Problem with a step in a Workflow - Hanging

[Prakashreddy Sabbu]

Hi,
Did you check the step history for errors?

Sent from my iPhone

On 02-Jul-2012, at 12:48 PM, "Kjetil Kilhavn" <kjetil.kilhavn at bluec.no> wrote:

> 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)
> 
> _______________________________________________
> SAP-WUG mailing list
> SAP-WUG at mit.edu
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/sap-wug