universal worklist
DESCRIPTION
UWL DocumentTRANSCRIPT
Universal WorklistDefinition
SAP NetWeaver provides centralized task management through a universal worklist (UWL), from which
business users can manage, respond to, and delegate daily work items. The UWL can include
notifications, alerts, mission-critical workflows, approvals, and ad hoc tasks. Work items can be generated
from automated business processes or raised by colleagues.
Managing Tasks and Alerts in the Universal Worklist
This section describes how to use the UWL to manage and monitor your tasks simply and centrally.
Configuring the Universal Worklist
This section describes the administration and configuration for the universal worklist (UWL).
Managing Tasks and Alerts in the Universal WorklistUse
The Universal Worklist (UWL) provides central access to tasks, alerts, and authorizations. You can use
the UWL to manage and monitor your tasks simply and centrally.
The UWL brings together tasks from different systems. These include:
Workflows
Alerts
NotificationsFeatures
The UWL does the following:
Provides a uniform layout and central access to your work and required information
Summarizes workflow tasks from different systems in a worklist
Displays additional information from document and object repositories, if necessary, including
attachments and other details
Supports decision making and actions
Helps you personalize the display of your tasks
Enables you to define another user as a substitute for your tasks in the event of an unplanned
absence
This guide describes the following:
Navigating the UWL user interface and using the functions on the user interface
Functions provided by the UWL
Personalizing the UWL display
Features in the UWLUse
You can access the UWL user interface to orientate yourself when new or existing tasks need action.
From here, you can start into their actual work on the items.Features
Following are the major user interface features:
Tasks
From this category you can view:
New tasks
All In Progress Items
Tasks received on behalf of someone.
Tasks forwarded to someone.
Tasks for resubmission.
Today's due tasks.
All Overdue Items
Rejected tasks
All Completed Items
For more information, see Tasks .
Note
It depends on the task type and the configuration of the UWL if a particular function (for example,
forwarding a task) is available to you.
More information: Configuring the Universal Worklist
Alerts
From this category you can view:
New alerts
Alerts in progress
Alerts received on behalf of someone.
Alerts delegated to someone
Alerts for resubmission.
Completed Alerts.
Notifications
Notifications are messages that inform you about missed deadlines, for example.
From this category you can view:
New notifications
Notifications in progress
Notifications received on behalf of someone.
Notifications for resubmission
Completed notifications.
Tracking
The category Tracking contains items from Collaboration Tasks, forwarded items, those items you have
chosen to Follow-up on ( Follow-Up Items ), items that have been sent on behalf of you ( On behalf of
me ), and items that you have chosen to track ( Tracked Items ).
From this category you can view:
Items in progress
Items received on behalf of someone
Items for resubmission
Approved workflows you started
Rejected workflows you started
Completed workflows you started
Substitution
Substitution is a feature of the UWL that allows you to take over items from other users (on a due-course
basis as well as in case of an emergency) and to assign items to other users (that is, to give other users
permissions to take over items). These cases are defined by certain substitution rules, which can be
managed through the Substitution screens.
For more information, see Substitution .
Follow-up (Resubmission)
From the details area, you can follow-up on a task. From the follow-up UI, you can enter a date manually
or choose date to assign for follow-up on the task.
For more information, see Resubmit Tasks .
Manage Attachments
On the Manage Attachment screen, you can add and remove an attachment.
For more information, see Managing Attachments .
Adding a Memo
You can add additional information to a Business Workflow task by submitting a memo.
For more information, see Adding a Memo .
Forwarding an Item
You can forward a task / item to another user.
For more information, see Forwarding a Task .
TasksUse
Note
Below is a list of all underlying functions. Whether the functions are available for a particular task or not
depends on the type and category of the task.
To display and review all the tasks assigned to you, choose Tasks .
The Tasks screen in the universal worklist (UWL) contains a table that defines your tasks and their
priorities. It also specifies who assigned you the task and when the task was sent.
The different categories of sub views are displayed as dropdown options in the iView. All categories that
are not empty are displayed with one or two digits after the category.
Editing Tasks
The task list is displayed in tabular format. The tasks in the list come from different sources, for example
from an SAP NetWeaver BPM processes and from alerts.
Note
You can personalize this view as described in Personalizing the UWL .
To execute a task, choose the task in the Subject column.
Displaying Task Details
To display details for a particular task, you must select the relevant task in the table. The details are
displayed in the area under the task list.
Note
Choose the pushbutton on the far left. When the entry is selected, the pushbutton is also selected and the
work item is highlighted.
History Log
To display a list of the actions, select a task and choose Show History . The list is displayed under the
task. The list corresponds to the time stamp.
You can display detailed history information for the Business Workflow entries. The main process log and
the sub process log are listed. The text for the sub process is displayed in a lighter (grey) color.
Delays when Displaying Attributes
Delays can occur when you display an open or new task for the first time. This delay is intentional and is
not a system error. The reason for this is that not all back-end providers can provide all the necessary
information to list the entries in the most efficient way. Consequently, additional information is added to
the list view when it becomes available.
However, in the detailed description view all information is displayed.
Note
There is always a delay when you display entries from SAP Business Workflow.
Displaying Delayed Attributes
When you log on to the portal and access the UWL, some attributes may not be displayed in the task
display. Example: Example: Due Date and/or Sent do not contain any information.
These entries are empty because there are delays when retrieving additional information from the back
end. These additional attributes are called in the background; this can take some time.
If you select a specific entry, all attributes are filled.
If you do not perform an action, the display is automatically refreshed after the time period you
specified in the settings (example: 30 seconds or 60 seconds).
For more information, see: Personalizing the UWL Display
You can also navigate to a different screen and then navigate back; all attributes will then be visible.
Note
It depends on how many entries are in your task list. If you have a large number of entries (for example,
100 or more), it may take longer than expected to refresh the display for the new entries in the list.
People PickerUse
The Universal Worklist (UWL) provides users with the People Picker functionality to search for users,
roles and groups in the portal User Management Engine (UME). You use the People Picker in various
scenarios involving people, for example:
Creating a task - to choose the task assignee
Forwarding a task - to choose whom to forward the task to
Creating a substitution rule - to choose the substitute
You can search for a specific user by:
First and last name separated by comma " , " - < last name, first name >
Unique name
Display name
You can also use search strings with wildcards or an asterisk " * " in the end of the string. For example,
search strings adm , adm* , and adm??istrator return as result all users, groups, and roles with the
name administratorand administrators given that they exist in the UME.
You can view user details by clicking on the user in the results list. In the Name section you can seethe
user's:
Display Name
Last Name
First Name
In the Communication section, you can see the user's:
Telephone
E-Mail AddressMore Information
For more information about the configuration of the People Picker, see Configuring the People Picker .
For more information about UME, see User Management Engine .
Using and Accepting SubstitutionUse
You can assign another user to manage your tasks if you are absent or unavailable.
You can define a nominee to receive your tasks or fill in for you.
You can create multiple substitution rules to cover all eventualities.
You can also accept tasks of other users (if they have assigned them to you).
The nominee can display and manage the rules for task substitution.
NoteSubstitution in collaboration rooms is supported with certain constraints. For more information, see
theSubstitution in Collaboration Rooms section below.
Tasks of a Nominee
A nominee who is a substitute is a portal user who can manage and process work items of another user
in their absence.
The nominee can perform the following tasks:
Receive and process your work items
Monitor all incoming tasks without processing them
Work on more than one of your work itemsPrerequisites
The assignment to the portal user must be unique. Only one portal user can be assigned to a back-end
user.
Substitution rules must be maintained only using UWL, to avoid inconsistent behavior of the rules.Procedure
Managing the Substituted User Selector
An assignee can select which tasks will be displayed in his task list by sleecting in the Substituted User
Selector one of the following radio buttons:
My Items - only the assignee's original tasks are displayed
Items on behalf of... - only the tasks assigned to you by a different user are displayed. If more than
one user assigns tasks to you, you can choose the user whose tasks you want to see.
All Items - all tasks (assignee's original and assigned tasks) are displayed
By default, the My Items radio button is selected. The other radio buttons cannot be selected by default.
To remove the Substituted User Selector , you must change the UWL iView properties. However, the
user will not be able to see his assigned tasks since the default selected radio button is only My Items.
For more information on UWL iView properties, see Configuring iView Properties .
Create Substitution Rules
1. Click and choose Manage Substitution Rules .
2. In the My Substitution Rules table, choose Create Rule .
Step 1: Define Rule
You can define the tasks you want to assign to a nominee. You can define that a nominee either
receives your tasks (for example, when you are on vacation) or fills in for you (for example, in your
absence).
1. Use the selection option to select a nominee or enter a nominee. Choose Select .
2. Select which task types you want to assign to the user.
Standard way: Default: All (the nominee is the substitute for all tasks)
Note
Professional covers functional tasks, Disciplinary HR-related tasks. Collaboration tasks only
support the All tasks setting.
If you are using multiple systems, make sure profiles' names and definitions are maintained
consistently across all systems.
3. The nominee can receive your task or fill in for you.
1. To send the work items in the nominee list, choose Receive My Tasks .
2. To add a user as a substitute for your tasks in your absence, choose Fill In For Me .
This requires the nominees to perform an additional step to see the work items in their
task list.
NoteThe nominee must choose Accept (in the Other Users' Substitution Rules table) to display
the work items in their task list.
4. Choose Next .
Step 2: Set Rule Activation
This step provides an option for enabling or disabling the rule.
5. To enable the rule, choose On . Additional options are available for enabling the rule at once
(upon saving) or later (select a date from the calendar).
6. Choose Save .
3. Entries are displayed in the nominee's task list.
Manage Substitution Rules
You can see who you have assigned as your substitute in the My Substitution Rules table. Here you
can manage the substitution rules.
The following options are available for managing substitution rules:
Option Description
Activate Activates the substitution status.
Deactivate Deactivates the substitution status. This action removes the work items from the
assignee list.
Note
The turn on/off functionality is supported by Java Workflow and BPM. To have this
functionality working for all systems, at least one of the two systems mentioned
above should be set up.
Delete Removes the selected rule.
Update Synchronizes with provider data if there are changes to the rules in the provider
system and changes in the system configuration.
Redo Attempts to redefine the rule for a particular system.
Option Description
Rule
Activation (displayed as
a link)
Displays errors during creation of rule.
Status Displays connection errors or information about the connection status. For more
information, see the FAQs and Error Messages section below.
Other Users' Substitution Rules
This table displays all the substitution rules, which are created by other users and for which the currently
logged on user is the nominee. You will be able to see the Take Over option if the Fill in for me type of
substitution rule was selected when the substitution rule was created.
The following are the options available for managing substitution rules created by other users:
Option Description
Accept The substitute can accept the items of the original user. The work items of the original user are
displayed in the substitute's work list as soon as the substitute explicitly accepts them. This is mainly
for a scenario in which the original user is unexpectedly absent, particularly if this will be for an
extended period of time.
End
Take
Over
When a rule of type Fill in for me has been taken over by the assignee, this button will be available
instead of the take over. When this button is pressed, the items will disappear from the assignee's
work list.
Substitution in Collaboration Rooms
Substitutes who are not members of a collaboration room can only display the tasks (created in a room)
that are assigned to their nominee.
Example
User A defines user B as a substitute.
User A is a room member, user B is not.
User A has tasks in the room and outside the room (general tasks).
User B (substitute) can display and process the tasks of the sender (user A) including the tasks created in
the room. However, the substitute cannot display the other tasks in the room.
Restrictions
None of the created substitution rules have an end date.
Back-End Workflow Systems:
You cannot assign more than one task to a nominee.
Collaboration Tasks:
A future start date for a substitution is not supported.
Substitution only supports tasks under All .
FAQs and Error Messages
Question Reply
How can I display a user's entries? The entries are in the dropdown list under Entries in Task .
You can personalize the view by adding the Substituted for display
attribute. This way you will be able to distinguish if a task is a
substituted and who is the original user if the task is substituted.
Can the substitution be transferred
from one nominee to another?
Example: If the nominee is absent,
do his nominees receive my tasks?)
No
What is the difference between
substitution and forwarding a task?
In substitution, both the original user and the nominee can see and
process the tasks; a forwarded work item is only visible to the
nominee.
Can a nominee decline a
substitution assignment?
No, especially not if it is of type Receive My Tasks .
For the Fill In For Me type, a nominee can decide not to accept
tasks.
Is the nominee notified of their
assignment as substitute? Is the
original user notified when a
nominee accepts?
No (to both questions)
A system is not available at the time
I create a rule. Can I insert the rule
once the system is functioning
again?
Yes, by using the Retry function.
Why is the Deactivate function
disabled?
The activate/deactivate functionality is supported by Java Workflow
and BPM. Make sure at least one of those is deployed and
configured.
Question Reply
Can I define the same rule for the
same nominee for different time
periods?
No, this is not allowed.
What happens if I deactivate the Fill
In For Me rule when a nominee has
already accepted the tasks?
The acceptance is canceled. If the rule if activated or recreated, the
nominee must accept it again.
What happens if I deactivate or
remove a rule while one of the
nominees is working on my work
item?
The resultant behavior depends on the constraint defined by the
provider.
Can nominees see rules assigned to
them in the future?
Only the assignment active at the time of logon is displayed (and
can be accepted).
What happens if a system does not
support the substitution?
The system displays an error message on the status.
Error Message Possible Solution
System does not support
substitution methods
Older workflow systems (before 6.40 SPS12) that have not opened
a substitution API.
Problems connecting to the system The cause of the connection problem may be that a system is not
available. There may be security problems with the logon (for
example, user assignment).
You can repeat the action.
System does not support this task The system does not support substitution for a particular task.
Example: The collaboration task only supports tasks under All .
Provider returned internal error General error from provider, such as an invalid user ID
You can repeat the action.
Substitution role not defined in
system
While getting a rule definition that has already been defined
(update), a rule that is already defined in another system is not
available in this system. Example: The system has been added or
was not available before.
You can repeat the action.
Question Reply
The system does not support the
domain definition.
The system has no time period support for the rule. Example: You
cannot define the rule in the collaboration task for a future time
period.
Substitution rule already exists and
is effective for the nominee
The user is not authorized to create the same task for the same
nominee. Activate or deactivate the rule or remove the existing rule.
System does not support multiple
task assignments for the same
nominee
Example: The user can only assign one task to a nominee in
workflow.
The collaboration task does not support additional tasks.
Invalid portal user ID for system
(rare)
Check whether a user assignment is required or the user ID is too
long.
Internal error/Unknown task (rare) Cannot resolve task selected for the rule.
System connection timeout Configurable timeout value, which is always visible on the UWL
administration screen.
Forwarding TasksContext
Using the Forward function you can forward a task in your Universal Worklist to one or more people for
completion.
Note
It depends on your task type if the Forward function is available to you or not.
Procedure
...
1. In the menu of the task you want to forward, select the menu entry Forward .
2. Either enter the name of the person you want to forward the task to, or choose Select and use the
person search to select the corresponding person as the nominee.
Note
You can specify more than one person as the nominee.
In the person search, you can display details about each user by clicking the user name.
3. You can create a note for the forwarded task for the nominees.
4. Click Send .
The task is displayed in your Universal Worklist under Forwarded Tasks .
Resubmitting TasksUse
You can postpone a task until a later point in time, or resend it. On this date, the task reappears in your
worklist. The task does not appear in your worklist until the resubmission date.
NoteIt depends on your task type if the Resubmit function is available to you or not.
Procedure
1. In the menu choose the option Resubmit .
2. You can either enter the resubmission date manually or select it from the calendar.
Note
This date must be in the future.
3. Confirm the resubmission.
The task appears in the Tasks for Resubmission sub view.
Constraints
The back-end system must have at least the same technical release (Release 7.0). Older releases do not
support the resubmission function.
Managing AttachmentsProcedure
You can use the attachment manager to add and delete attachments. To call the attachment manager, go
to See Also in the detailed area of a task and choose Manage Attachments .
To remove an attachment, select it in the table displaying the attachments for the entry.
Choose Remove .
The table shows the columns Subject , Type , From , and Size .
To add attachments, use the Upload function below the table. To upload a file, you must first select it by
choosingBrowse .
Adding a MemoContext
You can submit additional information as a memo to a Business Workflow task.
Note
If the option to add a memo ( Add Memo ) is not present under the section You Can Also , the
portal administrator can enable this feature for users.
Procedure
...
1. Under the section You Can Also , click on Add Memo .
2. Write a memo for the task and add a title.
The title of the memo can be any header text. If you do not enter any text, the title defaults to the
formatMemo_<Date>_<Timestamp> .
3. Choose Send .
ResultsYou can view the memos related to the tasks when you choose View Memos under the You Can
Also section.
Editing SAP Office Mails in the Universal WorklistUse
In the Universal Worklist (UWL) you can receive, read, forward, and delete mails sent to you using SAP
Business Workplace (transaction SBWP) using the SAP Office Mails tab page.
You can open the attachments to SAP Office Mails. All detailed information on the mail is displayed under
the mail inbox.Procedure
Forwarding SAP Office Mails
1. In the Universal Worklist switch to the SAP Office Mails tab page.
2. In the context menu of the mail select the Forward menu entry.
NoteThe Forward function is only available using the context menu and you can always only forward
one mail. The restrictions possible for receivers in the backend system for forwarding the mail is not
supported in the UWL.
The forwarding executed in the UWL is reflected immediately in the backend in the SAP Business
Workplace.
Deleting SAP Office Mails
1. In the Universal Worklist switch to the SAP Office Mails tab page.
2. To delete a mail, choose the menu entry Delete in the context menu of the mail.
3. To delete multiple mails, select the mails to be deleted and choose the Delete pushbutton.
The deletion executed in the UWL is reflected immediately in the backend in the SAP Business
Workplace.
Tracking TasksContext
In the universal worklist's inbox, on the Tracking tab, all tasks/requests by the tracked-by users are
displayed.
Procedure
...
1. In the inbox of the universal worklist go to the Tracking tab.
All tasks by the tracked-by users are displayed. The numbers in brackets to the right of the
category titles represent the ratio of the number of new items (x) relative to the total number of new
items and those in progress.
