve/Reject
employee's objective. Once approved, the document will return to employee
to input assessment.
18
19. How to Run the Sample Application
7.Login as employee and input self assessment and submit.
19
20. How to Run the Sample Application
8.Login as first line manager, you can find employee's assessment in
“Pending Tasks”. You can input manager assessment and select a
evaluation result.
20
21. How to Run the Sample Application
8.Login as first line manager, you can find employee's assessment in
“Pending Tasks”. You can input manager assessment and select a
evaluation result.
21
22. How to Run the Sample Application
9.As first line manager, you can also view all employees' reviews in "My
Employees" view.
22
23. How to Use the Workflow Engine:
●
For simple ad hoc workflow applications
●
You can use the workflow engine directly in this
distribution(called SimpleWorkflow)
●
In your XPage, you can use workflowContext to access the
workflow engine data
●
For complex workflow applications
●
You can implement your own workflow custom control to
integrate third party workflow engine
●
In your XPage, you can use workflowContext to access the
workflow engine data
23
24. Use Simple Workflow Engine
●
For simple ad hoc workflow
application, you can use the workflow
engine in this distribution
▬
In Application Properties → Advanced
tab, add required libraries:
com.ibm.xsp.extlib.library and
com.ibm.xsp.xflow.library
▬
Drag the SimpleWorkflow control to
your Xpage
▬
Define your workflow process in
SimpleWorkflow's “Process” property
▬
Design your form in the XPage as
usual
▬
Access workflow data through data
bean workflowContext in Xpage
▬
Use custom control
wkWorkflowActions to show workflow
action bar
24
25. How to Setup Development Environment
1. Install Domino server and Eclipse 3.6 or 3.4 above
2. Download XPage Extension Library
3. Install XPage Extension Library to Domino server: unzip the XPageExtensionLibrary.zip
and get the updatesite.zip; Unzip the updatesite.zip, copy the unzipped folder into
Dominodatadominoworkspaceapplicationseclipse
4. Follow this guide to setup debug env:
http://www.openntf.org/Projects/pmt.nsf/6EA1D2D26DF8D5BC862577D00055BB21/%24fil
e/Lotus%20Domino%20Debug%20Plugin.pdf(Use the JVM installed in dominon directory
<Domino Install Directory>Dominojvm)
5. Import XFlow source code to Eclipse workspace, set the target platform to
Dominoosgircpeclipse, Dominoosgisharedeclipse,
Dominodatadominoworkspaceapplicationseclipse
6. Copy the sample NSF(EmployeeReview.nsf) to your Domino data directory
7. In Domino Designer there maybe errors, you also need install updatesite.zip to domino
designer. You also need to install update site "com.ibm.xsp.xflow.updatesite.zip" into
Designer.
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