About Dynamically-Invoked Processes

The dynamically-invoked process feature is extremely flexible. When you invoke a callable process or a referenced process dynamically, you can:

Invoke one or more process models, without prior design-time knowledge of the callable or referenced process model to use. These processes can be invoked to run simultaneously.

Invoke multiple instances of a single process model without configuring looping on the call activity step.

Specify whether or not the parent process must wait for the child process to complete before transitioning to the next step.

These dynamically invoked process models are triggered at run time using information in the pipeline, and by applying the standard document handling, step logic, and data mapping features available in the Process Development and Service Development perspectives in Software AG Designer. You make use of a specific document type that describes the information needed to invoke a dynamic referenced process, pub.prt.CallActivityModel for callable processes and pub.prt.SubprocessModel for referenced processes.

You will need to be familiar with the above features to be able to implement dynamically-invoked processes. For additional information, see:

To obtain this functionality, the recommended approach is to create a call activity step on the process canvas, configure it as required, and then enable it for dynamic execution at run time.

When the Process Engine encounters the dynamic call activity step, it performs a process invocation, but instead of invoking a specific process defined within the step, it invokes the process with values found in the pipeline.

Important: Designer never implements Express Pipeline for dynamic call activity steps, regardless of the Express Pipeline option setting. For more information, see Setting Quality of Service for a Process.

To implement a dynamic call activity step, you must select the Allow this step to dynamically invoke one or more processes at run time check box on the Implementation tab of the call activity step's properties in Designer. As with any parallel step executed in a process model, select the Allow Parallel Execution check box in the same location. For more information, see Parallel Execution (Step Locking).

Configure any other behavior of the call activity step as required (transitions, looping, KPIs, and so on). For more information, see Configuring Call Activities.

Define the required invocation data by creating a document reference list of the required document type (pub.prt.CallActivityModel for callable processes, pub.prt.SubprocessModel for referenced processes). You must create one element of the document reference list for each dynamically invoked process model you want to start. For more information, see pub.prt.CallActivityModel and pub.prt.SubprocessModel.

Note: You can also start a referenced process with a publish rather than a direct invocation; however, that approach does not tie the child process to the parent process, and the two processes will not be related when you view them in webMethods Monitor.