2. Select the task you want to track, to display details on the task/request.
3. With the default filters, you can, for example, display the uncompleted tasks only or the completed
tasks only.
Personalizing the UWL DisplayUse
Use personalization options to define the display options to be used for the standard Universal Worklist
display. These personalization options allow you to create views that contain only the worklist information
that is relevant to you. You can either modify the display attributes of one of the default views, or create
your own, user-defined view.Procedure
1. To call the personalization options, use the small icon in the upper right corner of the iView ( ).
2. Choose Personalize View . The Personalize Tasks view is displayed.
Note
The personalization tray is only visible if the iView tray is visible.
Create a New User-Defined View
1. To create a new view, choose Duplicate .
2. Enter a name for the new user-defined view.
3. Choose Apply , and define the properties of the view as described below.
Change or Define View Properties
Change Attribute Display
To remove an attribute tab from the view, select the one you want to remove and choose Remove
From Current View .
To add an attribute tab to the display, select it in the dropdown menu next to the Add button.
Choose Add .
To move the column position of an attribute tab, select the attribute tab and then move it left or right in
the tab sequence using the left (<<) or right (>>) arrows, until it is in the position you want.
For each selected attribute you can specify more detailed personalization:
Horizontal alignment
Width
When you are finished with your personalization changes, choose Save to return to the worklist display.
Otherwise, choose Cancel to terminate the personalization activity without change.
To restore the default view of the worklist and remove the current personalization, select the Restore
Defaults button in the left frame.
Flag Started Tasks
In the universal worklist (UWL) you can display that a task has already been started. The result, or status,
is not known at the time of display in the UWL.
1. To display started tasks as flagged, in the Personalize Tasks display, choose the entry Started in
the dropdown menu next to the Add pushbutton.
2. Choose Add .
Started tasks are then displayed with the symbol in the UWL.
After refreshing the UWL the symbol disappears from in front of the task because it has either been
completed in the started application, and the task is no longer displayed under new tasks or tasks to be
completed in the UWL. Or because the task has not yet been completed and remains as a task yet to be
processed in the UWL.
Change Sorting Properties
In this personalization section you determine the order of the task items displayed.
In the first group box you select the column with the highest sorting priority. You can specify if the sorting
should be ascending or descending. You can add two additional sorting columns to sort items that have
equal value in the previous sorting column.
Set Further Options
Here you can specify:
Number of work items to be displayed on a page
Automatic page refresh rate
This rate refers to the update of the view in the Universal Worklist. It does not involve any access to
the back end system.
The preview gives you the opportunity to specify:
The number of days before the due date when a task item turns red, to indicate severe time concern.
The number of days before the due date when a task item turns yellow, to indicate warning of due
date.
The names and characteristics of view filters that allow you to select or delete certain tasks based on
selection criteria, such as keywords within attributes.
Setting the Page Display
Here you can specify:
Whether to display the page header or not
Whether to display the page footer or not
Reset Changes
Chose Restore Defaults to return to the original display (without your personalizations).
Using Collaboration TasksUse
Collaboration tasks allow you to build and initiate custom workflow processes. Each workflow process
potentially produces work items which are displayed in the Universal Worklist (UWL).
From the collaboration task wizard screens, you can:
Create Tasks (Single-Step Task)
Task List (Multiple-Step Task)
Request For Feedback
Request For Nomination
Sub Process in the Universal Worklist
You can also do the following:
Export collaboration room tasks to Microsoft Excel.
Collaboration tasks are deployed as a portal service and are packaged as part of the Knowledge
Management (KM) and Collaboration platform. They use some KM components including the Scheduling
Service and the Notification Service. Leveraging the KM platform, collaboration task acts as a
subcomponent of the UWL. In the Universal Worklist you can easily create, trigger, and monitor workflows
using the wizard. You can also receive work items generated by ad hoc processes.Prerequisites
You must be a portal user with assigned appropriate portal role to access the Universal Worklist.
You must also know what process you are trying to implement and who the participants are.
As a process initiator your email address must be properly configured in your SAP User Management
Engine (UME) data.Procedure
Accessing the Collaboration Task Wizard
The following figure shows the different applications on the portal from where you can access the
collaboration task:
Figure 1:
Creating a Task from UWL Task List, Collaboration Launch Pad, or the
Collaboration Room
To launch the collaboration task wizard from the UWL and the Collaboration Room, choose:
From the Collaboration Launch Pad choose Create Task , you then have the following options:
Create Single-Step Task
Task List
Create Feedback Request
Create Nomination Request
If you launch the wizard from the Collaboration Launch Pad or from a Collaboration Room, the information
about which users have been selected is automatically propagated. The names of the selected users
appear in theAssigned To field.
If you launch the wizard from a Collaboration Room, the Collaboration Room ID is propagated to the
workflow wizard and to the workflow instance. A link to the Collaboration Room is displayed both on the
wizard screen and the item detail screen.
You can select multiple members and groups and create tasks for all in the room.
Creating a Task from UWL Task Detail Area
From the UWL task detail area choose Create Ad Hoc Request .
The UWL task ID/work item ID is propagated to the workflow wizard and to the workflow instance. A link
to the work item screen is displayed both on the wizard screen and the work item detail screen.
See Sub Process for more information.
Creating a Task from Within a Guided Procedure
From the You Can Also section of the Guided Procedure user interface, choose New Ad Hoc Process .
The collaboration task instance wizard creates a sub process of the Guided Procedure and has access to
the process context to the Guided Procedure.
Additionally, the UWL task ID/work item ID is propagated to the workflow wizard and to the workflow
instance. A link to the work item screen is displayed both on the wizard screen and the work item detail
screen.
Note
Work items created by Java workflow tasks from the Guided Procedure are not collaboration tasks. They
will not appear in the UWL if Collaboration Tasks is the filtering criterion for the sub view.
Result
The process participants (nominees, recipients, nominators, approvers) see the workflow entry in their
task list.
When the recipients execute work items, notifications are sent to those users who were specified
as Trackers when the task was created. The trackers can also view the status of an workflow
under Tasks in the Universal Worklist and view details of the appropriate process. All steps that have
been executed in the process so far are displayed.
After completing a process, you can see all the steps along with the comments entered by the process
participants displayed under Completed Tasks in the Universal Worklist. This list is visible to users
tracking the task.Example
You collaborate with other users by assigning tasks to them. Instead of sending Emails to other users,
you use the collaboration task wizard to create tasks consisting of unstructured or semi-structured
processes and assign them to several users. Task nominees access and complete the tasks through the
UWL.
In another scenario you select an approval work item from Business Workflow. By using the collaboration
task the you create a workflow consisting of a feedback step and an approval step. The approval step will
automatically perform the approval action on the Business Workflow work item.
Creating TasksUse
You can create tasks using the task wizard. This takes place in a simple one page screen allowing for
creation of a task for which the workflow controls the lifecycle of the task.
You may issue the task to a group of users as a whole or each individually. Alternatively, you can define a
sequence of separate multiple step tasks (see Task List ) that can be assigned to a single user of
separate users. Once created, additional properties can be set up using the task Details page.
Completed tasks my require an additional approval step or the process can be finished by a task
completion step.
Some of the frequently used terms which are present on the collaboration task user interface, which are
also listed in this guide, are listed below:
Task
A task is a request for a work process to one or more users. These users are called nominees . In this
document the user creating the task has also been referred to as the creator or initiator of the task.
Tracker
A task also has users responsible for tracking the progress of the work item, these users are called the
trackers. The user creating the task is a tracker by default. For a simple one step task, also known as a
quick task, the tracker is an approver for that task as well.
A tracker can:
Monitor the progress of the task
Receive notifications on the updates/about the completion of the task
Nominator
User who designates work to other users.
For information about the nomination process, see Request for Nomination .
Nominees
Nominees are users who have been nominated to act on a task.Process
Create a Task
1. In the UWL view, choose Create Task .
2. Select Task from the Task Type dropdown list.
3. In the task wizard enter the required information. For details on the fields, see section Wizard
Details below. The required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
4. Choose Send to send the task to the nominees.
Wizard Details
Parameter Description
Title Title or subject to identify the task. It is a required field.
Assigned To Select the IDs of the users you want to assign the task to. You also have an
option to decide whether the nominees can decline the tasks, and also decide if
you want to separate the tasks for each nominee.
Priority Specifies the priority of the workflow. This affects the urgency of the tasks that
will be generated by the workflow.
Due Define the deadlines for the process step by entering due date and time.
Choose the calendar icon to select the due date or enter manually
inmm/dd/yyyy format. Select the time from the dropdown selection or enter
manually in hh:mm format. (Note: the date and time you enter here refer to the
date and time on the server machine).
You can also select the ASAPoption. The ASAP option indicates that the task
has to be completed as soon as possible. No dates are specified.
Description An overall task description. This information will be visible to all process
participants.
Trackers Tracking and final approval are performed by the user in this field. You can also
nominate more than one user to track and approve the task.
The nominated trackers can view and participate in the task progress from their
task list.
Task Requires
Final
Approval
The task consists of a task completion step or is a combination of task
completion and approval of task completion.
This is an optional field.
Allow
Nominees to
Decline Task
Nominees can decline a task.
Parameter Description
Separate
Task for Each
Nominee
In case of multiple nominees, each nominee can be assigned a different task.
Notification None No
notification
is sent.
When
Complete
A notification is sent on completion of the task.
On Updates,
Completion,
and if
Overdue
Notification is sent when the task is completed, updated, or when the task due
dates are reached.
Edit
Attachments
Launches the Attachment view. You can attach arbitrary documents to
workflow instances. These documents are visible to all workflow participants.
You can also delete attachments.
Choose Upload to upload items from your local PC.
To add documents or links within in the portal, choose Add . Follow the
instructions on the screen to add documents.
Task Actions
A nominee (user to whom a task is assigned) can confirm or decline a task.
NoteA user can decline a task only if the Nominees Can Decline Task option is selected by the task creator.
The following figure shows the possible steps a task nominee can perform after the task has been
assigned.
Confirm Task
Figure 1:
Rejecting a Single Step Task
When a single step task is rejected by a tracker it is sent back to the task nominee(s). The progress of the
task is automatically set to 50% and its status is set to In Progress . The task nominee can then submit
the task again to the tracker by choosing Complete Task . The status of the task changes
to Completed . To break the cycle the tracker can either delete or approve the task.
Delete Tasks
Once a task is deleted, all related tasks are also deleted. See example below for further clarification.
Example
User 1 creates a feedback task, assigns it to user 2 and user 3.
User 2 completes the task.
User 3 declines the task.
User 1 receives the task declined by user 3. User 1 deletes the task.
At this point, the task (item) from user 2 is also deleted, user 1 is not able to see it from tracking anymore.
Rejecting a Task Versus Declining a Task
The terms rejecting and declining a task can be confused in the context of collaboration tasks.
An approver of an approval step in a task may choose to reject - this means that they do not approve of
the previous action item(s) and require these previous steps to be redone and resubmitted for approval.
When a nominee declines a task, this means that the nominee refuses to participate in the task. That is,
the nominee has (probably) not examined any steps in the task or has not performed any of the work on
his assigned step. In this case, the task trackers are notified of the declination, and must reassign the task
to another user.
Result
The approvers/recipients/nominees see the workflow item in their task list.
Depending on the notifications selected in the creation wizard, the workflow's users tracking the task will
receive status notifications as the workflow nominees perform work or respond to approve/reject tasks.
The workflow creator can also view the status of an active workflow by going to the Tasks screen in the
Universal Worklist and viewing details of the appropriate process. All steps that have been executed in
the process so far are displayed.
After completion of a process all steps along with the comments entered by the process participants are
displayed under Completed Tasks in the Universal Worklist of the initiator of the workflow.
For more information:
Task List
For descriptions of the UWL user interfaces, see: Using the Universal Worklist .
Task ListUse
The task list wizard allows you to create tasks which you can assign to specific users. Your workflow can
comprise multiple requests for approval or tasks, or both.
Task Type
Select Task List from the pre-configured Task Type dropdown menu. From here you can add a series of
tasks to a list for tracking.Process
Add a Task
You can add a task directly to the table, or click Add Task to add multiple steps to the task.
1. Insert a task directly into the table:
1. Insert the task directly into the table and press enter to add another step.
1. Specify the task tape as Action Item or Approval .
2. To change the recipient, choose People Picker option.
3. To edit the task or to add a description to the task steps, choose Edit .
2. To move a step up or down, choose Move Up / Move Down .
3. To delete a step, select it and choose Delete .
4. Select Issue Tasks Sequentially if you want each task in the sequence to be completed
before the next task is issued.
Note
Each task of the sequence must be completed before the next task is assigned.
If this option is unchecked, parallel tasks are created for each step without any sequential
dependencies.
Example
If the multiple-step process consists of step 1, step 2, and step 3, the user will only see step 1
in their task list. The other tasks will only appear sequentially once the previous task has been
completed.
Note
It is not possible to add, delete, or rearrange steps for a task list if the task steps were not
created sequentially.
2. Add a task from the Add Task option:
1. Click Add Task to create a new step in the process flow.
2. Enter the required information. See the Adding a New Step to the Task table below.
3. Choose Save to complete and send the task.
Adding a New Step to the Task
Parameter Description
Task Title Task Title. Required entry.
Task Type Please select:
Action item
Approval
Parameter Description
Assigned To Either enter the nominee or select from the list.
Allow Nominees
to Decline Task
A user can decline a task.
Description Details for the task or note to nominee
(optional).
Completion
Status
All Nominees Respond The task is only considered complete
when all nominees have responded.
At Least The minimum number of responses from
the nominees to complete the task process.
Task Actions
Declining a Multiple-Step Task (Task List) - Sequentially Created
Declining a multiple-step task list that has been created sequentially will return the process flow to the last
action item step before the approval step.
Example
An action item is assigned to user 1 and user 2, both complete the task. If user 3 declines the task, the
task reappears in the UWL of users 1 and 2. They have to then redo their steps and resubmit for
approval. If no action items step exists, the workflow will be finished and the task history will show that the
task was declined.
A step is assigned to multiple users and has a minimum threshold of approvals assigned (that is,
nominees are user 1, user 2, and user 3, and two of the three are required to approve before this step can
be completed). In this case:
Two of the three users must approve before this step is considered approved.
If two of the three users reject it, the step is rejected and consequently the task will either return to the
last action item nominees or, if no previous action item exists, the task will be concluded and the
history will reflect that the task was declined.
Declining a Multiple-Step Task (Task List) - Created in Parallel
Declining a task list that was created in parallel concludes that step and the rejection will be reflected in
the task history. However, all of the other parallel steps must be concluded as well before the task is
considered complete.
Example
Examples:
Approval Step 1 is approved → Approval Step 2 is rejected:
When Step 2 is rejected, the workflow will conclude - the task status will be set to Completed and the
task history will show the rejection.
Action Item 1 is confirmed → Approval Step 2 is approved → Approval Step 3 is rejected:
In this case, when Approval Step 3 is rejected, the task will return to the assigned user(s) for Action
Item 1. At this point, the task status will remain In Progress and the nominee(s) for Action Item 1 must
again complete their tasks and subsequent approval must be reobtained from the approver(s) of both
Steps 2 and 3. The task history will reflect all the rejections.
Action Item 1 is confirmed → Approval Step 2 is approved → Action Item 3 is confirmed → Approval
Step 4 is rejected:
In this case, when Approval Step 4 is rejected, the task will return to the assigned user(s) for Action
Item 3. The nominees for Action Item 3 must redo their task and resubmit it to the approver(s) of Step
4. The task status will be In Progress until Approval Step 4 is approved.
Figure 1:
Result
The approvers/nominees see the workflow item in their task list.
Depending on the notifications selected in the creation wizard, the workflow's users tracking the task will
receive status notifications as the workflow nominees perform work or respond to approve/reject tasks.
The workflow creator can also view the status of an active workflow by going to the Tasks screen in the
Universal Worklist and viewing details of the appropriate process. All steps that have been executed in
the process so far are displayed.
After completion of a process all steps along with the comments entered by the process participants are
displayed under Completed Tasks in the Universal Worklist of the initiator of the workflow.
Request for FeedbackPurpose
You can gather feedback from other users. The initiator or creator of the process defines the topic on
which the user wants to get feedback. The initiator defines the users who will provide feedback.
There is also a quick response (survey-like) option available.Process Flow1. Choose Create Task.2. Select Request for Feedback from the dropdown list.
Feedback Wizard Details
In the Tasks table you can see a description of the general parameters on the user interface. Additional
parameters for feedback are described below:
Information on Request for Feedback Specific Parameters.
Parameter Description
Recipient Add one or more approver/recipient. You can enter the user ID
of the approver/recipient or search for a user ID. If a search is
started: Enter a character string of the user ID, for example,
the starting letters. You can also search with placeholders (*):
m finds Meyer, Mayer, Mayr
*ay finds Mayer, Mayr, Faye, Way Choose Find. Select the approver/recipient from the Search
Result list and add to the selection column. Choose OK. You can also enter notes which will be private to
each approver/recipient.
Allow Nominees
to Decline
Request
Recipients can decline this request.
Responses Reply Anonymously When checked, all
recipients' identities are
hidden when viewing the
feedback history.
Recipients are not able to
forward the feedback
request.
Include Quick Response Option When checked, includes an
option on the recipient's
screen to enter a one click
(survey-type) response.
Completion
Status
Minimum number of responses required to complete this
request The task creator can specify either "All Recipients", if
feedback is required from all recipients, or enter a minimum
number of responses required to complete the request.
Features You can provide feedback as end-user notes or attachments, or by selecting one entry
from a pre-configured set of feedback categories (quick response option). You can configure whether users can refuse to provide feedback or not.
You can configure whether feedback can be provided in a quick response option or not. An aggregation of the feedback is provided for quick response feedback.
You can configure whether feedback is anonymous or not, that is, the information regarding which user gave which feedback is not visible to the process initiator.
The progress bar is not displayed for any tasks other than the standard tasks, for example, single-step tasks.
Possible Task Processing Steps for Recipient
The following figures show the possible steps for a recipient of a feedback request. The recipient can give feedback with or without the quick response feature.
The recipient can decline to give feedback.
