Deferred Workflow Context Issues

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Deferred Workflow Context Issues

• Collaborate07
• Sunday April 15, 215 430Lagoon H

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Deferred Workflow Context Issues

• Issue Summary
• Oracle Database Session Context
• Item Type Selector
• Order Management Example

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Issue Summary

• This presentation is follow up on an Oracle
  E-Business Suite Workflow issue reported by
  several WF SIG members at the last WF SIG meeting
  at Oracle OpenWorld.
• Oracle Workflows were reported to
• Not updating records with the correct Row Who
  data
• Some customizations dont seem to have the
  Operating Unit (ORG_ID) set properly

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Oracle Database Session Context

• There are two primary groups of data
• Row Who Data
• Set using FND_GLOBAL.Apps_Initialize(l_user_id,
  l_resp_id, l_resp_appl_id)
• Operating Unit (ORG_ID)Set usingFND_CLIENT_INFO
  .Set_Org_Context(to_char(l_org_id))

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How is Database Session Info Set

• If the workflow is running in real time
  (non-deferred mode) then the database session
  info is inherited from the users database
  session.
• The workflow is running in this users database
  session.

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Deferred Workflows DB Session

• Deferred workflows are run by the Workflow
  Background Process.
• The Workflow Background Processes run many
  different Item Type Processes for many different
  users and operating units.
• So how is this suppose to work.

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Item Type Selector

• On the Item Type Properties form there is a field
  for Selector.

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Workflow Development Guide

• Developers Guide, Release 2.6.3,Part No.
  B1028402
• Page 3-5, Item Type Selector Function
• Used to
• Auto select the runnable process for a given Item
  Type
• As a Call Back function to set database session
  context for deferred activities
• Page 6-13, Standard API for an Item Type Selector
  or Callback Function

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How does this work

• Oracle Workflow calls the selector/callback
  function with the following commands
• RUN to select the appropriate process to start
• TEST_CTX to determine if the current item type
  context information is correct before executing a
  function
• SET_CTX to establish any context information for
  an item type and item key combination that a
  function activity in the item type needs in order
  to execute. Automatically during switches in
  Item Type/Item Key.

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RUN

• This mode returns the Item Types process name to
  be run

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TEST_CTX

• The Selector Function is first called in this
  mode.
• It is the developers responsibility to determine
  if the database session info is set correctly
• If the database session is set correctly return
  TRUE
• If the database session is not set correctly
  return FALSE
• The call Selector Function in SET_CTX mode

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SET_CTX

• It is the developers responsibility to correctly
  set the database session information.
• The ideal situation is to store session context
  information in Workflow Attributes.
• Some modules derive the session context from the
  source document, (ie. Order Header, Requisition
  Header, etc.).
• Again it is up to the development team to decide
  how/when to do this

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Order Management

• The selector functions areHeader
  OE_STANDARD_WF.OEOH_SELECTORLine
  OE_STANDARD_WF.OEOL_SELECTOR
• Within these functions there are if statements
  which will avoid setting the database session
  unless the PL/SQL global variable,
  OE_STANDARD_WF.G_RESET_APPS_CONTEXT is set to
  true.

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Order Management (cont)

• The selector functions areHeader
  OE_STANDARD_WF.OEOH_SELECTORLine
  OE_STANDARD_WF.OEOL_SELECTOR
• Within these functions there are if statements
  which will avoid setting the database session
  unless the PL/SQL global variable,
  OE_STANDARD_WF.G_RESET_APPS_CONTEXT is set to
  true.

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Order Management (cont)

• I have not found exactly how this global
  variable is being set. However, Oracle Support
  did say that the Row Who data will not be correct
  unless the Workflow Background Process is run
  individually for each of the OM Item Types OEOH
  OEOL
• That is impractical at most sites since the
  there are 50-100 active Item Types, each would
  require their own Workflow Background Process.

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Order Management (cont)

• ER 5303011workflow background process not
  setting last_updated_by to correct user
• ER 4060422request workflow background process
  can be run with category ranges

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Order Management Summary

• In summary, dont rely on the database context
  information being set properly on deferred OM
  Workflow Processes
• This translates into inaccurate Row Who data in
  OM
• Warn your auditors that this is a known Oracle
  E-Business Suite deficiency