Importing or Exporting Workflow Models
Use the Import and Export options to forward models and receive models from other users.
"Export As" and "Export As Text" exports the model in a different format.
Imported and exported files have an extension of WorkDe Files (*.wdl).
Workflow Designer File Menu displays a list of WF models recently imported into the designer. If no models were imported, Recent File appears inactive. The list does not include recently opened or modified WF models.
Migration of Active Instances to Active Workflow models
When a Workflow model status becomes Active, the Workflow Designer searches for any active instances from the prior active model. If they exist, the user is given the option to migrate the Workflow Instances over to the new active Workflow model.
During the migration process, a search is made for any existing Workflow Instance records for the new active Workflow model definition by Workflow Key, Model ID, and Version. If the new active Workflow model definition is brand new, this search will fail. However, if the new active version was also active at another point in time, in theory, a Workflow instance being migrated could have existed in this version as well when it was active. If so, it represents a stale version, since the Workflow Instance being migrated represents the most current copy.
Each resulting Workflow Instance that is found is deleted since it represents an old state. All records associated with the old Workflow Instance record are also deleted including the Data Variable and Workflow History records. When the new Instance record is inserted to replace it, all existing data variables and history records associated with it are also inserted, excluding any history records currently in progress. This recreates the old active state for the Workflow Instance in the new Workflow model definition.
It is important not to insert any pending Workflow History records due to the following reason: There is no guarantee that this Workflow activity exists in the new Workflow model definition. Therefore, only completed Workflow History records are inserted, thus avoiding a no-state condition the next time the Workflow Instance runs.
At that point, the Workflow Instance is set to an "R" event (Retrigger) so that the new active Workflow model moves the Workflow Instance to its new current (or last) approval point.
The next step for the user is to select the Yes button, and the previous Workflow Instance is automatically migrated to the new Workflow model.
Error handling with more specific messages than previous versions is delivered to the user. In addition, a Workflow instance will continue processing if an encountered error is not critical and subsequent processing is not affected.