The recipient can forward the request to other users without completing the task.
Possible Task Processing Steps for a User Tracking the Task
The following figures show the possible steps a user tracking a task can perform during the feedback
request process. A user tracking a task can add task nominees.
A user can delete a task.
Result
You can gather feedback from other users and also view the responses in a survey-like display (if the
quick response feedback option was selected).
Example
A user in the HR department wants feedback from employees on a new HR tool. The employees who
provide feedback can comment on the new tool and may also have the option to give quick responses.
Request for NominationPurpose
You can use this wizard to recommend (nominate) a user for a task.
Using the request for nomination you can assign users to tasks which must then select a person from its
organization to participate in a work group. The user who selects people for a work group is called the
nominator. A person selected for a work group is a participant.
Once the tasks are complete and the work group has been specified, the system automatically creates a
contact list. The list contains the participants of a work group.Process Flow1. Choose Create Task.2. Select Request for Nomination from the dropdown list.
Wizard Details
In the Tasks table you can see a description of the general parameters on the user interface. Additional
parameters for nominating are described below:
Information About Nomination-Specific Parameters
Parameter
Description
Nominator Choose Select to search for users
that are to be selected as
nominators for the nomination
process.
Allow Nominators to Decline
Request
Decline to be the nominator.
Nominees Notify Nominees An e-mail notification is sent to nominees as part of the
nomination process. If this option is not selected, nominees
are not informed that they have been selected to participate
in the group.
Parameter
Description
Requires Nominees' Approval - Nominees receive an
approval work item to confirm that they agree with being
nominated.
Features
You can configure the following: Allow users that have been selected as nominators to decline nomination request. Nominees receive notifications about their nomination. Nominees can either accept or decline nominations Contact list (collaboration contact record) is created
When a group is created, the group nominees are added to the contact list. The number of nominees required to complete the process.
Possible Steps for Nominees
The following figure shows the possible steps for a nominee after receiving a nomination request. The nominee can accept the nomination.
The nominee can decline the nomination.
Tip
This action is only possible if the nominator selected the Requires Nominee Approval option when
creating the nomination.
Tip
Anonymous nominations cannot be declined.
For nominations that need to be confirmed by the nominee, declining or confirming a nomination
completes an assigned step. The history log reflects the activities.
Example A user wants to create a work group that consists of representatives from different
organizations. Each organization can nominate a person. A new distribution list is created. All those people nominated are added to the distribution list.
You can also assign the person group to a user group. Nomination task with three nominations which all three must complete.
In this case the task is complete when all three participants have completed their task. The completion
of the task is not dependent on the task being confirmed or declined by the nominee. The history
reflects the decisions of the nominee. A nomination task with three nominations of which at least two must agree.
In this case the task is complete when two of the nominees confirm the nomination. The completion of
the task is not dependent on the task being confirmed or declined by the nominee.
Sub ProcessPurpose
The UWL Sub Process is a task attached to a UWL item - parent item. The UWL Sub Process task is a
multiple step task, it can be sequential or parallel. The process of approval/rejection of a UWL Sub
Process is exactly the same as for the multiple steps task . The only additional step of a UWL Sub
Process task is, when the Sub Process task is complete, the final step's action can be mapped back to
the parent item, if the map back to parent check box has been selected when the sub process task was
created, and the UWL is notified about the completion of the UWL Sub Process task.
The steps involved in creating sub processes consist of task completion steps and approval steps. If the
last step of the process is an approval step and the wizard has been launched for an approval work item
from SAP Business Workflow the following functionality is provided. The creator of the work item can
configure that the approval from the last step is automatically executed as an approval of the Business
workflow work item.
The UWL work item can be a SAP Business Workflow work item or a Collaboration Task work item.Process Flow
It is possible to create a process which refers to any UWL work item. This process can be conceived as a
sub process of the workflow to which the UWL work item belongs.
You can access the sub process creation steps from the Universal Worklist, or from the Collaboration
launch pad. Procees as follows:
From the UWL:1. From the portal screen choose Home® Work.2. Choose Create Ad-Hoc Request to start the sub process.
Accessing from the Collaboration launch pad:1. From the portal screen click Collaboration. Choose Create Tasks. Choose the task
directly from the available options.
Tip
You will see the link (Collaboration) if you have Collaboration installed on your portal.
2. Choose Create Task to start the workflow creation process.
Tip
There are no mechanisms in place which lock the original work item until the spontaneously created
sub process completes.
Options on the Sub Process Task Wizard
Options Description
Map Decision to
Parent Task
If this option is selected then the last action is mapped back to the original work item. For
more information, see the example below.
Options Description
Display Link to
Business Object
Note: this option is visible only when a Collaboration Task is launched from an SAP
Business Workflow work item.
As the creator of the sub process task, you can choose to select this option. if selected, the
link to Business object will be displayed in the sub process item's detail screen.
The link View Business Object is displayed under the You can also area, if there is a valid
link to the business object of the parent item. The link, when clicked, displays the detail of
the business object.
Tip
In order to launch the link to the business object, the assignee of the sub-process item must
have the user mapping to the SAP back end system. If the user mapping has not been
done, an ITS login screen appears.
Result
You can create a sub process consisting of multiple steps assigned to a user or to a different set of
process participants in the process flow.Example
A user can start a sub process from the UWL. The link New Ad Hoc Request on the preview screen or the
detail screen of the selected UWL work item launches the Workflow wizard.
In the wizard you can define whether the final action of the UWL sub process is mapped back to its
respective UWL work item. For defining this there is a checkbox Map decision to parent task. This
mapping is valid if the last step is an approval step.
Once a UWL sub process has been created two restrictions are imposed on the related UWL work item: You cannot complete the UWL work item before the completion of its UWL sub process. You cannot start a second UWL sub processes from the same UWL work item until the
active UWL sub process is completed.
Exporting Room Tasks to ExcelUse
Use this function to export all tasks relating to a collaboration room to a Microsoft Excel sheet.Procedure
1. Navigate to the collaboration room ( Collaboration choose corresponding room ).
2. Choose Tasks .
The task list is displayed.
3. On the All Tasks tab, choose Export to Excel .
A new browser window opens with the MS Excel sheet embedded.
Note
Irrespective of which attributes of the tasks are displayed in the task list (personalization), the table
contains the following entries in the Excel format: Subject , Due , Priority , Progress , Assigned
to ,Tracked by , Sent , By , Escalated by , Status .
For more information about personalizing the task list, see Personalizing the UWL Display
4. To save the data (tasks) in Excel format, choose File Save As... .
Configuring the Universal WorklistUse
The Universal Worklist (UWL) gives users unified and centralized way to access their work and the
relevant information in the Enterprise Portal. It collects tasks and notifications from multiple provider
systems in one list for one-stop access.
Administration and configuration for the Universal Worklist (UWL) is described in this section.Integration
UWL is integrated with:
SAP Enterprise Portal
Application Server Java (AS Java)
Collaboration Task
Alert Management
Knowledge Management Collaboration Recent Notifications
Prerequisites
General Prerequisites
As an administrator, you have full administration rights for the portal and developer rights for the back-end
system.
Make sure that each user is known to all connected SAP systems as per role requirement (make sure
that there is one-to-one mapping between the portal user and the back-end user)
If an iView is based on a system object defined in your system landscape, you must assign user
permission for the relevant user, group, or role to the system object, as well. User permissions
assigned to a system permits the iView to retrieve data from the respective back-end application
through the system object at runtime.
Each connected SAP system for back-end system has the connection to its respective SAP Internet
Transaction Server (ITS)
Overview of the Configuration Steps
Define your SAP system
Create a system alias to uniquely identify the system
Define exact settings for technical connections
Define how users are mapped
Test system connections
Add the new system to UWL configuration
Register work item types
After full installation and before manual configuration, you can run the wizard-based basic configuration
for the Universal Worklist.
For information on how to use the Universal Worklist features, and definitions of key terms on the user
interface, seeManaging Tasks and Alerts in the Universal Worklist .
Disclaimer
Any software coding and/or code lines/strings included in this documentation are only examples and are
not intended to be used in a productive system environment. The code is only intended better explain and
visualize the syntax and phrasing rules of certain coding. SAP does not warrant the correctness and
completeness of the code given herein, and SAP shall not be liable for errors or damages caused by the
usage of the code, except if such damages were caused by SAP intentionally or grossly negligent.
Wizard-Based Configuration for the Universal WorklistUse
After completing the installation of the SAP NetWeaver Composition Environment (CE), you need to
perform a number of steps to enable the basic use of the Universal Worklist (UWL). You can run the
wizard-based configuration for the UWL. The configuration wizard saves you time and performs many
tasks for you.
Caution
Only run the configuration wizard if your system has never been configured before.
More information: Configuration Wizard
Procedure
To perform the wizard-based configuration tasks required for your Universal Worklist, perform the
following steps:
1. Start your SAP NetWeaver Administrator at http://<host>:<httpport>/nwa .
2. Choose Configuration Management Scenarios Configuration Wizard .
3. For the initial configuration of the UWL, choose Functional Unit Configuration UI .
For more information, see Java Functional Unit Configuration .
4. In the Configuration Task column, select the corresponding Universal Worklist configuration task
and start it.
The Java Functional Unit Configuration provides default settings and you only have to respond to a
minimum number of prompts.
5. Enter user DDIC as the ABAP administrator and enter the corresponding password.
6. Enter the password of the J2EE administrator.
7. Enter a Master Password and choose Next .
This password is used for all automatically created users during configuration in typical mode. In
custom mode it serves as the default value.
8. Enter the Connector settings for the UWL.
In the following, an example is given:
o Group: public
o Message Server: id1169.sap.wdf.corp
o HTTP Port: 50600
o System Number: 01
o Client: 001
o System ID: NWA
9. Enter the host name of the Internet Transaction Server , for example, id1169.sap.wdf.corp .
10. In the User Mapping section, enter the user DDIC and the corresponding password.
Choose Next .
The wizard-based configuration performs the following post-installation tasks for the UWL configuration:
Assign the standard user role to the logged in user
Create folder systems in the portal content of the system landscape
o Import the portal content directory (PCD) profile
Get the message server port of the ABAP system
Create binding for the message server port
Create the UWL system
Create the UWL system alias
Assign permissions for the UWL system to the standard user role
Map the portal user to the UWL system user only if UIDPW logon method is selected
o Map the portal user to the UWL system user
Register the UWL system as item provider for the Universal Worklist
Register the work items for the Universal Worklist
The system reports any configuration errors. Error message long texts are written to the protocol.
Mandatory ConfigurationDefinition
For showing tasks, alerts and notifications from back end systems in the UWL you have to complete the
following mandatory configuration steps:
1. Mapping the Portal User to the System User
2. Register systems to the UWL .
3. Retrieve Configuration From the System .
Note
Prerequisite: systems are registered and present in the Portal System Landscape (see prerequisites for
the overall UWL configuration).
All other configurations are optional.
Mapping Portal Users to System UserProcedure
Mapping Users to SAP Back End Systems
1. Log in the portal as administrator ( http://<host>:<httpport>/irj ).
2. Navigate to User Administration .
3. There are three scenarios:
o Portal user ID is different than the back end SAP user ID and back end SAP user IDs are
different in all back end SAP systems connected to the portal (UIDPW)
o Maintain the user mapping for each portal user corresponding to all the respective back
end systems
o Portal user ID is different than the back end SAP user ID and backend SAP user ids are the
same in all back end SAP systems connected to the portal (logon ticket)
o Maintain the user mapping for each portal user to the reference system
o Portal user ID is the same as the back end SAP user and back end SAP user IDs are the
same in all back end SAP systems connected to the portal (logon ticket)
o No user mapping is necessary
Portal User Permissions
According to the prerequisites, if an iView is based on a system object defined in your system landscape,
you must assign user permission for the relevant user, group, or role to the system object, as well.
User permissions assigned to a system permits the iView to retrieve data from the respective back end
application through the system object at runtime.
Procedure
1. Log in the portal as administrator ( http://<host>:<httpport>/irj ).
2. Navigate to System Administration Portal Content . Open the folder where the existing
systems were created.
3. From the available system list, click with the secondary mouse button on the system name and
choose Open Permissions .
4. Assign permissions. Make sure that under the Administrator column you
assign Read permissions for the assigned role (for example for role eu_role ). Also mark the check
box End User .
5. Choose Save .
Registering the Provider SystemsUse
Following the steps below, you can define the connections to systems as item providers for Universal
Worklist.Prerequisites
A user with the corresponding roles is configured in the back-end system.
The SAP_BC_UWL_SERVICE role is assigned to this user.
Procedure
Configuring an RFC Destination
In order to retrieve tasks from a backend system, you need to do an Remote Function Call (RFC)
destination configuration for the WebFlowConnector, AlertConnector and GenericAbapConnector
connector types.
1. Log in the portal as administrator ( http://<host>:<httpport>/nwa )
2. Navigate to System Management Configuration Destinations .
The list with the available destinations is displayed.
3. To create a new RFC destination, choose the New pushbutton. In the dialog that appears, enter:
o A valid name for the destination with the portal system alias and the type of
connector <SYSTEM ALIAS>$<UWL CONNECTOR TYPE> , for
example BXJCLNT001$WebFlowConnector .
o In the Destination Type field enter RFC .
4. Fill in the following details for the RFC destination:
o System ID , for example BXJ
o Load balancing - select the Yes radio button
o Message Server - enter the message server host
o Logon Group - for example PUBLIC
o Language - for example EN
o Authentication type - for example Logon ticket
o Client - for example 000
o UserName
o Passwaord
Note
The other fields have default values.
5. Choose the Save pushbutton. To test the RFC destination, choose the Test pushbutton.
Registering a Back-End Connection
Each UWL iView can retrieve work items from multiple Business Workflow back end systems. Register
each back-end connection to be used with the following procedure:
1. Log in the portal as administrator ( http://<host>:<httpport>/irj ).
2. Navigate to System Administration System Configuration Universal Worklist and
Workflow Universal Worklist Administration .
The Universal Worklist Systems list appears. Here you can define connectors and systems as
item providers for the Universal Worklist.
3. To add a new entry, choose New . To edit existing information, select (highlight) the row and
choose Edit .
4. To save the current system registration, choose Ok .
5. Multiple system connections are defined by repeating the above steps 1 to 3.
Parameter Description and Use
System Alias The name of the alias for the back end system, as defined in the system landscape. The
length cannot exceed 25 characters.
Note
If Web Dynpro applications are configured on a SAP NetWeaver Application Server
which is different from the SAP NetWeaver Application Server of the system alias, then
specify that system alias as a Web Dynpro system.
Connector Type This is the identifier with which the connector is registered. It indicates the type of items
retrieved through the connection. For example:WebFlowConnector . For more
information, seeConnectors .
NoteFor connector types WebFlowConnector orAlertConnector item types have to be
registered with the UWL service after defining a new system connection.
Web Dynpro
Launch System
Enter the Web Dynpro system name if the SAP NetWeaver Application Server for the
system is not the same as that running the Web Dynpro.
Leave empty otherwise.
For more information see, SAPWebDynproLauncher .
User Roles Restricts who can get work items via the user role. For example, you can assign a portal
role here, such asbuyer . Only users with the role buyer will see items from the
provider system in UWL.
You can have multiple user roles separated by semi-colon.
For more information, see User Roles below.
Configuration
Groups
Leave this blank, when working with the default UWL iView.
You can add a number of configuration groups separated by commas but only one
configuration group per iView.
For more information see section Configuring a Large System Landscape below.
Parameter Description and Use
Delta Pull Channel
Refresh Period (in
Seconds)
For information see, Enabling Delta Pull Mechanism .
Delta Pull Channel
Snapshot Refresh
Period (in Seconds)
For information see, Enabling Delta Pull Mechanism .
The above registration procedure is usually sufficient to use a UWL iView. Item type retrieval and
registration requires a connection to the systems and may take a couple of minutes.
For each system, they are generated as the configuration
named uwl.webflow.<system_alias> or uwl.alert.<system_alias> .
Note
After configuration changes in the back end system, you must re-register the system. For example, if you
use the transaction SWFVISU to change the visualization, then you must register the item types again.
For more information, see Register Work Item Types .
Activating / Deactivating Connections
For a registered system, you can activate or deactivate a connection to the back end systems using the
respective buttons listed under the column Connections .
You may have multiple system aliases connecting to the same back end system.
ExampleFor example, if you have two system aliases QUA and QUA1 connecting to the same back end system,
then for the second system alias there is no option for activating or deactivating connections. A new
column ( Connected Through System Alias ) shows the entry is now visible which shows the system
alias ( QUA ) that refers to the same back end system.
User Roles
By specifying user roles for the portal users, it can be restricted as to who gets the work items in UWL.
For example, you can assign a portal role to a user, such as buyer . Only users with the role buyer will
see items from a system, for example, B7QCLNT000 in UWL.
Note
User roles and Configuration Groups are not mutually exclusive.
Example Scenario
The following description and figure illustrate the purpose of the Universal Worklist Systems list
registration. It shows the case where two UWL iViews have been defined.
The following figure illustrates the connections and access rights for the two types of users:
Figure 1:
Suppose you have three back end servers: A, B, and C. Each server has a Business Workflow application
running.
Users with role 1 are given access to servers A and B, but not C.
But only, users with role 2 have access to C.
User 1 with role 1, logs onto the default UWL iView and must be connected to back end servers A and B.
User 2 with role 2, logs onto the UWL iView and must be connected to back end servers B and C.
To achieve this scenario, the Universal Worklist System Systems list can be configured as shown in the
following table.
Roles Connector System Alias
Role 1 WebFlowConnector A
Roles Connector System Alias
Role 1, Role 2 WebFlowConnector B
Role 2 WebFlowConnector C
Configuring a Large System Landscape
Note
This feature is for backward compatibility only. The recommended way is to use user roles for
connections.
When UWL is first installed, one UWL iView is defined. The System Configuration Group property for
that iView is empty (blank). This means that no System Configuration Group is named, but in effect there
is only a single group. The default behavior for the blank setting is this: when any user logs onto the UWL
iView, UWL tries to log that user onto all registered back end systems.
