Mark CraigGroup ManagerOracle Workflow

Oracle WorkflowSystem ManagementHints and Tips

Important Patches OWF H Patchset

– Metalink Note 258312.1– Released November 4

OWF G Rollup 7: 3868138– Simplified prereqs– Released November 17

Agenda Is everything up and running? Are the Agent Listeners falling behind? Why did the Mailer go down? Why didn’t I receive my email? When can I drop and recreate workflow queues? When can I “skip” errored workflow activities? What’s the latest on the Workflow Directory

Service? Any news on cloning?

#1 #1 Is everything up

and running?

Dashboard for System Administrators and DBAs

Component of Oracle Applications Manager Accessible from Workflow Administrator resp Track Workflow System Status Manage Workflow Background Processes Manage Notification Mailer Drill Down Capability

Oracle Workflow Manager

Unified Logging Diagnostics

– Notification User Preferences– GSM Setup– Mailer Component Test– Mailer Component Parameter Test– Mailer Diagnostic Test

Oracle Workflow Manager

Oracle Workflow Manager

Workflow Service Instances There are two workflow service containers which must be running:

Workflow Service Components

Workflow Manager: Metrics

Access metrics either via graph or Related Links: Throughput:Work Items(View)

Drill Down on an Item Type

Error Count per activity per item type

Drill Down per Activity Stage

Launch Monitor, Abort (All), Retry (All)

View Errored Work Items

#2 #2 Are the Agent

Listeners falling behind?

Workflow Agent Listeners

Business Event System requires agent listeners to be run to process event messages

An agent listener monitors incoming messages and dequeues messages

When an event message is dequeued, the Event Manager begins subscription processing for the event.

Oracle Workflow provides 3 seeded agent listener service components to process messages:

– Workflow Deferred Agent Listener (WF_DEFERRED)– Workflow Error Agent Listener (WF_ERROR)– Workflow Inbound Notifications Agent Listener

(WF_NOTIFICATION_IN)

Workflow Agent Listeners Workflow Deferred /Java DeferredAgent Listener

– for deferred subscription processing (Local subscription)

– Can run multiple Workflow Agent Listeners on WF_DEFERRED

– MUST BE RUNNING Workflow Error/Java Error Agent Listener

– for error handling (Error subscription)– MUST BE RUNNING

Workflow Inbound Notifications Agent Listener – inbound agent for e–mail notification responses

(External subscription)– can run multiple Workflow Agent Listeners on

WF_NOTIFICATION_IN

Workflow Manager: Agent Activity

Search on Messages/ View XML

Tip: Custom SQL Example SQL to check status of messages

select count(*) from applsys.aq$wf_deferred

where msg_state = ‘READY’

select count(*) from applsys.aq$wf_notification_out where msg_state = ‘READY’

(example only) Queue message states also available from

wfver.sql

Tip: Custom SQL Simple custom SQL to check status of service components

select 'Service component ' || COMPONENT_NAME || decode (COMPONENT_STATUS, 'RUNNING', ' is running', ' is not running') from fnd_svc_components where concurrent_queue_id = (select concurrent_queue_id from fnd_concurrent_queues where concurrent_queue_name = 'WFALSNRSVC') order by COMPONENT_TYPE, COMPONENT_ID

(example only) Also available from wfver.sql

#3 #3 Why did the

Mailer go down?

Oracle Workflow Java Mailer Based on standard Java Mail APIs SMTP for outbound Optional IMAP for inbound OR users respond

via hyperlink included in email One Workflow Mailer for detail and summary

emails Leverages Generic Service Management feature

to manage JVM Leverages Generic Service Components feature

to monitor java threads

What type of errors? Not configured correctly

– See Workflow Manager Online Help Not configured when system was started

– Complete configuration– Run – (for owf g, run wfntfqup.sql after contacting

support) Invalid Email Addresses

– mark.craig instead or mark.craig@oracle.com

What type of errors? SMTP Server uncontactable

– UNIX SA doesn’t talk to Apps DBA Content Generation errors

– Uncompiled Packages– Oracle/Java Errors

IMAP Server uncontactable– Mail Admin doesn’t talk to Apps DBA

Unexpected Errors: Oracle/Java Unsolicited Emails

Mailer Status says System Deactivated

Maximum error count for Mailer is 10 (default) Service Component Level

– MAX_ERROR_COUNT=10 10 consecutive fatal errors = Stopped with Error

Maximum restart count is 5 (default) Service Instance Level

– SVC_COMP_MAX_ERROR_COUNT=5 5 sets of 10 consecutive errors = System

Deactivated

Workflow Notification Mailer service components– use for inbound and outbound mail processing– can run multiple outbound thread for scalability.– can only run one inbound thread

