Funny Workflow Versions

Thu Oct 14 18:48:06 EDT 2004

Hi Alon/Sheldon et al,
In my experience SWDD and SWDM are safe entries points in WAS systems (6.20 and above, including R/3 4.7 etc.).

I'm actually getting very fond of SWDM - gives you access to the workflow and the task, a good breakdown of the workflow and its tasks, access to the agent assignment, etc.  all in the one place - easiest way to ensure you are entering SWDD in the correct mode (display or change) also.   Nice little feature in the search range is to select "Local objects" - i.e. all custom defined workflows (unassigned to the application hierarchy).

But I'd agree with care in 4.6C although latest patches have improved things somewhat.
Regards,
Jocelyn

-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU]
Sent: Friday,15 October 2004 3:33 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Funny Workflow Versions

Hello Alon,

To assure 4.6c workflow version confidence, I have made the following rules on our project (based on experience, SAP Library, and Practical Workflow for SAP book):

- Always access Workflow Templates using PFTC. Using SWDD is not as reliable as you are accessing the Workflow Definition (i.e. Workflow Builder) without navigating the linkage from the Workflow Multi-Step Task (e.g. WS--------).

- When using PFTC, always access the Workflow Definition using menu Goto-Workflow Builder-Choose Version and be sure to select the latest version. Otherwise you could inadvertently view, change, activate a previous version.

- When making changes in Development, always be certain to use ACTIVATE (icon looks like a match) before saving and exiting. Otherwise, you could inadvertently leave a previous version as the active version for Transport.

- After Transport to QA or PRODUCTION, always follow these steps to generate and activate the latest version: (1) use PFTC Goto-Workflow Builder-Choose Version to view the latest version, (2) exit PFTC, (3) again use PFTC Goto-Workflow Builder-Choose Version which will generate the newest version, (4) use menu Workflow-Generate Runtime Version, (5) exit PFTC, (6) use SWUD Test Environment to check the consistency of tasks, components, and events.

We have not had any funny workflow versions on our project since we have been using these rules.

Regards,
Sheldon
soxenber at csc.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Alon Raskin [mailto:araskin at 3i-consulting.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 8:37 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Funny Workflow Versions

Hi Richard,

Yes this seems like a similar problem. We are on 4.6C.
Both SWDD and PFTC both show different values so I have made a rule on our project that SWDD is not to be used in our QA systems. If you want to display a workflow use SWDD. Either way, we still get funny versions display. We even have some workflows that have non sequential versioning. In other words, when you display the versions you can see version 0000, 0001 then it jumps to version 0006. Doesnt do much for my confidence that the workflow has transported correctly.

Thanks for your input. Very much appreciated.

Alon Raskin
e: araskin at 3i-consulting.com <mailto:araskin at 3i-consulting.com>
w: http://www.3i-consulting.com

________________________________

From: SAP Workflow on behalf of Richard Marut
Sent: Thu 14/10/2004 13:31
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Funny Workflow Versions

Alon,

I was at a client last month who always checked the version before
proceeding. He used SWDD and would check the version being displayed and use
the pull down list to make sure that the latest version was selected. I
recall that there were 4 versions and his display would always show version
2. They are using Enterprise 4.7.

I tend to use PFTC just because that's what I've been using for over 7 years
and SWDD seems to be a little slow with execution.

Maybe there's a bug in SWDD.

Richard...

-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Alon
Raskin
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 1:35 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Funny Workflow Versions

Hmmm interesting but this scenario doesn't really apply to us for the
following reasons.

We develop in one client only . We do not hav a system A/Client 2 scenario.
Everythign transports to our QA environments from one system/client.

I am happy for our QA environments to create as many runtime versions (rtv)
as rquired. What worries me more is why in our QA environments I can see 8
different run time versions but version 2 is the active one. I would have
assumed that version 8 (the latest one) is the active  one.

I  look forward to your suggestions.

Alon Raskin
e: araskin at 3i-consulting.com
w: http://www.3i-consulting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of
Schmidinger, Heinz (Unaxis IT BZ)
Sent: 14 October 2004 07:27
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: AW: Funny Workflow Versions

Hi Alon,

the reason could be:

You are developing /desinging a WF-Def. in System A/Clt. 1. You are testing
your definition in Sys A /Clt. 2.
If you change the Definition and test it again, you get a new
runtime-version, if a Def is still active ...

So you can create new Defs-Versions in Sys A/clt. 1, in Clt.2 the
runtime-versions will be increased and so on.

Than you transport your defiitions to System B. The last active Version will
be transported (e.g. Version 6.) The first execution of the WF-Definition
will create rtv 1.

So you change your WF again in Sys A whith creation of new Versions twice,
you will have Version 8. IF this Version is transported to Sys B and
executed, it will be rtv 2.

Confusing ? me too.

regards an a nice day.

Heinz

-----Urspr|ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU]Im Auftrag von Alon
Raskin Gesendet am: Donnerstag, 14. Oktober 2004 05:36
An: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Betreff: Re: Funny Workflow Versions

Hi Richard,

Thanks for this. Its really quite scary for us as it doesn't give us any
confidence that when we rebuild a system (and we do it quite frequently in
our testing clients), the workflow will be 'ready to go'. We have quite a
few workflows and even more sub-workflows and they all seem to be displaying
different versions.

Would you say that this is a bug (having 8 versions and having version 2 the
active one) ?

Regards,

Alon Raskin
e: araskin at 3i-consulting.com
w: http://www.3i-consulting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of
Richard Marut
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 4:18 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Funny Workflow Versions

Lon,

I had this happen one time back in 3.1H. I verified that the active version
was the actual the one right one and then I generated a new version. All was
okay after that.

Richard...

-----Original Message-----
From: SAP Workflow [mailto:Owner-SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Alon
Raskin
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 11:46 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Funny Workflow Versions

In our testing environments we have some strange going-ons.... Was hoping
someone could shed some light on this.

When I display a workflow, I can see that it has 8 versions yet version 2 is
the active one. How can that be? I thought SAP creates a new version when
there is a current instance of the currnet active version but how can it be
that there are 8 versions and version 2 is the active one.

Any thoughts/suggestions are welcome

Alon Raskin
e: araskin at 3i-consulting.com <mailto:araskin at 3i-consulting.com>
w: http://www.3i-consulting.com