There is a limitation with the blank setting. When a large number of systems are accessed during log on,
the overall portal load is increased. Also, the user receives error messages from those back end systems
that have no user account for the particular UWL user.
For large system landscapes do the following:
1. Partition back end systems into groups. This is accomplished by creating additional UWL iView
instances, each of which refers to a specific group of back end systems.
The group is defined, using the System Configuration Group iView property.
2. Then use the value of the System Configuration Group property when registering back end
systems by placing it in parameter Configuration Group , when you register the SAP system.
Example Scenario
The following description and figure illustrate the purpose of the Universal Worklist Systems list
registration. It shows the case where two UWL iViews have been defined.
Suppose you have three back end servers: A, B, and C. Each server has a Business Workflow application
running.
Regular users are given access to servers A and B, but not C. Only managers have access to C.
Managers also access B in the course of their work.
Two UWL iViews are configured:
The default iView with the System Configuration Group property set to the value regular .
An added iView with the System Configuration Group property set to the value restricted .
The following figure illustrates the connections and access rights for the two types of users.
Figure 2:
User 1 logs onto the default UWL iView and must be connected to back end servers A and B. User 2 logs
onto the Manager UWL iView and must be connected to back end servers B and C.
To achieve this scenario, the Universal Worklist System Systems list can be configured as shown in the
following table.
Name Configuration Group Connector System Alias
1 Regular WebFlowConnector A
2 Regular, Restricted WebFlowConnector B
3 Restricted WebFlowConnector C
UWL ConnectorsUse
The UWL interacts with (task) item providers through specific connector. The connectors perform basic
mapping of attribute values and determine the work item type and execution method. Connectors also
help in connection to object and attachment repositories to retrieve additional custom attributes or
attachments.
The UWL comes with standard provider connectors and it is possible to configure their detailed behavior
based on work item types.
The connector that is configured by default with UWL is the BPEMUWLConnector (in local case).
The connector is configured by default, so tasks from SAP NetWeaver Business Process Management
(BPM) processes show up in the UWL by default. Removing the connector will remove the corresponding
items from the UWL. The following are the examples of UWL used (by default or configured) connectors:
BPMUWLConnector
Note
This connector relates to tasks received by UWL from BPM processes.
The BPEMUWLConnector provides the local case and the remote case. In the local case the consumer
pulls tasks from the provider, which runs on the same engine. In this case the BPEMUWLConnector is
automatically configured if a running process server (BPM runtime services) is detected during the
deployment of UWLJWF.SCA.
In the remote case the consumer pulls tasks from a remote provider. You need to perform some
configuration steps if you run the UWL in a federated portal.
For more information, see Configuring the UWL for BPM Tasks .
ActionInboxConnector
Note
This connector relates to the Notifications received by UWL from Knowledge Management (KM).
The ActionInboxConnector provides KM Recent Notifications into the UWL Notification tab, which
include document feedback, subscription items, subscription administration, and document approval
notifications; in addition, checked out documents appear under Tracking , and documents for approval
under Tasks .
By default the Action Inbox Connector for UWL is enabled.
For more information, see Action Inbox section in the KM Administration Guide.
WsActionInboxConnector
Note
This connector relates to the Notifications received by UWL from a remote KM system. Therefore, we
recommend that you use this connector only in a federated portal network (FPN).
The WsActionInboxConnector of the consumer system connects to the ActionInboxConnector of the
provider system and provides KM Recent Notifications in the UWL Notification tab, checked-out
documents under Tracking , and documents for approval under Tasks . The notifications, tracking and
tasks are taken from the provider system.
The WsActionInboxConnector is not enabled by default and needs a specific configuration.
For the connector to function properly, you have to use the fully qualified domain name in the URL when
logging on to the portal.
More information: "Configuring the WsActionInboxConnector" in the "Knowledge Management
Configuration" documentation.
AlertConnector
Note
This connector relates to Alerts.
For systems with this connector, you must define a new system. There is a centralized unique system in
most SAP landscapes, which generates and provides Alerts. Register its item types with the UWL service
through the Universal Worklist Administration Universal Worklist Systems .
GenericABAPConnector
UWL implements a connector GenericAbapConnector that connects to the SAP system and invokes a
preconfigured ABAP class.
The provider in ABAP should implement the interface IF_UWL_ITEM_PROVIDER .
Caution
Bypassing a workflow engine and directly creating tasks for the users is not ideally suited for items that
need to be tracked, or which need workflow services like forward, substitution, and attachments. It is
strongly recommended to use either Business Workflow or Collaboration Task for dealing with workflow
process. Usage of GenericAbapConnector should be the last option for the application under
exceptional circumstances.
WebFlowConnector
Note
This connector relates to SAP Business Workflow. You need to configure this connector in order to use
the Real Time Refresh mechanism. For more information, see Enabling Refresh of Completed
Items .
For systems with this connector, you must define a new system and register its item types with the UWL
service through the Universal Worklist Administration Universal Worklist Systems .
Caution
You need to use the Single Sign-On mechanism for connection to the backend, instead of portal user
mapping.
GuidedProceduresConnector
Note
This connector relates to Guided Procedures (GP). Select this connector type if you use the built-in GP
processing engine.
For systems with this connector, you must define a new system and register its item types with the UWL
service through the Universal Worklist Administration Universal Worklist Systems .
Note
If you use the Business Process Management (BPM) runtime as the processing engine for Guided
Procedures, select the WebFlowConnector type.
SomProviderConnector
Note
This connector relates to mails that are sent to you using Business Workplace. The connector is also
called SONIC adapter.
With this connector, mails that are sent from Business Workplace are displayed in a separate tab in the
UWL, theSAP Office Mail tab. The users can display, forward and delete these mails in the UWL and
can display the mails' attachments.
Configuring the UWL Running in a Federated Portal for BPM TasksUse
To enable the display of BPM tasks in the UWL that runs in a federated portal you need to perform some
configuration steps on the provider and on the consumer system.
NoteAn explicit user mapping is not necessary because the BPM connector ( BPEMUWLConnector ) relies
on the UME unique user names to identify the users both on the consumer and on the provider side. For
that the same unique names must exist on both sides.
NoteFor the local case, the BPM connector ( BPEMUWLConnector ) is automatically configured if the
process server is detected during deployment.
More information: UWL Connectors
Prerequisites
The version of the consumer system is SAP enhancement package 1 with Support Package 2 for SAP
NetWeaver 7.0 or its higher enhancement and support packages.
For more information about the supported combinations of SAP NetWeaver releases and support
packages between consumer and producer portals in a federated portal network (FPN) landscape,
see Version Interoperability .
Single Sign-On (SSO) is supported (see Configuring the AS Java to Accept Logon Tickets )
The clocks on the consumer and on the provider systems are synchronized.
The end user role is assigned on the consumer system.
The same UME (User Management Engine) unique user names exist on the consumer and the
provider systems.
Note
To automatically get the same unique user names you need to connect the UME of the provider and
the consumer system to the same user store (see Configuring User Management ). If this is not
possible, we recommend to use the SAP NetWeaver Identity Management.
Procedure
Configuring the Provider System
1. Log on as administrator on the provider system and open the SAP NetWeaver Administrator
(http://<host>:<port>/nwa ).
2. Choose Configuration Management Trusted Systems .
3. Choose Add Trusted System pushbutton and choose By Querying Trusted
System .
4. Choose the Java system type.
5. Enter the host name or the IP address, the port number, and the administrator user name and
password of the consumer system.
6. Choose Next and then Finish .
The provider system is now listed in the table.
Configuring the Consumer System
If the provider system is not yet available in the portal system landscape, you need to create it with a
corresponding alias name (see Defining the System Landscape ).
Defining the Provider in the Portal System Landscape
1. Log on as administrator in the portal on the consumer system ( http://<host>:<port>/irj ).
2. Choose System Administration System Configuration System
Landscape .
3. Expand the portal content tree and choose a folder in which you want to create the provider system,
for example Content Provided by SAP .
4. If the system is not yet available, in the context menu of the folder, choose New System
(from Template) .
For more information about creating systems, see Creating Systems ).
5. Choose the SAP system with load balancing template and choose Next .
6. Enter the required data, choose Next , and then Finish .
7. Choose OK .
8. In the table with the system properties, choose Modify pushbutton and enter the following data:
o Web AS Hostname = <host>.<domain>:<port>
o Web AS Protocol = http
9. Save your entries.
Creating a System Alias for Provider System
If there is no system alias for the provider system, create one (see Understanding System Aliases ).
1. In the system configuration of the newly created system, click System Aliases .
2. Select the Administrator and User user mapping type.
This name is used in the next steps to register the connector with the provider system.
3. Save your settings.
4. In the system configuration of the newly created system, click Permission .
5. Select the Authenticated Users group and choose Add pushbutton.
6. Select the End User checkbox and save your entries.
Registering the Connector with the Provider System
1. Choose System Administration System Configuration Universal
Worklist & Workflow Universal Worklist - Administration .
2. Choose New pushbutton.
3. Enter the system alias that you added before ("Creating a System Alias for Provider System").
4. In the Connector Type field enter BPEMUWLConnector .
5. Save your entries.
The BPM connector is now listed in the Universal Worklist Systems .
Adding the Provider System as Trusted System to the Consumer System
1. Log on as administrator on the consumer system and open the SAP NetWeaver Administrator
( http://<host>:<port>/nwa ).
2. Choose Configuration Management Trusted Systems .
3. Choose Add Trusted System and choose By Querying Trusted System .
4. Choose the Landscape Type .
5. Enter the host name or the IP address, the port number, and the administrator user name and
password of the provider system.
6. Choose Next and then Finish .
Checking the Registration
After you have configured the UWL for BPM tasks and in case of automatically configured UWL in a local
portal, you can check whether the registration was successful.
1. Log on as administrator in the portal on the consumer system ( http://<host>:<port>/irj ).
2. Choose System Administration System Configuration Universal
Worklist & Workflow Universal Worklist - Administration .
The successful registration is confirmed with the existence of a connector registration
( BPEMUWLConnector ) for the alias used during registration.
3. Choose Home Work Universal Worklist .
4. Choose the dropdown button in the top right corner of the universal worklist, and select Display
Connection Status.
The connection status for the connector BPEMUWLConnector is displayed in a separate
window. Status must be Successful .
Register Work Item TypesProcedure
The work item registration process involves identifying each system by its alias, and then generating the
XML description of how to process the work item types to be received by UWL from each system.
1. Log in the portal as administrator ( http://<host>:<httpport>/irj ).
2. Navigate to System Administration System Configuration Universal Worklist and
Workflow .
3. Open the Universal Worklist Administration page . You see:
o A list of system aliases for which the work item types are registered and a list for those not yet
registered.
Actions on the
System Alias /
Connector Type List
Register Register the system.
Re-register Register again if you have
o added a new task, updated or changed the task at the back end
o changed task definition for the task types
o changed configuration in transaction SWFVISU
Note
You must re-register after there have been changes (if categories have
been changed, added or modified) to the Alert management framework.
4. To register work item types and initiate generation of the corresponding XML work item processing
descriptions, select one of the following buttons:
o Choose Register Item Types for All Systems to perform the registration for all configured
systems.
o Choose Register Item Types for Only New Systems to perform registration for systems
whose XML processing description has not been downloaded before.
Note
Communication time can require a few minutes for each system. Reduce the amount of
communication time required by registering new systems only , unless the Business Workflow
task definitions have changed in the system backend.
UWL Configuration WizardUse
The UWL Configuration Wizard allows you to change the UWL custom attributes and the user interface
look and feel using a UI based wizard, as opposed to making changes to the XML file and uploading it.
Recommendation
The configuration wizard covers the scenarios listed below. For other configuration changes, we
recommend you to use the XML file for making the changes and uploading it back.
For the present release, the following configurations are possible:
Defining custom attributes for a task ID
Defining default Action to launch when an item type is clicked
Changing the look and feel of UWL user interface (Navigation Node configuration)
Adding and Managing Tabs on the UWL user interface
Note
Changes made to the above configurations are applicable to all users in that system.
Accessing the Configuration Wizard
In the portal, navigate to System Administration System Configuration Universal Worklist
- Administration .
Under Universal Worklist Content Configuration select Click to configure item types and
customize views using a wizard .
Defining Custom Attributes for a Task IDUse
You can add custom attributes to the item type. Usually a set of default attributes are defined for the item
type. These default attributes are part of the view that is associated with the item type.
Adding Custom Attributes
To add the custom attributes:
1. Specify the task ID (example of a task ID: TS000078) of the item type or select the configuration in
which the item type is defined.
Wizard prompts with a list of back end systems defined in the portal.
2. The system then searches through the defined list of systems and if a back end business object is
found associated with the task ID then the attributes for that business object are fetched and listed.
3. You may select the attributes you want to add to the item type as custom attributes.
In the XML files, these attributes are added to the item type and to the view associated with the item
type.
Note
You can add only those attributes that are listed in the list of attributes (note: these are the attributes
that are fetched form the back end). If however, the wizard does not find any business object
associated with the selected task ID, then you can add attributes manually.
4. Once you select the custom attributes (when they are fetched from the back end), you can
customize the view to define the placement of attributes.
Adding Attributes Manually
1. If you add the attributes manually, you can select one of the four types (String, Integer, Double,
Date) for the attribute.
Note
In either case, adding manually or selecting from the provided list, you have to specify the display
name and description of the attribute. The display name is the column under which the attribute is
displayed.
Note
For manually defined attributes, you can also delete attributes.
2. Once you define the attributes, you can customize the view to define the placement of the attributes.
Status
Once you have defined the custom attributes and saved your changes, the status page shows the
changes you have made to the configuration.
Choose View Configurations and select the configuration name (that you changed in the previous steps
is now visible in the list). The XML file details are listed below the table.Result
The customization allows you to define the column order, for example, whether or not you want to show
an attribute, and so on.
Defining Default ActionUse
You can define the desired action to be launched when a particular item type is selected.
The choices are:
iViewLauncher
Object Based Navigation (OBN)
SAP Application Launcher
WebDynpro Launcher
Details page
For more information on these launchers, see Action Handlers .
Procedure for Defining the Default Action
1. Select the item type to define the corresponding action definition.
2. Select the launcher from a list of launchers.
Note
Most of the launchers have certain mandatory properties that have to be filled in before you can
save the changes.
Changing the Look of UWL User InterfaceUse
UWL main page consists of several tabs, with each tab associated with tasks of different categories
(Alerts, Notifications, and so on). Under each tab, there are drop downs which are have additional options
about viewing item types with certain status (Completed, In process.). You can determine which tabs you
want visible and the ones which should be hidden from the user's view.
NoteHidden tabs cannot be viewed unless you move it from hidden to view status.
You can also customize the view that is associated with each drop down entry. Each of the drop down
entry is also shown as an entry in the table (with the customize button next to it).
Tab Reordering
To decide on the order of appearance of the UWL tabs, perform the following steps:
1. Select the option to change the look and feel of the main UWL page.
2. Select a tab and move it left / right using the appropriate arrow buttons.
Note
If the tab is at the left most location, is will not move left anymore. Similarly for the right position.
3. Save the changes (click Save and Return ).
On the summary page you can see and verify the name of the configuration that was changed. The
changes should now be applicable to user sessions.
In the configuration file, the ordering of the Navigation Node should have changes as defined.
Choosing Tabs to Display
To decide which tabs to display, perform the following steps:
1. Select the option to change the look and feel of the main UWL page.
2. Select a tab and choose Remove tab from View .
This action removes the tab and moves it to the drop down Available Tabs Not Displayed .
Note
You can remove all but one tab. The removed tabs are added to the drop down.
NoteYou may also select a tab from the drop and choose Add tab to View . This should add the tab
back to the view.
3. Save the changes (click Save and Return ).
On the summary page you can see and verify the name of the configuration that was changed.
Choose View Configuration to see all the available configurations in the system. Choose the
changed configuration to see the tabs that were removed, these have the visible tag set
to false (default is true ).
4. The settings are now applicable for all UWL users.
Changing the Contents in the Drop Down List
To Select the contents of the drop down:
1. Select the option to change the look and feel of the main UWL page.
You can select any tab. Under each tab, there is a table, Contents of the drop down , with each
row representing an entry in the drop down.
Note that this is a mere simulation of the real drop down. Nothing happens when an entry is
selected.
2. To add / remove an entry from the drop select / deselect the table row. If a row is deselected, the
corresponding entry is removed from the drop down. If the entry is selected, the entry appears in the
drop down.
3. You may change the drop down entries in each of the tabs and save the changes all together.
Customizing the View for Each Entry
1. Select the option to change the look and feel of the main UWL page.
You can select any tab. Under each tab, there is a table, Contents of the drop down , with each
row representing an entry in the drop down.
2. Choose Customize to launch the customization page.
The customization should work like the personalization .
3. Save the personalization to return back to the Navigation Node Configuration page.
NoteMake sure that the configuration name is saved with a priority High . If the original configuration had
a priority Low , then a new configuration should have been created and saved with a priority high.
The original one with priority low should remain as it was.
Adding and Managing TabsUse
From the configuration you can add and manage new tabs to be displayed on the UWL user interface.
When creating a new tab, you also have the option to define new drop down section entries for this tab.
The view that gets associated with each new drop down is the DefaultView which is available within UWL.
You can customize the default view as a separate step.
Functions on the interface
Functions Description
Customize View You can customize the attributes and properties of the drop down entries. For details on
this customization page, see Personalizing the UWL Display .
Functions Description
Remove tab from
current view
The tab you select shall be removed from the view. It can be added back later (choose
from the drop down selection Available tabs not displayed )
Add tab to view See details below.
Create a new tab See details below.
Creating a New Tab
To create a new tab follow the steps below:
1. From the main UWL configuration wizard page, choose Customize the look for UWL Main
Page .
2. On the customization page, choose Create a new Tab .
The Add new Tab page is displayed.
NoteIt is mandatory to enter the Display Name . Tool tip is optional.
The tab will be visible or not depending on the user choice for Tab visible by default .
If you must define the entries for the drop downs:
3. Choose Add entry for drop down .
4. Choose Visible by default to have the tabs displayed on the UI.
NoteIt is mandatory to enter the Display Name . Tool tip is optional.
