Problem with a step in a Workflow - Hanging

[Kjetil Kilhavn]

Lørdag 30. juni 2012 01.57.28 skrev Sree S:
> Hi All.
> 
> I have a problem in a workflow.
> 
> A step in the workflow is hanging, and the status of the step is in process.
> 
> I am deleting the instance of the step using SWUS_WITH_REFERENCE and a new
> instance is generated and the workflow starts running normally.
> 
> and this happens only in one or two cases out of 100 workflows.
> 
> About the step:-
> 
> the task in the step is a background task, and the method has a while loop
> where the loop is not terminated until certain values are filled.
> Values are - Pallet Number, Trailer No( Container Id) from VEPO table..when
> i run the method individually using SWO1 transaction, the method works fine
> but when the same process runs in the workflow, the workflow step hangs and
> status of the step is in process.
> 
> Kindly suggest me how to handle this..
Start by investigating what could have gone wrong. Are there any unhandled 
problems (object to be updated is locked etc)? Is the method for creation or 
update of business document?
Then, when you ask a question to SAP-WUG, make sure you provide "all" the 
information you have, such as whether or not the method creates data using a 
SAP standard function module, makes direct table updates, calls a function 
module in a remote system or whatever. There are thousands of things that can 
go wrong, so it is just fantastic and amazing that it goes well most of the 
time.

Most likely you have nearly answered your own question, because you say 
there's a loop that is not terminated until certain values are filled. That's 
one of the good old recipes for disaster.
How are those "certain values" filled inside that loop, and what could possibly 
go wrong there? Values not existing? Key data used to look up values not 
existing or getting incorrect values at the time the method executes? I'm 
betting for the latter since you can execute the method later and it will then 
work fine.

Generic process for solving almost all problems:
1) investigate
2) think
3) search the interwebs for
4) investigate some more
5) think again
6) describe solution and problem that occurs in detail
7) use the output from step number 6 to ask a question in SAP-WUG or SCN

I often find that it's only when I have to describe my problem to others I 
thoroughly think through all possibilities, and often come up with another 
idea that leads me to or closer to the solution. So it's a useful exercise in 
itself to write a good description of the problem - good enough that your 
colleagues who don't know the programs are able to ask you an intelligent 
question (see Note below) about the problem. 

Note: the standard help desk question number one (to buy more time) "have you 
tried rebooting your machine" does not qualify as an intelligent question :-)

> Thanks,
> Sree
-- 
Kjetil Kilhavn (+47 40220607) - Blue Consulting AS (http://www.bluec.no)