Introduction
A process definition consists of the following elements:
- Start event
- Task
- Gateway
- Connection Tools
- End event
Prerequisite
The Process definition workflow feature is applicable to partners and clients
for whom the Remediation and Automation bundle and IT Workflow Automation Management add-on are enabled.
Note
Only an enterprise can enable the bundles and add-ons for a partner. Similarly, a partner can enable those for a client.Enabling remediation and automation bundles
A partner can enable remediation and automation bundles for clients.
To enable a bundle for a client:
- Select a client from the All Clients list.
- From the workspace drop-down menu, go to Setup > Account Management and click Clients.
- From the CLIENTS page, click Add to create a client.
- From the Product Package section, select Remediation and Automation and click Next.
- From the Add Ons section, select IT Workflow Automation.
- Click Finish. The selected product package and add on are enabled for the client.
Creating process definition
Before creating a process definition, plan a scenario to build and accordingly identify the elements to use.
To build a process definition:
- Decide the scenario.
- Decide the steps.
- Based on the steps decided, select the elements.
- Review the properties of the selected element.
After reviewing the properties of elements, create a process definition workflow.
To create a process definition:
- Click All Clients and from the displayed list, select a client.
- Go to Automation > Process Definitions.
- From the Process Definitions page, click + to add.
- Provide a Name and Description for the workflow.
- Drag and drop the Create StartEvent icon on the canvas.
- Click the settings icon and then select either Signal Start Event or Timer Start Event.
- Configure the start event properties.
- Drag and drop the required elements on to the canvas and configure the respective properties.
- End the process with an end event.
Create a Process Definition
- Click Save.
The process definition is created and added to the Process Definitions list.Process Definition
Deploying process definition
Deploy the created process definition.
To deploy the workflow:
- From the Process Definitions page, click the Deploy icon against the required process name.
- Click Yes on the confirmation window.
The process definition workflow is successfully deployed and the deploy icon grays out.
Note
A process definition workflow can be deployed only if the workflow is enabled.
With the deployment, the process definition is mapped to a version. When you modify an existing process definition and deploy again, the version number is updated. As a result, a process definition can have multiple versions.
Editing process definition
To edit a process definition, from the Process Definitions page:
- Click the process name.
- Edit the details.
- Click Save.
Creating copies of a process definition
The create copy option simplifies the process of creating new process definitions and should reduce the time required for creating each process definition from the scratch.
For example, an organization has multiple VMs which are being monitored by various teams. The notification channels are different for each VM, but the monitoring conditions may be common for most of the VMs. For example, memory high
, disk high
. Adding the common conditions for each process definition can be a tedious task. Using the Create copy option saves the time and effort in adding the common conditions consistently across all the process definitions.
Note
The process definition UUID is unique for each process. A new process definition UUID is generated for the copied process.To create a copy:
- From the Process Definitions page, select the desired process name.
- Click the Create copy icon.
The process definition page appears with the name of the original process definition represented asCopy-*
.Create a Copy of a Process Definition
- Rename the process definition and edit the details as required.
Copy of the Selected Process Definition
- Click Save.
The process definition is created and appears on the Process Definitions List page. A new process definition UUID is generated for the copied process.
Deleting process definition
To delete a process definition:
- From the Process Definitions page, select the required process name.
- Click the Delete icon.
Monitoring processes
Monitoring the process definition allows you to debug and troubleshoot the task sequence as those are executed.
You can view the details of process definitions using the following options:
- Process instance view
- Process definition view
Note
- Process definition: Refers to the workflow designed by a user on the canvas.
- Process instance: Refers to the runtime instance created through the event (alert created, update) or direct execution from First Response policy of an alert.
Viewing list of process definitions and process instances
To view the list of process definitions and process instances:
- Click All Clients and select a client.
- Go to Automation > Process Definitions.
- On the Process Definitions page, select the desired option from the Process Definitions drop-down:
- Running Process Instances: Select to display the in-progress process instances that were started in a specific time period.
- Recently Completed Process Instances: Select to display the recently completed process instances.
The list displays the related process instances in the selected category.
- To view the details of a process instance, clicke of the following fields:
- Process Instance ID: Click the required instance ID for an overview of the instance of a particular process version.
- Process Name: Click the required name to view the details of a deployed process definition.
Process instance view
Using Process Instance ID, you can view the details of a process instance deployed at a particular version. The following details are displayed:
Field | Description |
---|---|
Instance Id | Refers to the unique ID of the process definition. |
Process Name | Refers to the name of the process definition |
Definition Version | Refers to the current version of the selected process definition. |
Variables | Refers to the variables that the selected process definition contains.
|
User Task | Refers to the user tasks in the process definition.
|
Activities | Refers to an activity that is currently active in the process definition. The activity contains the following details:
|

Process Definition view
Deployed Process definition view
A Deployed Process Definition refers to the process definition that is deployed, mapped to a version, and available as a Process Name in the Process Instance list. To view the Deployed Process Definition of a given process instance, click the name of a process in the Process Instance list. The view displays information about the process diagram, instance count, and the Process Instances tab of the version.
The following details are displayed:
Field | Description |
---|---|
Process Version | Refers to the versions of the selected process definition. From the Process Version drop-down, select the required version to view the status of the process definition associated with that version. |
Process Name | Refers to the name of the selected process definition. |
Instance Running | Refers to the number of instances running. |
Process Instances | All the running instances are displayed with the following details:
|
Instance counter | Refers to the number of instances running on a particular version. |