5. Save your settings.
You now return to the main look and feel customization page. Depending on your selection the tab
will appear next to visible tabs if Visible by default was selected else will appear under the drop
down Available tabs not displayed .
Adding a Tab to View
You can choose a tab to display on the user interface from the list of existing tabs.
Choose from the drop down selection of the existing tabs, if there are any.
Optional ConfigurationDefinition
This section describes the optional configuration steps for setting up UWL.
You can have UWL in your own role
Add UWL to specific role
You can create custom worklists:
View for specific task
View for user decision
View for making multiple choices simultaneously
You can configure how the work item launches using:
SAP Transaction (SAPGUI for HTML or ITS MiniApp or IAC)
UWL iView
Business Server Page
WebDynpro Application
You can connect to a remote system and receive KM Recent Notifications using:
WsActionInboxConnector UWL connector
UWL Content ConfigurationUse
You can upload predefined configuration files.
UWL Content Configuration includes definition of:
Item Types - The type of an item determines how it is executed, and if other actions can be applied.
It also describes additional information like custom attributes.
List Views - A view describes how the items of a specific type should be displayed in the worklist:
visible attributes, sorting order, filter conditions, and many more visualization properties.
Navigation - The navigation defines the list views offered to the end user. The first level of the
navigation hierarchy represents the basic item categories.Prerequisites
You have access to portal Universal Worklist iView.
You have access to the Universal Worklist Administration iView.
You have a predefined configuration (for example one shipped by Manager Self Services Business
Package).
This predefined configuration (for example uwl.webflow.mss ) XML contains ItemTypes that are defined
independent of any particular system.Process
This section describes the procedure for uploading the predefined configuration.
Administering Item Types and View Definitions
You can administer the Universal Worklist Configuration Content (in XML) from the following three
functions.
Function Description
Download
Configuration
Select the configuration name for which you want to download configuration. Click on the
link on the subsequent page to view / download file.
Delete
Configuration
Delete the selected configuration.
It is recommended to keep a back up before deleting a configuration.
Choose OK to proceed with deletion.
Download DTD Choose to download DTD for the selected configuration.
Uploading New Configurations
You can upload the XML configuration files from this page.
1. Specify the configuration name. Do not upload any configuration as
"uwl .webflow.<systemalias> ". That will overwrite (write, not ride) the generated system
configuration with the same name. Give a new configuration name, for
example uwl.webflow.mss ".
NoteThe backend items are mapped using the tag < ItemTypeCriteria > and
its systemId and externalTypeattributes. The configuration name and item type name are not
relevant. The override (customization) effect will be automatically archived through the override
priority.
2. Choose valid XML or ZIP file. Enter the path or browse for the XML file.
3. High priority : mark this checkbox if you are customizing UWL itemTypes and Views. However if
any other application inside SAP is uploading its configuration file, it will not affect your
customizations. It is recommended that these SAP groups should use medium priority or not check
the override priority checkbox.
4. Adapt to System : Specify the system which you want to apply the configuration XML to in the
upload iView dropdown option Adapt to System . If uploaded as " None - use as is ", the
configuration XML will be applied to the system referenced in the XML itself. If no system is
referenced, it will be applied to all systems.
Note
The configuration XML becomes completely independent from systems and need not to be modified
for specific installations.
5. Choose Upload . Once the upload has completed, you will receive a successful message. If you do
not receive a successful message, you will have an error message providing you with the syntax
error in the XML file. Fix your XML file and upload again.
Note
If the upload is specific to a system, system name will be added automatically to the configuration
name at the end.
6. You must clear the cache now. See Clearing Cache section below.
Resetting Personalization
You can remove the end user View personalization here. Leaving the fields empty applies for all users or
views.
If there are already personalized (by end user) List Views present in UWL and these List View definitions
are reloaded, then you are shown the list of the other personalized views and optionally these could be
deleted
Field Description
Login ID End user login ID.
View
Name
Name of the view for which the personalization are to be removed To remove all, enter asterix "*".
Choose Remove Personalizations .
Uploaded configuration can be verified in the Current Configurations area in the Universal Worklist
Content Configuration iView.
Clearing Cache
1. Choose Cache Administration Page .
2. Select the System Alias for which you want to clear the cache or clear expired items.
3. Choose the appropriate option.
Function Description
Clear Cache Removes all items from the cache. The items will be re-retrieved from the providers. Use
with caution.
Function Description
Clear Expired
Items
Removes only expired items from UWL Cache
Configuring the People PickerUse
The Universal Worklist (UWL) provides users with the People Picker functionality to search for users,
roles and groups in the portal User Management Engine (UME). You use the People Picker in various
scenarios involving people, for example:
Creating a task - to choose the task assignee
Forwarding a task - to choose whom to forward the task to
Creating a substitution rule - to choose the substitute
You can also use the User Management Engine (UME) functionality to configure companies to enable
users from more than one company to work together and use the UWL in a common portal. When you
configure company properties in the UME, the UWL People picker searches for users, roles and groups in
UME and additionally applies restrictions to filter results based on company and company related
settings.
To use the UME Companies functionality you have to make sure one of the following two cases is valid:
The value of the UME property ume.tpd.imp.class is different than the value of
thecom.sap.security.core.tpd.SimpleTPD property
The value of the UME property ume.tpd.imp.class is equal to the value of
thecom.sap.security.core.tpd.SimpleTPD property and the value of the UME
property ume.tpd.companies is different than 0
For more information about UME properties for companies, see Editing UME Properties .
For more information about configuring companies in UME, see Configuring Delegated User
Administration Using Companies .
The general case is that if the logged user belongs to a specific company, they can search for users,
roles, and groups in the same company only. However, there are exceptions to this restriction that are
useful for administrators and company representatives:
To grant users the rights to search in all companies assign the UWLSearchUnrestricted UME action
to the respective user that needs to perform search.
For more information, see Administration of Users and Roles .
Search results can include users, groups, and roles from companies different than the one of the
currently logged user given that the users listed are Contact for Company <name of
company> of the logged user.
To make a certain user a Contact for Company <name of company> for any other company,
you need to add a custom attribute in their user profile and fill in a value corresponding to the
respective company name. The attribute name needs to be Contact for Company . You create this
attribute just once for the user profile. Next, you enter one or more companies that the user will be a
contact for. To enable users to be contacts for more than one company, use multiple values for
the Contact for Company attribute. Separate the companies with a comma ', '.
For more information on user profile attributes, see Adding Custom Attributes to the User Profile .
Following are the specific restrictions for each search type.
Search by a User
A guest user performing a search by user will get an empty results list
A user from Company A , for example, can see in their results list only users from the
same Company A
A user from Company A can see in their results a user from Company B only if the user
from Company B is aContact for Company A
A user having the UWLSearchUnrestricted action assigned can see users from all companies
Search by a Role
A guest user performing a search by role will get empty results list
A user from Company A gets a results list with all roles that have assigned users from Company A .
Roles that have no users belonging to the company of the currently logged user are excluded from the
result list
A user from Company A gets a results list with a role that has user B from Company B assigned
only if user B is a Contact for Company A
A user with the UWLSearchUnrestricted action assigned can see roles with assigned users from all
companies
Search by a Group
A guest user performing a search by group will get empty results list
A user from Company A gets a result list with all groups that have assigned users only
from Company A . If certain group has one or more users belonging to different company, then this
group is excluded from the search results
A user with the UWLSearchUnrestricted action assigned can see groups with assigned users from
all companies
Setting UWL Service ParametersProcedure
Once the configuration steps shown in the preceding sections are completed, the Universal Worklist
operates without additional configuration. The configuration procedure described in this section is for the
modification of default parameters.
1. On the portal choose System Administration System Configuration .
2. Then in Detailed Navigation choose Universal Worklist and Workflow Universal
Worklist - Administration .
3. Open the tray for the optional UWL service configuration.
4. To change the parameters, click Edit .
5. Edit the default configuration parameters as required.
6. Save configuration settings.
Parameter Description
Default Execution
Mode *
Pessimistic - Before task is launched, check at provider system if the item is still
valid.
Optimistic - No validity check (saves time).
Webflow User
Format *
You can map the data from SAP Business Workflow user to portal using the following
identifiers:
Full Name
User ID
Not Displayed
Parameter Description
Default Cache
Validity Period *
in minutes; after this expiration time, the current item list is updated from the provider
system.
Note
This parameter applies only to provider systems that are not enabled for delta pull .
Default: 5 minutes
Maximum Number of
Threads Created in
the Thread Pool *
The maximum number of Java threads created to contact the component systems.
With this parameter, you can control the number of threads to be created.
More information: Out of Memory Error .
Timeout Value for
the Connected
Systems *
Value in seconds, after which the connection for the systems is timed out. An error in
the system connection status is shown and the items are not retrieved. The UWL will
try to reconnect after five minutes.
Number of Users per
Pull Channel
Default: 40. The number of users together for whom the new item changes will be
fetched in a go.
For details on the Delta Pull Mechanism see Enabling Delta Pull Mechanism .
Path to the UWL
iViews
Contains the location of the UWL iViews called by UWL overview (main) under the
' every user role '.
Default value:
portal_content/every_user/general/uwl
Display Support
Information
False : Support information is not displayed.
True : Support information is displayed.
All parameters marked by an asterisk "*" are required parameters.
Maintain Item CacheDefinition
UWL caches items from different provider systems. This caching is done periodically as specified in the
configuration XML for a particular item type.
You must clear the cache under the following cases:
ItemTypes are customized.
Systems are removed from portal landscape or a system configuration is removed from the UWL
systems configuration page.
Cache Admin IView
To clear the cache, use the Cache Admin IView. Cache can be cleared for all systems or a particular
system.
Select the dropdown list for System Alias , only those registered systems which have items in UWL
cache appear in the list. If a system does not have any items in UWL cache it does not appear in the
list.
Choose Clear Cache .
Choose Clear Expired Items to remove all expired items from the cache.
Configuring iView PropertiesProcedure
This is an optional configuration procedure to configure the UWL iView display, the other being editing the
configuration XML file.
Recommendation
Editing the properties through com.sap.netweaver.bc.uwl.uwl_iview is the recommended way to change
and configure properties.
On the Portal, choose:
Content Administration Portal Content Content Provided by SAP End User
Content Standard Portal Users iViews com.sap.netweaver.bc.uwl.iviews
Universal Worklist
Right-click on Universal Worklist and select Open Properties .
NoteTo see all Universal Worklist properties, select Show All from the Property Category drop-down
option.
Configure the UWL iView properties shown in the following table.
iView Property Description
Display Connection
Status
Indicate if connection status icon link should be displayed.
Options:
None - do not display at all.
Show - display icon, but do not indicate any errors.
ShowIndicateError - display warning icon when error occurs.
iView Property Description
Display Preview Flag to indicate preview panel is displayed or not with the UWL list view. Set the
default for all users, this can also be personalized by the user.
Display substituted user
selector
Provides support to allow substitution of tasks by other users. If substitution is
not desired it can turned off through this property.
Display UWL Support
Information
Displays the Support information section for all UWL iViews.
For related information, see Removing Actions From the UWL Display .
List of UWL Actions to
exclude
List of actions that you do not want to be displayed on the UWL page. For more
information, see Removing Actions From the UWL Display .
Maximum number of
Dynamic views to be
added
If the Dynamic View should be disabled then it should be done by modifying the
UWL View (See the DTD for details).
The default is 7, if a number is entries which is less then 1, then 1 is used.
sap_uwl_viewname Change the default view of the UWL iView
System Configuration
Group
Define the name of the group of backend systems to be accessed by this UWL
iView. The backend systems for the group are defined with the procedure
described inRegister the SAP Systems .
UWL Navigation Style To hide the navigation area of the UWL, the style can be set to none for this
property.
Wait duration before
calling provider on
loading preview
Introduce a delay in getting all the preview information (in seconds). This feature
increases performance.
Note
This property is available for WebDynpro version only.
Wait duration before
calling providers on
loading of UWL
This feature helps introduce a delay in getting item data in the UWL table. The
user interface displays partial data while waiting. It promotes faster browsing of
items in the UWL table with the preview area.
The longer delay time is especially useful when items have large number of
attachments which usually take a longer time to upload.
Note
No delay is introduced if zero seconds is indicated.
Enabling Delta Pull MechanismUse
Delta Pull mechanism of UWL enables new, modified and deleted items to be fetched from the back-end
systems at regular time interval, by default every 60 seconds.
Once items are retrieved, they are updated in the UWL cache.
Workitems are fetched when the UWL session begins and stop to be fetched when the user logs off or
their session expires.
You can enable Delta Pull for those connectors that support it. WebFlowConnector and
BPMUWLConnector support delta pull. Custom connectors can also support delta pull.Controlling the Delta Pull Mechanism from UWL
From the steps listed below you can enable / disable and specify the time interval between invocations.1. Launch the UWL configuration screen.
You can access the UWL administration pages from Portal System Administration System
Configuration Universal Worklist and Workflow .2. Navigate to the property editor as follows:
From the Universal Worklist Systems choose the system for which you want to edit the
properties.3. Choose Edit.4. See the table below for description of parameters related to the delta pull properties
and set as needed.
Property Description
Delta Pull Channel Refresh
Period (in Seconds)
This is the period at which workitems are fetched from back end to
UWL cache. Default: 60 seconds.
No delta pull calls take place if you leave the field empty or enter a
negative number.
Delta Pull Channel Snapshot
Refresh Period (in Minutes)
This property is obsolete. Do not use.
5. Choose Save to save your changes.Setup necessary from Business Workflow to Enable Delta Pull Mechanism
Some configuration settings are required if you use the UWL and the Extended Notifications for SAP
Business Workflow.
Define the following two batch jobs:1. Background job (for example UWL_DELTA_PULL_1 ), consisting of a single step of ABAP
reportRSWNUWLSEL in FULL mode, using a report variant.
Run the job once a day.
2. A background job (for example UWL_DELTA_PULL_2 ), consisting of a single step of ABAP reportRSWNUWLSEL in DELTA mode (default mode is delta, so report variant is optional).
Run the job every one to three minutes (depending on the performance of the back end SAP
system).
Note
No additional back end configuration is required to enable Delta Pull Mechanism for alerts.
Removing Personalized InformationUse
This UWL Administer Personalized Information iView provides the system administrator with the
capability to delete personalized information for one or all personalized UWL views.Procedure
To delete personalized view information:
1. On the portal, choose System Administration System Configuration .
2. Under Detailed Navigation choose Universal Worklist and Workflow Universal
Worklist - Administration .
3. Scroll down to Universal Worklist Content Configuration and there click the link to administrate
item types and view definitions.
4. Go to the Reset Personalization tab.
5. Enter the logon ID of the user whose personalized information of a view you want to remove.
6. To display all personalized views for the specified user in the table below, choose Show Views .
Select the view in the table for which you want to delete the personalized information.
You can also directly enter the name of the view in the View Name field.
Note
If you leave the fields empty, the personalized information will be deleted for all users and views.
7. Click Remove Personalizations to delete the personalized information for one or more specified
view or views.
For information on user personalization, see Personalizing the UWL Display .
Enabling MemoUse
Users can add additional information as a note (memo) to a Business Workflow task.
This option is not available on the user interface by default. See procedure below to enable this feature by
configuring the XML file.Procedure
Configure the XML file for the item type for which you want to enable this feature. For example: a decision
item, or even the generic uwl.task.webflow .
1. Add the following to the custom XML file:
<Action reference="addMemo"/>
2. Upload the XML file. Clear the cache.Result
On the UWL user interface, under the section You can also , a new link Add Memo is visible.
Switching off the UWL CacheContext
You can switch off the UWL cache for an application in the UWL configuration, for example, if the
application runs on the same application server as the UWL. In this case the access to the back end can
be faster without using the cache database even if all iView related actions require direct back-end calls.
The following graphic illustrates, how and from where the items are transported into the UWL:
Figure 1:
Procedure1. In the portal, choose System Administration System Configuration Universal
Worklist & Workflow Universal Worklist - Administration .2. In the list of systems, deselect the Use Cache checkbox of the item provider system, for
which you do not want to use the UWL cache.
Caution
Switch off the UWL cache can result in a serious impairment of performance.
Enabling Refresh of Completed ItemsPrerequisites
You have configured an RFC destination with load balancing for connection with the back-end system.
The back-end system has the SAP_ABA and SAP_BASIS components.
The user on the back-end system, configured in the RFC destination, must have the S_RFC_ADM
ACTVT=1permission.
Context
The Universal Worklist (UWL) mechanism for refreshing of completed items enables automatic update of
the UWL task list. Thus, when items are set to status Complete , they are removed from the New and In
Progress view in the UWL. You can configure UWL to refresh its tasks list at time period different that the
minimum 20 second period. The user does not need to use the refresh function to update the inbox.
Refresh for completed items is applicable to WebflowConnector only. Refresh for completed items can
be enabled on registered WebFlowConnectors or while registering a new WebflowConnector with the
UWL service after defining a new system connection.
For more information, see UWL Connectors .
You need to first activate the refresh for completed items from the backend system.
Note
Enabling the refresh for completed items of a the Webflow Connector might lead to undesired changes
in the reaction time of UWL. Hence, lower performance results.
Procedure1. On the portal, navigate to System Administration System Configuration Universal
Worklist and Workflow Universal Worklist Administration .2. Choose the New pushbutton to configure the connector. Enter the system alias you are
using.
You can also select an already registered WebflowConnector and choose the Edit pushbutton.3. From the Connector Type dropdown list, choose WebFlowConnector .4. Fill in the configuration details for the connector.5. Select the Refresh completed items checkbox.6. To define the time period for UWL task list update, enter a number (in seconds) in
the Refresh Period for Completed Items (in Seconds) field.
Caution
Enter a value between 5 and 20 that is a multiple of 5 (for example, 10 or 15 ).
7. To save the current connector registration, choose the Save pushbutton.
Enabling Webflow Filtering by Item TypeUse
The Webflow filtering by item type allows more flexible control over the types of work items being fetched
by Webflow Connector. It enables you to specify supported and excluded item types for each UWL
Webflow Connector.
