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Procedure documentationStarting a Process Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

You have several possibilities to start a process depending on the purpose and starting point of the process. Processes are exposed as Web Service when they are deployed onto the runtime. The process starts when the start event is triggered. Therefore the definition of the Web service (WSDL file) and the operation, which are assigned to the start event affect the way how to start the process.

Procedure

Starting Processes from Process Repository

As administrator you can start processes from the Process Repository tool that is integrated in the SAP NetWeaver Administrator. This way to start processes is mostly used for test purposes.

Prerequisites

You have a user, which belongs to the administrator group, or has an administrator role (SAP_BPM_SuperAdmin, NWA_SUPERADMIN) or the respective administrator actions (SAP_BPM_SuperAdmin, NWA_SUPERADMIN_BPM_RRViewer).

For more information about the required administration UME roles and UME actions for BPM administration tasks, see Authorizations and Roles

Procedure

  1. To start the SAP NetWeaver Administrator, in a Web browser, enter the following address and then provide your user name and password: http://<host>:<httpport>/nwa.

  2. Select   Configuration Management   Processes and Tasks   Process Repository  .

    The system displays the development components of the deployed processes and their details.

  3. Select your development component (DC) of the process you want to start.

  4. Choose the Processes, Tasks and Rules tab page.

  5. Select the required process and choose Start Process.

    Note Note

    You can start a process with active version only.

    End of the note.

For more information about administration tasks in the Process Repository tool like the download of resources for support, see Displaying and Starting Processes in the Process Repository.

Starting Processes by Web Services

You can also start processes by Web services, for example, using the Web Services Navigator (WS Navigator) or a Web Dynpro application or another client application. The application uses the same service interface that is assigned to the start event of the process in the process composer.

Note Note

When a Web service call fails for a technical reason, for example no authorization or the connection is blocked by a firewall, the Web service call is retried. The default number of retries is three. If the third call fails, the status of the process is set to Failed.

End of the note.
Starting Processes from the Web Services Navigator

For working with the WS Navigator, you need a user, which belongs to the administrator group, or has an administrator role, or has the UME WS Navigator administrator action.

  1. To start the WS Navigator, in a Web browser, enter the following address and then provide your user name and password: http://<host>:<httpport>/wsnavigator

  2. You can search for a Web service using a WSDL URL, a provider system name, a logical destination name, or the Services Registry.

    More information: Finding Web Services

    Note Note

    If you have assigned the DefaultService service interface definition with the Empty operation to the start and end event in several processes without renaming them, many entries with the same name will be found in the WS Navigator. You cannot search for the process name. Therefore, it is difficult to find the right service interface and operation to start the particular process. We recommend to create a new WSDL file and name the assigned service interface and operation with descriptive names.

    More information: Creating Service Interface Definitions

    End of the note.

    Note Note

    If you want to call a Web service deployed on another system, you should enter the address of this systems in the Web Services Navigator white list.

    More information: Configuring Web Services Navigator White List

    End of the note.

  3. After you have found the service interface, for example, by entering the WSDL URL, choose the operation, which has been assigned to the start event in the process composer (see in the Process Composer perspective, the start event's properties:   Properties   Interface   Operation  ).

  4. Choose Execute to call the Web service with the definition and operation you have assigned to the start event in the process composer.

    More information: Modeling Events, 3. Assign Service Interface Definitions to Events

    The start event of the process is triggered and the process starts.

More information: Testing Web Services in the Web Services Navigator

Starting Processes from Web Dynpro Applications

The Web service can be called from an application, for example, from a Web Dynpro application.

The Web Dynpro application developer has integrated the service interface into the application. The Web Dynpro developer can find the service interface in the WS Navigator. The same service interface is assigned to the start event of the process.

Starting Processes from a Web Service Client

You can call Web services from Web service clients and so start the process.

The Web service client developer has integrated the Web service in an application. He or she knows the specific requirements for the Web service and creates a Web service proxy. Afterwards, the developer programs the client application using the service interface. This service interface is also assigned to the start event of the process.

More information: Consuming Web Services