Workflow Agent Listener service components– to perform deferred subscription processing– error handling for the Business Event System– inbound e–mail processing for notification

mailers

Workflow Service Components

#4 #4 Why didn’t I

receive my email?

Possible Causes

Email traffic – be patient Check Notification Preference

– “Do not send mail”– “Summary”

Email Address– Not set– Wrong– Invalid

Find Notification Screen

Troubleshooting Send a Test Email to that Role using Workflow Manager, note down

the NID. wfmlrdbg.sql: for a given NID:

– Notification Status and Mail Status– Role Details: preference and email address– Existence/Status of Messages on Queues

Depends on Queue Retention Time (processed messages may have already been purged), default retention is zero

WF_DEFERREDWF_ERROR WF_NOTIFICATION_OUTWF_NOTIFICATION_IN

Troubleshooting – wfmlrdbg.sqlNotification Item Information

Notification Recipient Role Members

Notification Recipient Role Information

Notification Recipient Routing Rules

Notification More Info Role Information

Notification Message Attribute Values

Notification Attribute Values

Notification User CommentsDeferred Queue Status Error Queue Status Notification OUT Queue Status Notification IN Queue Status Message Templates Generate Notification Message GSC Mailer Component

Parameters Mailer Tags

Troubleshooting

Metalink Note 242941.1– How to Troubleshoot Java-based Workflow

Notification Mailer in 11.5.9 and OWF G

#5 #5 The Agent

Listeners are running slowly,

should I drop and recreate

the queues?

Dropping Queues

No!!! Not supported unless you are using a SQL script

provided by Oracle Workflow Development Not all Queues can be recreated without loss of

data– WF_ERROR– WF_JAVA_ERROR– WF_DEFERRED– WF_JAVA_DEFERRED– WF_NOTIFICATION_IN

Investigate Performance Issues

Number of messages on queue (wfver.sql) Run more Agent Listeners

– OK to run in parallel Review STATSPACK Reports Review DB File I/O

– Temporary Tablespace used heavily for LOB Operations

#6#6 My Order

Management workflow

has errored….can I just skip that

activity?

Skipping Activities Not Supported

Workflows are business processes For a product to function properly, all activities

within the workflow process need to be executed, for example:

– Activity 1 – creates business document– Activity 2 – inserts record into table– Activity 3-6 update other tables– Activity 7 – updates record created by activity 2

If Activity 2 errors and you “skip” it, Activity 7 will error, but activity 3-6 have already been executed……data is corrupted!!!

Status Monitor

Status Diagram

Status Diagram

#7#7 What’ the latest

Workflow Directory

Service Rollup??

Workflow Directory Service v4 Patch 3942438 Additional Bug Fixes Enhancements to support Role Based Access

Control– Role Hierarchies

Included in OWF H and AOL Data Security Rollups

– And any product which prereqs those patches

Bulk Synchronization disabled for partitions which are hierarchy enabled

#8 #8 Any news on

Cloning?

OWF H + OAM H Automated Cloning No manual steps required Global Preferences, Instance specific runtime

data updated to be correct for target instance More details

– Oracle Applications Manager Online Help– Oracle Applications System Administrator Guide

Future Directions Basic vs Advanced Keeping the Mailer Up in unfriendly environments

– SMTP Server not contactable– IMAP Server not contactable– Many Email Addresses wrong or invalid

Integration with System Alerts feature of OAM Official hooks to get status of service components for 3rd

party management tools eg. Database view Enterprise Manager Integration

– Raise alerts based on queue backlog Override Address vs Test Mail address

AQ&Q U E S T I O N SQ U E S T I O N S

A N S W E R SA N S W E R S

Workflow Administrator WebApplications