You can access this new functionality using the Universal Worklist Systems administration screen. To
do this, proceed as follows:
In the portal, navigate to System Administration System Configuration Universal Worklist
and Workflow Universal Worklist - Administration Universal Worklist Configuration . To
apply the filtering option, you can use the fields for supported item types and excluded item types.
Note
These fields are available only when a new WebFlowConnector is being created or an existing
WebflowConnector is being edited. They are not shown with any other connector.
Filtering by Supported and Excluded Item TypesFor more information about applying the filtering by supported and excluded item types, see: Filtering by Supported and Excluded Item Types.
Supported and Excluded Item Types FieldsFor more information about the supported and excluded item types fields, see: Supported and Excluded Item Types Fields.
Validation of Supported and Excluded Item Types FieldsFor more information about the validation of supported item types and excluded item types fields, see: Validation of Supported and Excluded Item Types Fields.
Filtering by Supported and Excluded Item TypesEach instance of Webflow connector in UWL administrative UI allows a list of supported and excluded
item types to be set. You can enter both supported and excluded item types as a list.
.The following two sections define how filtering is approached regarding the two different scenarios for
fetching UWL items from back-end systems.
Assume that you have three sets of item types:
Set A comprises the supported item types defined for each connector level.
Set B comprises the item types defined for each UWL View using the XML configuration.
Set C comprises the item types enumerated in the excluded item types defined for each connector.
Filtering in a Snapshot Scenario by Supported and Excluded Item Types Filtering by Supported Item Types
In a snapshot scenario, UWL will fetch the intersection of set A and set B. Only the items belonging to
item types defined in both sets are read from the back end and transferred to the UWL internal cache.
Example
User has defined X, Y and Z item types in their connector list of supported item type definitions (set A). User has defined Y and Z item types in their current View XML definition (set B). When the respective view is being loaded, UWL will fetch items belonging to Y and Z item types to the UWL internal cache. This is because Y and Z belong to both set A and set B.
Filtering by List of Excluded Item Types
In a snapshot scenario, UWL will fetch the relative complement of C in the intersection of set A and set B.
(A ∩ B) \ C
In other words, UWL will exclude all items from set C from the item types that are defined in both sets A
and B. Then these items will be fetched from the back end and transferred to the UWL internal cache.
Example
User has defined X, Y and Z item types in their connector list of supported item type definitions (set A). User has defined Y and Z item types in their current View XML definition (set B). User has defined Y and W in the list of excluded item types (set C). When the respective view is being loaded, UWL will fetch items belonging to Z item type to the UWL internal cache. This is because Y and Z belong to both set A and set B, and Y is subtracted because of its existence in set C.
Filtering in the Delta Pull Scenario by Supported and Excluded Item Types Filtering by Supported Item Types
In the Delta Pull scenario, UWL fetches all item types belonging to set A. UWL Delta Pull is a scheduled
job running regularly regardless of UWL View definitions. It is not possible to bind item types defined for
each view level to Delta Pull jobs.
Example
User has defined X, Y and Z item types in their connector list of supported item type definitions. Regardless of any UWL View definitions when the Delta Pull job for a particular WebFlowConnector is being executed, all belonging to the item types X,Y and Z will be fetched to the UWL internal cache.
Filtering by List of Excluded Item Types
In this scenario, UWL fetches all items that belong to the relative complement of C in A.
UWL excludes all items from set C from the item types defined in set A. Then the Delta pull job fetches all
item types belonging to the resulting item type list.
Example
User has defined X,Y and Z items types in their connector list of supported item type definitions (set A). User has defined Y and W in their excluded item type definitions (set C). When the Delta Pull job for the particular WebFlowConnector is being executed, all items belonging to item types X and Z will be fetched to the UWL internal cache. This is because item types Y and W are subtracted as they exist in set C.
Supported and Excluded Item Types FieldsYou are able to specify supported and excluded item types or ranges for each UWL Webflow
Connector.Supported Item Types Field
In the Supported Item Types field you specify the item types or ranges to filter.
The Supported Item Types field recognizes item types as enumeration of literals separated by
commas “,” or semicolons ";". The supported item types need to be inscribed with TS or WS at the
beginning and followed by eight digits (TSnnnnnnnn or WSnnnnnnnn).
Example
TS30000016, WS70000264
In connector edit mode, the Supported Item Type field is an editable box in which you can enter text.
In view mode, the Supported Item Type field label has a fixed width to match the width of the table.
The height of the label is variable and extends at runtime to accommodate the item type enumeration
length.
The range is defined as all possible numeric values between the lowest and highest numbers in the item
type or workflow type. They must be separated by a hyphen "-".
Example
The range between TS30000003 and TS30000006(TS30000003-TS30000006) is: TS30000003, TS30000004, TS30000005, TS30000006
Excluded Item Types Field
In the Excluded Item Types field, you can specify the item types or ranges to filter.
The Excluded Item Types field recognizes item types as an enumeration of literals separated by
commas“,”or semicolons ";".
Example
TS00000007, TS30000008
In connector edit mode, the “Excluded Item Type” field is an editable box in which you can enter text.
In view mode, the Excluded Item Type field label has a fixed width to match the width of the table. The
height of the label is variable and extends at runtime to accommodate the item type enumeration length.
The range is defined as all possible numeric values between the lowest and highest numbers in the item
type or workflow type. They must be separated by a hyphen "-".
Example
The range between WS30000003 and WS30000006(WS30000003-WS30000006) is: WS30000003, WS30000004, WS30000005, WS30000006
Validation of Supported and Excluded Item Types FieldsYou can validate supported and excluded item types fields by choosing the Save button in the user
interface.Validation of Data in Supported Item Types Range and Excluded Item Types Range
1. The item type identifier has to start with TS or WS and end with an eight digit number2. The starting item type has to be formed by a lower number then the ending item type
Example
Starting: TS00000001
Ending: TS00000007or
Starting: WS00000001
Ending: WS00000007Validation of Data in the Supported Item Types Field
1. The list of the supported item types are provided as a comma-separated list of item types.
2. The item type identifier has to start with TS or WSand end with an eight digit number.
Example
TS00000001, TS00000002, TS80000001, WS70000264
Validation of Data in the Excluded Item Types Field
1. The list of the excluded item types are provided as a comma-separated list of item types.
2. The item type identifier has to start with TS or WS and end with an eight digit number.
Example
TS00000004, TS00000012, TS70000001, WS70000264
Using Primary Pull to Retrieve Custom AttributesPrerequisites
You need to initially configure custom attributes for particular a item type.
Context
You can define custom attributes for every item in your inbox. For example, you have an item an invoice
receipt. Apart from the standard attributes, you can define custom ones, for example invoice value. When
you define custom attributes, they are retrieved to your inbox asynchronously from the standard
attributes. This means that once an item arrives, these custom attributes are retrieved in additional calls
to the backend. For performance reasons, in order to minimize response times to the end user, this may
happen while the item is displayed to the end user - causing such attributes to be empty initially and only
to appear in subsequent requests.
Depending on the implementation of the connector, the item provider may also define hollow attributes for
each item. This means that after the first call to the backend retrieves all items for users, some attributes
(the hollow attributes) remain empty. They are displayed and populated with value with subsequent calls
to the backend. You cannot edit or configure the hollow attributes.
It is possible to synchronously load the custom and hollow attributes with the primary pull of items of the
connectors you configured for. In this case you do not need to do several refreshes to fill in the custom
attributes. To do this, you can enable the synchronous retrieval of items, standard attributes and custom
attributes.
Note
Enabling direct retrieval of custom attributes for a connector might lead to undesired changes in the
reaction time of UWL. Hence, lower performance results.
In addition, this setting takes effect only after you upload the appropriate XML configuration file.
For more information on custom attributes, see CustomAttributes , CustomAttributeSource and
Attribute .
Procedure1. On the portal, navigate to System Administration System Configuration Universal
Worklist and Workflow Universal Worklist Administration .2. Select the connector for which you want to use synchronous retrieval mechanism and
choose the Editpushbutton.
Note
You can also enable the synchronous retrieval mechanism when creating a new system connection.3. Select the Retreieve Custom Attributes Using Primary Pull checkbox.4. Save your changes.
Advanced ConfigurationDefinition
This section describes the basics for creating an override function that launches your customized iViews
or other visualizations.
You must have developer's knowledge to perform the advanced configuration steps.
In this section you will learn, how to:
Creating Custom Views
Customizing the UWL Tabs
Removing Actions From the UWL Display
Configuring Alerts in UWL
Decision Views
Task Launch Customization
Internationalization of XML Configuration
Transport of XML ConfigurationExample
Many Business Workflow (formerly known as Webflow) work items launch by default as SAP
Transactions in the SAP GUI for HTML.
For reasons of simplification and improved visual integration into the Enterprise Portal, application
scenarios and customers often prefer to re-implement work item visualization and execution using iViews.
Implementations of these visualizations require knowledge of the Business Workflow API to retrieve work
item information and to perform item completion.
Customizing the UWL TabsUse
The UWL navigation allows access to different UWL views.
NoteTasks, Alerts, Notifications, Tracking are the default tabs you see when navigating to UWL from
Home Work .
All Task , Assigned Task , and Tracked Task are the default navigation tabs you see when navigating
to UWL from Collaboration My Tasks .
Removing Tabs, Filters / Dropdowns
Find the corresponding NavigationNode XML to which the iView property useNavigationId points. Now
copy, modify and upload this changed file.
Note
After modification, save and upload in a different name than the original XML file.
Using the steps mentioned in this section, you can customize new tabs on the UWL iView and reorder the
existing tabs.
How to Determine Which Navigation is Being Used in a View
The UWL iView has attributes which indicates the navigation ID to be used along with the default view to
display.
useNavigationId
sap_uwl_viewname
The navigation can be changed in the XML file and uploaded as a custom XML in the same way as
changing and uploading the ItemTypes and Views.
In the XML file modify the NavigationNode section to add, remove, change position.
Example uwl.collaboration.xml <NavigationNode name="Collaboration" groupId="UWL_COLL_NAV" global="yes"><NavigationNode name="collTask" view="CollTaskView" referenceBundle="nav_coll_task"><NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderCollTask" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/></NavigationNode>
<NavigationNode name="collAssign" view="CollAssignView" referenceBundle="nav_coll_assign"><NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderCollAssign" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/></NavigationNode><NavigationNode name="collTrack" view="CollTrackView" referenceBundle="nav_coll_track"><NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderCollTrack" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/></NavigationNode></NavigationNode>
Example of removing or moving the Tracking section:
To Remove, delete the red text from the XML and the track section will not be displayed.
To Move, move the red text above the blue text and it will become the second tab. <NavigationNode name="Collaboration" groupId="UWL_COLL_NAV" global="yes"> <NavigationNode name="collTask" view="CollTaskView" referenceBundle="nav_coll_task"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderCollTask" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode> <NavigationNode name="collAssign" view="CollAssignView" referenceBundle="nav_coll_assign"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderCollAssign" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode> <NavigationNode name="collTrack" view="CollTrackView" referenceBundle="nav_coll_track"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderCollTrack" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode></NavigationNode>
The standard UWL navigation is defined in the uwl.standard.xml file and has the NavigationId of Main. <NavigationNode name="Main" groupId="UWL_GLOBAL_NAV2" > <NavigationNode name="CombinedTask" view="DefaultView" referenceBundle="nav_tasks"> <NavigationNode name="task2" view="DefaultView" referenceBundle="nav_combined_tasks"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderTask2" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode>
<NavigationNode name="forwarded2" view="WorkItemsCompletedForwardedView" referenceBundle="forwarded_tasks"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderforwarded2" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode> <NavigationNode name="completed2" view="WorkItemsCompletedView" referenceBundle="completed_tasks"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderCompleted2" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode> </NavigationNode> <!-- Alert Navigation Mode --> <NavigationNode name="alert2" view="AlertsView" referenceBundle="nav_alerts"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderAlert2" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode> <NavigationNode name="notification2" view="NotificationsView" referenceBundle="nav_notifications"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderNotification2" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode> <NavigationNode name="CombinedTracking" view="ComboWorkItemRequestsView" referenceBundle="tracking"> <NavigationNode name="CombinedTracking2" view="ComboWorkItemRequestsView" referenceBundle="mytracking"> <NavigationNode name="PersonalViewPlaceHolderComboTracking2" referenceGroup="UWL_PERSONAL"/> </NavigationNode> </NavigationNode></NavigationNode>
Tag Attribute Description
Tag Name Description
name Use to reference the Navigation Node (Must be unique, unless override existing configuration)
groupId Used to allow including this Navigation Node into Other Navigation Nodes.
view Name of the View to be used when the Navigation node has been selected.
referenceBu
ndle
Defines the display text to be used for this Navigation Node.
referenceGr
oup
Indicate this Navigation Node should be replaced with other Navigation Nodes of the specified
GroupId.UWL_PERSONAL is a reserved group id to indicate location of The User's
Personalized Views.
Post Modification Steps
After modifications have been made upload the new configuration. Perform the following steps:
1. Go to System Administration System Configuration Universal Worklist &
Workflow Universal Worklist Administration .
2. Choose Click to Manage Item Types and View Definitions .
3. Go to the Upload New Configuration tab.
4. Enter the configuration name.
5. Choose the XML file created in earlier step by clicking on Browse .
6. Choose the priority and select the system to which the configuration is adapted.
7. Choose Upload .
Removing Actions From the UWL DisplayUse
There are a few ways to remove actions.
You can customize the Views and ItemType (which can remove the actions from all UWL pages,
Collaboration, My Task, and so on)
You can modify the iView and add the name of the actions under the Actions to exclude from the
UWL property.
See table below for some of the common action names.
Note
For other actions not listed here, see the custom properties XML files.
Action Display Text Action Name
Alerts Configuration AlertConfiguration
Claim reserve
Complete acknowledge
Complete Task confirm
Create Ad Hoc Request uwlTaskWizard
Action Display Text Action Name
Create Task defaultGlobalWizard
Decline decline
Delete deleteItem
Edit editItem
Follow-up followUp
Forward forward
Forward forwardUsers *
Manage Attachments manageAttachments
Open Task launchSAPAction
Personalize View personalize
Revoke Claim replace
Submit Memo addmemo
View Detail viewDetail
View Detail in SAP GUI launchSAPDetails
* - this action is for multiple user selection.
Note
If excluding more than one actions, the action names must be comma separated.
CautionDo not add all of the above listed action names to Actions to Exclude iView property. Be selective in
what actions you want to remove. To determine the action name you want to remove, you can turn on the
support information page (see below) and a list of support action will be displayed per item displayed.
Caution
If you edit the custom XML file for the above properties, then note that you must NOT change
theUWL.standard.xml file. Create a new custom UWL XML file and you have to give that XML file a
high priority. You can now remove the corresponding navigation tabs by removing corresponding tasks in
the UWL XML file.
NoteIf you want the Open Task button (Web GUI) and the work item link (SAP GUI) to have the same
function, you have to make sure that the same action is defined for Open Task ( LaunchSAPAction ) as
for the default action. The default action is specified by the defaultAction attribute of ItemType .
More information: Item Type
Example
General Example to Remove a Function
To remove the Personalize View function on the UWL view, add personalize to the iView
property Actions to Exclude from UWL .
A Business Scenario
Business case question : You have My Task iView on all the home pages which are available to
internal and external users. You do not want to provide New Task function for external users. How can
you hide New Taskbutton based on users or roles, or remove New Task button from the My
Task iView?
Solution : It is possible to remove the button with the UWL iView property Actions to exclude from
UWL .
Create two portal roles, one for internal users, one for external users. Each role should refer to a different
page with a different UWL iView instance.
For the internal role, you can just link to the standard UWL My Task iView, and the button remains in
place.
For the external role, set the UWL iView property mentioned above to the
value defaultGlobalWizard ,uwlTaskWizard to exclude the button (which will also exclude the Create
Ad Hoc Request button).
How to Turn on the Support Information Section
From the UWL iView configuration, select Yes for the parameter Display UWL Support Information .
Configuring Alerts in UWLUse
Alerts provide active delivery of mission critical information and have support for E-mail, SMS/pager, fax,
Web interface, and so on. You can get personalized alert delivery through your preferred channel. UWL
provides the platform for compiling your alerts for easy viewing.
Figure 1: Figure: General Alert Management Scenario
The steps below describe how to set-up Alerts in Universal Worklist view.
Process Flow
Alerts within an alert category are defined by various properties:
Title, short text and long text
Variables that can be used in title, short or long text (application data)
Priority
Recipients
Escalation procedure
Subsequent activities (in form of URLs)
Alert categories can be defined by applications or customers using the alert category definition
environment in transaction ALRTCATDEF .
Triggering an Alert
Alerts can be triggered either by using one of the following frameworks
Event in the Business Object Repository
o Define event linkage with transaction SWE2
o Receiver function module: SALRT_CREATE_VIA_EVENT
Action of the Post Processing Framework (PPF)
Auto-Reaction Method in CCMS (since 6.40)
Triggering as a step in a SAP Workflow
or by direct call of the function module SALRT_CREATE_API
Steps to be performed in UWL
Caution
Make sure you have performed these mandatory steps for UWL configuration.
1. Register the system in UWL and select AlertConnector
Be sure to select AlertConnector
Note
The System Alias must match the system alias
2. Register work item typesMore Information
For more information on Alerts, see http://service.sap.com/alert .
Customizing Alert Actions in UWLUse
Actions Meaning
Acknowledge Complete
defaultglobalwizard Create Task
personalize Personalize View
Retrieving Custom Attributes from Alert Container
Custom attributes defined in the alert container can be retrieved via a custom xml, for example: <ItemType name="uwl.alert.EP_PCT_MGR_VAR.SAP_ECC_Financials" connector="AlertConnector" defaultView="EP_PCT_MGR_VARView_MSS_TEST" executionMode="default" defaultAction="viewDetail"> <CustomAttributes> <CustomAttributeSource id="ALERT_CONTAINER" objectIdHolder="externalObjectId" objectType="AlertContainer" cacheValidity="Session"> <Attribute name="RULE" type="string" displayName="Rule" />
<Attribute name="RULE_NAME" type="string" displayName="Rule Name" /> </CustomAttributeSource> </CustomAttributes></ItemType>
Substitution and Alerts
Note
Substitution rules are not supported for Alerts in UWL.
Subscribing Alert CategoriesContext
The UWL provides the subscription of alert categories.
Procedure
...
1. In the UWL view on the Alert tab choose Subscription .
The Subscription of Alert Categories window is displayed.
2. In the Subscription of Alert Categories window choose the alert category which you want to
subscribe or unsubscribe then choose Subscribe or Unsubscribe .
Decision ViewsUse
There are cases that item execution is fairly straightforward operation, such as user decisions. Selecting
option for an individual task can easily be done along with the other similar tasks. For example, a user
can choose to withdraw from or revise an application, an employer can approve or reject multiple
requests at one time.
For example; a user can choose Reject or Accept for a work item and / or for multiple items and submit
decisions.
There are three common scenarios for providing options for users to choose and complete the task. they
are:
Generic User Decision
Terminating Events
Work item Completion with Container Update
Generic User Decision
In SAP Business Workflow, user can define a task as a decision task by assigning DECISION as the
underlying business object type. The task definition allows user to create two or more decision options
to complete the task. Refer to the standard generic user decision task TS00008267 .
During runtime, UWL retrieves the available options from the workflow provider and these options are
visible in the detail view of the item.
It is also possible to display these decision options directly in the UWL list and execute the decisions,
provided technical data of decision options is known in advance and can be configured in the
configuration file, for example: Revise or Withdraw (a rejected request)
The main update is the definition under your customized view (<View> section). Below shows a
sample to display two options as checkbox to either revise a request (with internal value 1) or withdraw
from a request (with internal value 2): <DisplayAttributes> <DisplayAttribute name="reviseCol" type="checkbox" width="" actionRef="1" vAlign="TOP" hAlign="CENTER"> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Revise"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute> <DisplayAttribute name="dropCol" type="checkbox" width="" actionRef="2" vAlign="TOP" hAlign="CENTER"> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Withdraw"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute>
(Optional): Include custom attributes in the view for each item to assist the decision making process.
The following steps describe how to configure the UWL to display decision options from items of the
generic user decision type TS00008267 in your own view myRejectedRequestView
Open your existing configuration XML file, or create a new one as described in ý0.
Add a new item type within the <ItemTypes> tag with a unique type name:
<ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.decision.TS00008267"
connector="WebFlowConnector" defaultView="myRejectedRequestView">
</ItemType>
Map the new type to a backend task id (which is the external type) by specifying the item type criteria
within the <ItemType>:
<ItemTypeCriteria
externalType="TS00008267" connector="WebFlowConnector"/>
Do not specify the systemid attribute. It is recommended to keep the configuration independent of a
specific system. The system, to which the configuration should apply to, is better specified in the
upload page (Adapt to system).
Define view to include the display of the decision options as check boxes <Views> <View name="myRejectedRequestView" width="98%" supportedItemTypes="uwl.task.webflow.TS00008267" columnOrder="attachmentCount, detailIcon, subject, priority,
creatorId, createdDate, reviseCol, dropCol" sortby="priority" selectionMode="SINGLESELECT" tableDesign="STANDARD" visibleRowCount="10" headerVisible="yes" tableNavigationFooterVisible="yes" tableNavigationType="CUSTOMNAV" actionRef=""> <Descriptions default="Rejected Requests"> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Rejected Requests"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> <DisplayAttributes> <DisplayAttribute name="reviseCol" type="checkbox" width="" actionRef="1" vAlign="TOP" hAlign="CENTER"> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Revise"/> </ShortDescriptions> <LongDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Revise the request"/> </LongDescriptions>
</Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute> <DisplayAttribute name="dropCol" type="checkbox" width="" actionRef="2" vAlign="TOP" hAlign="CENTER"> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description=" Withdraw"/> </ShortDescriptions> <LongDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Withdraw from the request"/> </LongDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute> </DisplayAttributes> …………….other definitions go here <Actions> <!-- the user decisions are for rendering in the column, not in the
tool bar. Option Revise has internal value 1 and option Withdraw has internal value 2 and both are to be handled by the UserDecisonHandler-->
<Action name="1" userDecision="yes" handler="UserDecisionHandler "/> <Action name="2" userDecision="yes" handler="UserDecisionHandler "/> <!-- the following referenced actions are defined in uwl.standard --> <Action reference="submitUserDecisions" /> …………….other definitions go here </Actions> </View> </Views>
Save the xml definition and verify the validity in Internet Explorer .
Upload the configuration.
Create a work item of this task for a user, and go to UWL page. A link of the newly defined view
'Rejected Requests' should be visible.
Terminating events
Definite terminating events can also be displayed for users to pick as user decision options, for
example: Approve or Reject, and then complete the item. In Business Workflow, there is this section in
task definition that user can create terminating event(s) .
This can be specified in the configuration file to enable the options in the view with extra columns
when the terminating event id is known.
The main update is the definition under the itemtype for such task and your customized view (<View>
section), refer to previous section Generic User Decision. Details in the following table.
(Optional): Include custom attributes in the view for each item to assist the decision making process.
The following steps describe how to configure the UWL to include terminating events Approved and
Rejected as user decision and display these 2 options as checkboxes in the view for task TS91100019
Open your existing configuration XML file, or create a new one as described in ý0.
Add a new item type within the <ItemTypes> tag with a unique type name:
<ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.TS91100019" connector="WebFlowConnector"
defaultView=" myApprovalRejectView_TE">
</ItemType>
Map the new type to a backend task id (which is the external type) by specifying the item type criteria
within the <ItemType>:
<ItemTypeCriteria
externalType="TS91100019" connector="WebFlowConnector"/>
Do not specify the systemid attribute.
Include the action definition for the <ItemType> with the precise event id as action name, add the
definition accordingly within the <Action> block: <ItemTypes> <ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.TS91100019" connector="WebFlowConnector" …………………………….other definitions go here> … <Actions> <Action name="approved" userDecision="yes" handler="TerminatingEventHandler"> <Descriptions default="Approve"/> </Action> <Action name="rejected" userDecision="yes" handler="TerminatingEventHandler"> <Descriptions default="Reject"/> </Action> </Actions> …………………………….other definitions go here> </ItemType> ….. </ItemTypes>
Define view to include the display of the decision options as check boxes <Views> <View name=" myApprovalRejectView_TE" width="98%" supportedItemTypes="uwl.task.webflow.TS91100019" columnOrder="attachmentCount, detailIcon, subject, priority, creatorId,
createdDate, rejectCol, approveCol" sortby="priority" selectionMode="SINGLESELECT" tableDesign="STANDARD" visibleRowCount="10" headerVisible="yes" tableNavigationFooterVisible="yes" tableNavigationType="CUSTOMNAV" actionRef=""> <Descriptions default="My Reject Approval_TE"> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description=" My Reject Approval_TE"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> <DisplayAttributes> <DisplayAttribute name="rejectCol" type="checkbox" width="" actionRef="rejected" vAlign="TOP" hAlign="CENTER"> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Reject"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute> <DisplayAttribute name="approveCol" type="checkbox" width="" actionRef="approved" vAlign="TOP" hAlign="CENTER"> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Approve"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute> </DisplayAttributes> …………….other definitions go here <!-- the user decisions are for rendering in the column. Option Approve
and option Reject are both to be handled by the TerminatingEventHandler --> <Actions> <Action name="approved" userDecision="yes"
handler="TerminatingEventHandler"> <Descriptions default="Approve"/> </Action> <Action name="rejected" userDecision="yes" handler="TerminatingEventHandler"> <Descriptions default="Reject"/> </Action> <!-- the following referenced actions are defined in
uwl.standard --> <Action reference="submitUserDecisions" /> …………….other definitions go here </View> </Views>
Save the xml definition and verify the validity in Internet Explorer.
Upload the configuration.
Create a work item of this task for a user, and go to UWL page. A link of the newly defined view My
Reject Approval_TE should be visible. Click on the link and view (depends on your configuration,
with or without custom attributes).
Work Item Completion with Container Update
A special handler in UWL to simply complete the task item and update the Business Workflow
container with the specified data in the configuration file under the <ItemType> section defined for the
item.
No particular prerequisite in Business Workflow required.
The main update is the definition under the itemtype for such task and your customized view (<View>
section).
The following steps describe how to configure the UWL to include options Option1 and Option2 as user
decision and display them as checkboxes in the view. Each option, implicitly, will update the webflow
container accordingly and complete the item of type TS91100019.
Open your existing configuration XML file, or create a new one.
Add a new item type within the <ItemTypes> tag with a unique type name:
<ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.TS91100019" connector="WebFlowConnector"
defaultView="webflowView">
</ItemType>
Map the new type to a backend task id (which is the external type) by specifying the item type criteria
within the <ItemType>:
<ItemTypeCriteria
externalType="TS91100019" connector="WebFlowConnector"/>
Do not specify the systemid attribute.
Specify the action handler for the <ItemType> as 'UpdatingContainerHandler'. <ItemTypes> <ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.TS91100019" connector="WebFlowConnector" …………………………….other definitions go here> <ItemTypeCriteria connector="WebFlowConnector" externalType="TS91100019" /> <Actions> <Action name="option1" userDecision="yes" handler="UpdatingContainerHandler" > <Descriptions default="Option1"/> <Properties> <Property name="param1" value="value1"/> <Property name="param2" value="value2"/> <Property name="param3" value="value3"/> </Properties> </Action> <Action name="option2" userDecision="yes" handler="UpdatingContainerHandler" > <Descriptions default="Option2"/> <Properties> <Property name="param4" value="value4"/> </Properties> </Action> </Actions> …………………………….other definitions go here> </ItemType> ….. </ItemTypes> <Views> <View name=" myCompleteItemView_CU" width="98%" supportedItemTypes="uwl.task.webflow.TS91100019" columnOrder="attachmentCount, detailIcon, subject, priority, creatorId,
createdDate, option1Col, option2Col" sortby="priority" selectionMode="SINGLESELECT" tableDesign="STANDARD" visibleRowCount="10" headerVisible="yes" tableNavigationFooterVisible="yes" tableNavigationType="CUSTOMNAV" actionRef="">
<Descriptions default="My Simple Complete View"> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="My Simple Complete View"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> <DisplayAttributes> <DisplayAttribute name="option1Col" type="checkbox" width="" actionRef="option1" vAlign="TOP" hAlign="CENTER"> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Option1"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute> <DisplayAttribute name="option2Col" type="checkbox" width="" actionRef="option2" vAlign="TOP" hAlign="CENTER"> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Option2"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute> </DisplayAttributes> …………….other definitions go here <!-- the user decisions are for rendering in the column. Option Option1
and option Option2 are both to be handled by the UpdatingContainerHandler -- >
<Actions> <Action name="option1" userDecision="yes" handler="UpdatingContainerHandler" > <Descriptions default="Option1"/> <Properties> <Property name="param1" value="value1"/> <Property name="param2" value="value2"/> <Property name="param3" value="value3"/> </Properties> </Action> <Action name="option2" userDecision="yes" handler="UpdatingContainerHandler" > <Descriptions default="Option2"/> <Properties> <Property name="param4" value="value4"/> </Properties> </Action>
<!-- the following referenced actions are defined in uwl.standard -->
<Action reference="submitUserDecisions" /> <!-other definition goes here -- >
Save the xml definition and verify the validity in Internet Explorer .
Upload the configuration.
After completing the item in UWL, verify the Business Workflow container content in the SAP Business
Workflow that it is updated with the specified values.
Creating Custom ViewsUse
You can create custom views for specific tasks. For example, you want a specific view for the approval of
invoices.
You can also create specific views for user decision. User decision is a type of step in a workflow.
Normally this step gives the user a few options, and the user selects one of the options. User decision
options are available only in the item preview or the item detail windows. You can customize the user
decision to have the choices appear as check boxes in the columns. Additionally, a user can make
multiple choices at the same time and execute all the decisions with one click. For more information
see Using the Universal Worklist .
When a work item is executed, UWL needs to know how to launch the work item. The required
configuration step of registering the work item types enable UWL to detect how the work item should be
launched. You can customize this launch by creating an iView for a specific task.
Note
You could also write a Web Dynpro to execute a work item. Some configurations for launching work item
types require programming expertise.
Process
In order to add custom views you do need to have some knowledge of the backend workflow. You will
want to work with the workflow administrator on the addition of custom views.
1. The first thing you need to know is the exact step from the workflow where the customized view is
required. Workflows are divided into tasks. Each task is one step in the workflow that must be
executed. The task links to SAP functionality. The tasks are stored on the database with
TS########. A task is always represented with the letters TS and a number. The number is unique
to the task. You must know the exact task number that will link to the custom view.
2. Each task links to specific SAP functionality. Normally this link is done via a business object type.
For example, in a workflow about invoices, the object type will be invoice. In a workflow about
materials the object type will be material. For each object type we store attributes, or characteristics
about the object type. Attributes of an invoice could be dollar amount, G/L account, company code.
Attributes of a material could be material type, net weight, material description. These attributes are
the options for customized columns in the UWL view.
3. Once the research regarding the task and attributes is completed, create your XML file (see
example below) and upload the XML file into the Portal. To do this follow the menu path System
Administration System configuration Universal Worklist and Workflow Universal
Worklist Administration .
4. Under Universal Worklist Content Configuration , select Click to administer item types
and view definitions .
5. Choose Upload New Configuration . From here you can upload the XML configuration.
6. Enter a name for your new configuration. The name should be sufficiently descriptive for someone to
know what the XML file contains.
7. Enter the system that should use the XML configuration you are uploading.
For more information, see UWL Content Configuration .
8. Once the upload has completed, you will receive a successful message. If you do not receive a
successful message, you will have an error message providing you with the syntax error in the XML
file. Fix your XML file and upload again.
Note
Syntax errors should be verified against the DTD before uploading.
9. After configuration changes, SAP recommends clearing the persistent cache on the Cache
Administration Page. On this page, choose Clear Cache .Example
First you must know which step you want to be customized. You will need to get with the workflow
administrator to help determine the task for which you need the customized view.
To find the task go into the workflow using transaction code SWDD . WS74500036 can be an example.
Double-click on Approve Notification of Absence , you see task TS74507936. This is the task number
where we want to customize the view in UWL. To create a custom worklist for TS74507936, you will need
to enter TS74507936 in the XML configuration.
If you drill into TS74507936 you will see the definition of the task. You can see this task is based on
object type FORMABSENC. The attributes from the object type are where we get possible columns for
the custom view.
You will need to work with the workflow developer to decide which attributes you want to use in the
customized view.
You need to answer the questions:
What additional columns should appear
What additional data should be there at the bottom portion of the screen
For this example use the attributes DEPARTMENT, FIRSTDAYOFABSENCE, and
LASTDAYOFABSENCE.
For the XML file there are two major components.
1. The Item Type is where we define the specific task we want to link to, we define the business object
type the task is tied to, and we define the attributes we want to use in our view.
2. In the View we define the view name, the columns, the look and feel for the view, and the actions
the user can take on the view.
Important components of the Item Type definition include:
Identifying the exact TS number.
Linking the item type to a custom view (defaultview="myApprovalView").
Linking the attributes to a workflow object type (ABAP_BOR) and to the exact object type
(FORMABSENC).
Identifying each attributes. The attributes DEPARTMENT, LASTDAYOFABSENCE,
FIRSTDAYOFABSENCE, COSTCENTER will show up in the bottom portion of the UWL window at
runtime.
When you define the view there are several important elements:
The view name ( myApprovalView ) should be linked back to the default view given in the Item Type
definition.
The column order includes your custom columns. These must be the same name as the attributes in
the Item Type definition.
Selection mode SINGLESELECT gives you a radio button so user can move the focus to one work
item at a time.
To make new work items appear in bold, enter emphasizedItems="new".
The description of the view is the view name the user will select in the inbox.
Actions define exactly what action a user can take in a view. Common actions include the ability to
personalize the item and refresh. If the work item is to launch an SAP transaction code, you will see the
handler is SAPTransactionLauncher.
For details on other launch handlers see Task Launch Customization .
The following is a complete example of XML for configuring TS74507936. Notice that the task number,
view name, and attributes link the Item Type and the View. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!DOCTYPE UWLConfiguration PUBLIC '-//SAP//UWL1.0//EN' 'uwl_configuration.dtd' [ ]><UWLConfiguration version="1.0"> <ItemTypes> <ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.TS74507936" connector="WebFlowConnector" defaultView="myApprovalView" defaultAction="viewDetail" executionMode="pessimistic"> <CustomAttributes> <CustomAttributeSource id="ABAP_BOR" objectIdHolder="externalObjectId" objectType="FORMABSENC" cacheValidity="final"> <Attribute name="DEPARTMENT" type="string" displayName="Department"/> <Attribute name="LASTDAYOFABSENCE" type="date" displayName="Last day of absence"/> <Attribute name="FIRSTDAYOFABSENCE" type="date" displayName="First day of absence"/> <Attribute name="COSTCENTER" type="string" displayName="Cost Center"/> <ItemTypeCriteria externalType="TS74507936" connector="WebFlowConnector"/> </CustomAttributeSource> </CustomAttributes> </ItemType> </ItemTypes> <Views> <View name="myApprovalView" width="98%" supportedItemTypes="uwl.task.webflow.TS74507936" columnOrder="attachmentCount, detailIcon, subject, createdDate, Department, FIRSTDAYOFABSENCE, LASTDAYOFABSENCE" sortby="createdDate" visibleRowCount="10" headerVisible="yes" selectionMode="SINGLESELECT" tableDesign="STANDARD" tableNavigationFooterVisible="yes" emphasizedItems="new" displayOnlyDefinedAttributes="no"> <Descriptions default="Vacation Requests to Approve"> <ShortDescriptions>
<Description Language="en" Description="Vacation Requests to Approve"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> <DisplayAttributes> <DisplayAttribute name="Department" type="date" width="" sortable="yes" format="medium"> <Descriptions default="Department"> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Department"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute><DisplayAttribute name="FIRSTDAYOFABSENCE" type="date" width="" sortable="yes" format="medium"> <Descriptions default="Vacation begins on"> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Vacation begins on"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute>
<DisplayAttribute name="LASTDAYOFABSENCE" type="date" width="" sortable="yes" format="medium"> <Descriptions default="Vacation Ends On"> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Vacation Ends On"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </DisplayAttribute> </DisplayAttributes> <Actions> <Action reference="refresh" /> <Action reference="removeFromNavigation" /> <Action reference="addToNavigation" /> <Action reference="personalize" /> <Action name="launchSAPAction" handler="SAPTransactionLauncher"> </Action> </Actions> </View> </Views></UWLConfiguration>
Task Launch CustomizationUse
This section describes the procedures for customizing task launch. To support this some background is
provided on how a task is executed, once you select the task subject line on the worklist.Procedure
Prerequisites
You have access to Portal Universal Worklist iView.
You have access to the Universal Worklist Administration iView.
You have implemented an alternative work item visualization and execution (for example, through a
custom iView).
Background
Each task item in the UWL has a specific task item type. The task item type has a default action. The
default action is performed when the user clicks on the subject of the item.
The UWL connects to the registered system and generates item types from the Business Workflow task
definitions. Each system defines a new WebFlow configuration namespace.
When you successfully register a work item type, the XML text that defines the execution of the task is
made available. The item type links the task definition with the item execution by UWL.
More information: Registering Work Item Types
Sample generated ItemType
The following is an example of generated XML text for an item type. This XML defines the execution of
the ItemType by launching an SAP ITS template. <ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.T50012283" connector="WebFlowConnector" defaultView="DefaultView" defaultAction="launchMiniApp" > <ItemTypeCriteria externalType="T50012283" connector="WebFlowConnector"/> <Actions> <Action name="launchMiniApp" handler="SAPMiniAppLauncher"> <Properties> <Property name="Template" value="BWWF_WI_DECI"/> </Properties> <Descriptions default=""> <ShortDescriptions/> </Descriptions> </Action> </Actions></ItemType>
The following table describes the function of the key tags highlighted in the example XML code. These
are the tags that you need to customize.
ItemType defaultActi
on
Refers to an action defined under <Actions>. This action is performed
when the user clicks on the item subject.
ItemTypeCrit
eria
Map the UWL item type to the connector provider for the item type
(Webflow, the connector attribute, contains " WebFlowConnector ")
ItemTypeCrit
eria
systemId The system alias the item type is valid for. If no systemId is specified,
this definition is valid for all systems.
ItemTypeCrit
eria
externalTy
pe
Task Id of a Business Workflow in the specified system. For example the
WebFlow documentation specifies task ids. Task ids uniquely identify
types of work items
Action Handler An action handler implements how an action is executed in detail.
Available launchers:
IViewLauncher launches iViews and portal pages.
SAPAppLauncher launches generic SAP applications based on SAP
integrator templates.
SAPMiniAppLauncher launches an SAP ITS MiniApp.
SAPIACLauncher launches SAP Internet application components,
including ITS MiniApp.
SAPWebDynproLauncherlaunches a Web Dynpro for Java
applications.
SAPWebDynproABAPLauncherlaunches a Web Dynpro for ABAP
applications
SAPTransactionLauncherlaunches an SAP transaction using the
SAP GUI for HTML.
SAPBSPLauncher launches an SAP BSP.
ObjectLinkLauncher evaluates and navigates to the BSP blueprint
display of the underlying object of the item.
ObjectNavigationLauncher launches an iView or a portal page defined
for a business object and a given operation.
URLLauncher launches web locations.
XhandlerLauncher launches execution of items using Launch
Handler or Webservice Handler.
TerminatingEventHandler handles execution of items for which a
workflow with terminating events is defined.
FunctionModuleActionHandlerhandles execution of items for which
a workflow is executed through a given function module.
UpdatingContainerHandlerhandles execution of items that update
the workflow container with the specified values.
UserDecisionHandler handles execution of items of types
UserDecision.
PortalEventLauncher fires portal events.
Action /
Properties
Template Action Properties define specifically supported parameters for the action
handler. For example, theSAPMiniAppLauncher requires a template
parameter that specifies the ITS template to be launched,
"BWWF_WI_DECI " in this sample.
Business Workflow Task Launch Customization Alternatives
There are two basic alternatives to customize task launch for Business Workflow:
SAP Transaction SWFVISU and
UWL item type customization
SAP Transaction SWFVISU
Customization is done in the Business Workflow system where the items originate. This transaction is
available in SAP systems from Release 6.20 Support Package 23. This transaction is documented from
Release 6.40.
Possible customizations are:
BSP BluePrint
BSP Standard
Java WebDynpro
ABAP WebDynpro
iView
Portal page
Object-based navigation
This transaction provides participation in SAP transportation infrastructure.
Steps on how to Configure SWFVISU to Configure Visualization Types:
1. Start transaction SWFVISU. The tables might be empty or contain existing information. There are
two levels to choose from
o Task Visualization - how you want your visualization to be when you execute a task
o Object Visualization - how you would want your object displayed
2. Choose New Entries. Fill out the task id (for Task Visualization) or object type (for Object
Visualization) and select the corresponding visualization type. Hit the 'enter' key to get to another
entry.
3. Highlight the row and choose Visualization Parameter . Add new parameters here.
4. Choose Save .
Caution
If you have changed the entries here, you must re-register the item-types in UWL.
UWL Item Type Customization
With this alternative more customization options are provided. Fine tuning is possible.
This type of customization provides for additional advanced customization (custom attributes, specific
views).
Future transportation support is provided for customization data in Business Packages.
UWL Item Type Customization Steps
The general steps for customization are:
1. Identify the task IDs to customize in the Business Workflow systems. Identify also if these
customizations should be applied for all Business Workflow systems or for a few specific systems.
2. Existing ItemType XML can be viewed as follows:
1. Open the Universal Worklist Content Configuration ( Universal Worklist
Administration Universal Worklist Content Configuration ).
2. Select the option Display or Remove Current configurations and their
Customization (usually the first option), click Start .
3. Select the generated Business Workflow system configuration. For example, for Business
Workflow system with system alias " U9CCLNT800 ", configuration name
is uwl.webflow.U9CCLNT800 .
4. Select Display content as XML .
5. Look for the item type which has the task ID defined
as externalType within ItemTypeCriteria .
Note
You may not find a corresponding item type. All Webflow items, which do not have a specific
execution assigned through their task id, are implicit of type uwl.webflow.default (see
the namespace uwl.webflow). This type uses SAPTransactionLauncher as default
action handler, and launches items using the Business Workflow transaction SWK1 in the SAP
GUI for HTML. You can create a new specific type for the task id, which follows the same
procedure as customize an existing one.
3. Copy the XML for the ItemTypes of interest. Create a UWL configuration XML file, which contains
this item type (and all other item types in the same configuration, which are to be customized).
4. Define how the action handler and its parameters should launch items of that item type. See the
next section for a description of the action handlers available.
5. If you create a new ItemType, an ItemType name has to be specified accordingly.
6. If it is intended that this customization should affect all Business Workflow configurations, remove
any systemspecific information from the XML. So the XML looks like the following with no system
information in the ItemType name and no systemId attribute in the ItemTypeCriteria .7. <ItemType name="uwl.task.webflow.T50012283"
connector="WebFlowConnector" 8. defaultView="DefaultView" defaultAction="LaunchSAPAction" >9. <ItemTypeCriteria externalType="T50012283" 10. connector="WebFlowConnector"/>11. <Actions>12. <!!--- all the customized actions go here -- >.13. </Actions>14. </ItemType>15.
16. Verify that XML file created is a valid XML as follows:
1. Download DTD (Data Type Definition) file. Navigate to Universal Worklist Content
Configuration Display or Remove Current configurations and their
Customization Click Start Download DTD .
2. Refer to the DTD file in the XML file that is created and place DTD file in the same folder as
the XML file created.
3. Open the XML file using Internet Explorer. If XML is valid then it is displayed correctly in the
browser.
17. Upload the customized item type XML using the Universal Worklist Administration iView.
Note
If you want to see the results for items, which have already been cached from backend systems, you
have to clear the entire cache first in the Universal Worklist Cache Admin iView .
You must now start a new session, the results are not visible in the same browser session in which the
upload occurred.
Action HandlersUse
Universal Worklist action handlers enable you to customize how a SAP Business Workflow work item is
launched. They provide actions that can happen for a particular work item.
To perform an action on an item, two things are necessary:
1. Action name and its properties
2. Action handler implementation that takes care of the action
This section describes the different action handlers and actions supported by UWL. UWL ships with a
bunch of predefined actions and action Handlers.
Following action handlers are shipped with UWL:
IViewLauncher
SAPAppLauncher
SAPMiniAppLauncher
SAPIACLauncher
SAPWebDynproLauncher
SAPWebDynproABAPLauncher
SAPTransactionLauncher
SAPBSPLauncher
ObjectLinkLauncher
ObjectNavigationLauncher
UrlLauncher
XhandlerLauncher
TerminatingEventHandler
FunctionModuleActionHandler
UpdatingContainerHandler
UserDecisionHandler
PortalEventLauncher
Static and Dynamic Parameters
Additional custom defined parameters are also supported. They can be static and dynamic, that is,
substituted with an actual value during the run time.
Example of a static parameter: <Action …> <Properties> … <Property name="fruit" value="apple"/> </Properties></Action>
This will append &fruit=apple to the constructed URL.
Dynamic property values should start with "${". These values could come from either the Item or some
common values like user.
${item.attributeName}
${webflowUser}
A back-end user ID corresponding to the logged in portal user if the provider system is an R3 system
AttributeName is case sensitive, and must be either a custom attribute for the item, or one of the following
already defined attributes:
appContext , attachmentCount , completedDate , connectorId , createdDate , creatorId , descr
iption , dueDate ,escalatedBy , executionUrl , expiryDate , externalId , externalObjectId , exter
nalType , forwardedBy , forwardedDate, internalId , isEscalated , itemType , memoCount , par
entItemId , priority , processDueDate , processor , status ,subject , subprocessId , s ubstituted
For , systemId , userId
Note
By default target applications launch in a new window. To launch them in place the following should be
added to the attributes of < Action > node:
<Action . . . launchInNewWindow ="no" …>
To launch actions in a new window and to control the window parameters:
<Action . . . launchInNewWindow ="yes" launchNewWindowName="sub"
launchNewWindowFeatures ="
resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,
directories=no"……>
Or they can be added to the < Properties > of < Action > node:
<Action …>
<Properties>
…..
<Property name="openInNewWindow" value="yes"/>
<Property name="newWindowName" value="sub" />
<Property name="newWindowFeatures"
value="resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,directories=no"/>
</Properties>
To launch an action in a new window with the portal frame use the
attribute launchInNewWindow =" portal ".
iViewLauncherUse
iViewLauncher can be used to launch any iView or a page in the portal.
Provider Specific Information
iViewLauncher is provider agnostic. Items may belong to any connector.
Supported Actions
Action name can be anything.
Properties
iViewLauncher expects one of the following two properties:
iview (mandatory)
The iView ID to be launched.
page (mandatory)
The page ID of the page to be launched.
All other properties will be passed as name=URL encoded value to the target iView. The dynamic
properties can also be passed to an iView via the following property:
iviewDynamicParameter (optional)
Name/value pairs of dynamic parameters to be passed to the iView/page. The expected format
isname1=value1&name2=value2 .Example
Following is the definition of an action that launches an iView with
IDROLES://portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/iViews/myDemoIView : <Action name="launchIView" handler="IViewLauncher"> <Properties> <Property name="iview" value="ROLES://portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/iViews/myDemoIView"/> </Properties> </Action>
Example on how to configure an action to launch a page with
I
DROLES://portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/Pages/com.sap.kmMyInfoDiscussio
ns :
<Action name="launchIView" handler="IViewLauncher"> <Properties> <Property name="page" value=" ROLES://portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/Pages/com.sap.km.MyInfoDiscussions"/> </Properties> </Action>
Details
The following parameters are optionally passed on to the iView, when no parameters are explicitly
defined.
wi_id
Work item ID in the provider system
destination
System alias in the portal system landscape of the provider system
item_id
Internal UWL item ID
task
Provider task item type
uname
Back end user ID for webflow connector, alert connector and generic ABAP connector, otherwise
portal user ID
langu
User language in upper case ISO language code
Example
Example of using dynamic properties: <Action ...> <Properties> ... <Property name="workitemId" value="${item.externalId}"/> <Property name="system" value="${item.systemId}"/></Properties></Action>
This will result in passing workitemId and system parameters to the target page/iView. This is the same
as specifying iviewDynamicParameter property: <Action ...>
<Properties> ... <Property name="iviewDynamicParameter" value="workitemId=${item.externalId}&system=${item.systemId}"/></Properties></Action>
Notes
If the action name is launchIView and the description is empty, a default description is used. If default
description does not exist an action name will be used for the label of an action button. To define a
description add the<Description> node to <Action> : <Action …> ……. <Descriptions default="Launch Demo IView"> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Launch Demo IView"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions> </Action>
The name for the Action can be different from the default name, and then the above logic will be
applied to the label of its action button. This remark is valid for all launch handlers.
The values for iview to launch an iView or for page to launch a portal page should be entered as
following. If the iView or the portal page is not part of the role, then find the corresponding iView or the
page in the Portal Contentcatalog tree hierarchy, look at the Quick Info area for its ID, and enter it
as a value for the iview or page property. For example: <Property name="iview" value="pcd:
portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/iViews/myDemoIView">
To ensure backward compatibility the value pcd: can be omitted: <Property name="iview" value="portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/iViews/myDemoIView">
If the iView or a portal page is part of the role, then the ID is calculated as follows:
"ROLES://" + role id without "pcd:" + folder IDs in the role + iView ID. For example: <Property name="iview" value="ROLES://portal_content/every_user/general/eu_role/com.sap.km.home_ws/com.sap.km.MyInfo/ com.sap.km.MyInfoOverview">
where portal_content/every_user/general/eu_role is the role ID, com.sap.km.home_ws is ID
of Home folder in the role, com.sap.km.MyInfo is ID of My Info folder
and com.sap.km.MyInfoOverview is the ID of Overview iView.
For webflow connector iViewLauncher can be configured on the back end
using SWFVISU transaction. The table below summarizes the mapping between the launcher
parameters and the visualization parameters.
Launcher Parameter Visualization Type Visualization Parameter
page Portal Page ID
iview iView ID
iviewDynamicParameter iView/portal page/portal component DYNPARAM
SAPAppLauncherUse
SAPAppLaucher can be used to launch a generic SAP application based on a SAP integrator template.
Provider specific Information
SAPAppLaucher is provider agnostic. Items may belong to any connector.
Supported Actions
Action name can be anything.
Properties
SAPAppLaucher expects one property:
SAPIntegrator
iView wrapper for the corresponding integrator
All other properties will be passed as name=URL encoded value to the target iView wrapper.Example
Following is the definition of an action that launches an iView wrapper test_webdynpro and passed URL
encodedapple=macintosh as a DynamicParameter . <Action name="launchDemoSAPAction" handler="SAPAppLauncher"> <Properties> <Property name="SAPIntegrator" value="ROLES://portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/iViews/test_webdynpro"/> <Property name="DynamicParameter" value="apple=macintosh"/> </Properties>
</Action>
Details
Dynamic parameters are supported in the same way as for other launchers
(see iViewLauncher ). SAPAppLaunchercan be used to launch any application, based on an existing
integrator template (see Portal Content Templates TemplateiViews ). They include SAP
BSP, SAP IAC, SAP MiniApp, SAP Transaction, SAP Web Dynpro. These applications have their own
launchers, but they can also be launched through SAPAppLauncher .
Following is an example of launching Web Dynpro application using SAPAppLauncher .
1. Create a wrapper iView based on SAP Web Dynpro iView template.
The creating process asks for required parameters like application name
( WebDynproApplication ), namespace ( WebDynproDeployableObject ), and system, which
must be entered and optional parameters that can be entered.
2. Enter the created iView ID as a value for SAPIntegrator property.3. <Action name="launchDemoSAPAction"
handler="SAPAppLauncher">4. <Properties>5. <Property name="SAPIntegrator"
value="ROLES://portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/iViews/test_webdynpro"/>
6. <Property name="DynamicParameter" value="apple=macintosh"/>7. </Properties>8. <Descriptions default="Launch Demo SAP Action (WebDynPro)">9. <ShortDescriptions>10. <Description Language="en" Description="Launch Demo SAP Action
(WebDynPro)"/>11. </ShortDescriptions>12. </Descriptions>13. </Action>14.
Remark: All mandatory and optional parameters entered while creating the iView wrapper can be
overridden in the XML file, for example, overriding the application name: <Action name="launchDemoSAPAction" handler="SAPAppLauncher"> <Properties> <Property name="SAPIntegrator" value="ROLES://portal_content/com.sap.pct/every_user/general/iViews/test_webdynpro"/> <Property name="DynamicParameter" value="apple=macintosh"/> <Property name="WebDynproApplication" value="Editor"/>
</Properties> <Descriptions default="Launch Demo SAP Action (WebDynPro)"> <ShortDescriptions> <Description Language="en" Description="Launch Demo SAP Action (WebDynPro)"/> </ShortDescriptions> </Descriptions></Action>
SAPIACLauncherUse
You can use SAPIACLauncher to launch an SAP Internet application component, including ITS MiniApp.
Provider specific Information
SAPIACLauncher is provider agnostic. Items may belong to any connector.
Supported Actions
Action name can be anything.
Properties
SAPIACLauncher expects one required property:
IAC (mandatory)
An ID of the IAC or a template of the ITS MiniApp
ApplicationParameter (optional)
Application parameters passed to the IAC. Default is URL encoded string ~okcode=cont&wi_id=$
{item.externalId}.
System (optional)
A system alias of the system in the portal system landscape, where to launch the IAC. Default is the
system where the work item originated.
All other properties will be passed as name=URL encoded value to the IAC.Example
Following is the definition of an action that launches a MiniApp BWWF_WI_DECI <Action name="launchMiniApp" handler="SAPIACLauncher"> <Properties> <Property name="IAC" value="BWWF_WI_DECI"/> </Properties> </Action>
Details
If ApplicationParameter is not specified then Parameters passed on to the launched
transaction: wi_id (work item ID in the provider system) and ~okcode=cont