10.1.6.2

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Migrate packages of Tasks and Business Processes

You can create a package with a business process or task and import it from one WorkFusion environment to another (for example, from DEV to UAT or PROD). Let’s assume the source is a DEV environment and the destination is a UAT environment.

A package is a ZIP archive that contains:

  • an XML file with Task or business process export information (design, settings)
  • all Data Stores that are used in task or business process steps
  • meta-information
caution

To view, import, and export packages, you must have the Import/Export permission.

Prerequisites

WorkFusion Intelligent Automation Cloud executes multiple Business Processes (BPs) created by the third parties. During upgrade from one Intelligent Automation Cloud version to another, it is important to make sure all BPs are still working.

Parts of BPs are migrated automatically by WorkFusion's embedded tooling. However, in the instances where it's not possible to do it automatically, refer to the applicable migration guide for your version of WorkFusion Intelligent Automation Cloud.

note

Make sure you reviewed and applied notes for all Intelligent Automation Cloud versions between source and target version. Deprecation notes (if there any) should also be taken into account too. For more details, see the Release Notes section.

Configure Bot Config Bundle

Skip this step if no BCB is used for the business process.

Bot Config Bundle (BCB) configuration—source code located in Java project—should be deployed to GIT/SVN.

  1. Use the Maven command to deploy the latest code to the DEV environment:

    mvn clean package deploy

  2. Update BCB from Control Tower: Advanced > Bot Configurations > Import from Repository.

AutoML Use Case

important

Skip this step if no automation is applied to manual tasks.

If automation is applied to manual tasks, you should apply AutoML Automation Use Case to existing business process.

If the latest version of business process contains AutoML Use Case, perform the following steps.

  1. Create a new business process copy with the new name/version.
  2. Replace all AutoML Use Cases with appropriate manual tasks.
  3. Save business process without any AutoML Use Cases inside.

If any manual task contains AutoML settings, automation can be applied on the destination environment for already imported business process.

Custom AutoML Use Case

If AutoML Use Case is a custom one and has completed changes in the source environment, do as follows.

  1. Create a new business process using an AutoML Use Case template in the Cognitive Bot Use Cases section.

  2. Open Workflow for this business process.

  3. Drag and drop the original manual task from the left pane to replace the empty task with it.

  4. Save the business process. There should be no validation errors.

  5. Prepare the package for export to the destination environment.

  6. Import the package to the destination environment.

  7. Open the imported business process and select the Workflow diagram.

  8. Replace the manual task inside it with an empty manual task.

  9. Save the business process.

  10. Create a new Auto ML Use Case from System Settings > Use Cases > the Business Process tab.

To avoid conflicts during import/export, create a new version/name for the source business process.

Copy ML artifacts

If business process has a Machine Learning model linked to the manual task, migrate a binary model and a pre-trained model. For more details, see Migrate trained model.

Migration is required for each model linked to the manual task.

Create package

  1. Go to Business Processes (or Tasks) > View All. Select a business process and select the Packages tab.

  2. Click on the New Package button.

  3. Enter a meaningful Name and Description for the package.

  4. Choose Data Stores to include in the package by ticking the appropriate checkboxes. The list contains all Data Stores used in business process tasks (manual or bot). You can uncheck a Data Store if you are sure that the target WorkFusion environment contains one with the same name and appropriate data.

  5. (Optional) Choose the Target Version for the current package. The feature helps to move processes from instances with older WorkFusion version installed to new instances and vice versa.

    note

    Migration of packages is supported between any 10.x versions, as there is no real difference between 10.x versions in terms of the BP package format. In IA Cloud Enterprise v.10.1.6.1, the Target version dropdown is enabled for you to select the needed version.

    caution

    Mind that you cannot migrate 10.x BP packages to 9.x versions.

  6. Click on the Save button.

Download package

To download a package to your local machine, click on the Download button in the Actions grid column.

As a result, the package will be downloaded as a .zip file.

You can delete a package if it is not needed anymore. For that, click the arrow icon near the Download button and select Delete.

Import package

warning

It is strongly recommended not to update or import the same Business Process during the execution of its instances as it can cause undesired effects or warnings.

  1. Log in to the target WorkFusion environment (for example, PROD or UAT).

  2. Go to Business Processes (Tasks) and click Import Package in the top right corner.

  3. Upload the package .zip archive downloaded from the source environment and click the on Preview Package button.

  4. In the Package Import window, resolve all possible conflicts if needed.

    You can see the following warnings:

    1. "<N> business processes of version <date> are active" – you need to decide whether you want to overwrite active processes or not. You can optionally pause or stop active processes.

    2. "The package was exported from WF version <XXX>. This environment has WF version (YYY)" – import can potentially cause some issues. You should check its results in the generated log file.

AutoML conflicts

If the Machine Learning model (same name, model version, and trained model id) from the package is not available on your production environment, you will get one of the following errors.

note

The "Trained model ID is not available" error message is displayed only if the model version is correct.

You have to acknowledge that AutoML configuration will not be set to import your package.

If you are importing the same package more than once, you need to create a new version or overwrite a particular version of this task (business process). When overwriting an existing process version, you can have a diff view for the process structure and each process step. This function can help make a decision on whether to rewrite a process or not.

After applying overwrite in import, the following changes are applied:

  • Completed tasks and processes will have an old version
  • Draft tasks and processes will have a new version
  • Processing tasks and processes without significant changes (steps added, deleted, or substituted with other steps) will have a new version
  • Schedules are switched to a new version

If the imported and existing process versions have significant differences (steps added, deleted, or substituted with other steps), you will need a special Advanced Package Import permission to make such potentially dangerous overwrite. See the Role Management topic.

Expand to learn more

This import type can be required when there is a need to update active process runs, avoid schedule re-creation, or re-use already configured <start-task> plugins (by UUID).

When importing a package with a modified process structure, the following notifications are shown:

  • amount of added/removed process steps and rules
  • amount of active process runs

When you overwrite an active process run, its result data can be inconsistent because of added/removed/changed steps and rules.

If your package contains Data Stores and/or included Bot Configs, you can get the following Resolve Import Conflict section(s).

  1. Choose one of the options (Replace, Keep, or Rename) for each conflict section.

    1. Data Stores are compared by structure and number of records.
    2. For included bot configs, you can toggle a diff view.

  2. When all import conflicts are resolved, click on the Import Package button in the bottom left corner.

  3. If the package has been successfully imported, you will see the import result message.

    1. You can download a detailed import report by clicking on the View import log file link. This log can be useful in case some issues are found after import.
    2. When a package has been imported, WorkFusion checks its structure and displays useful notes and action items to be done before running the imported Task or Process (for example, "Define global variables").

  4. View the imported business process (Task) or navigate elsewhere using the main menu.

The imported business process or task will create a Run in a Draft state.

When a new version of a task is imported to a target WorkFusion environment, Automation settings and Workforce parameters will be copied from the previous version that already exists on this environment.

Apply ML model

If a business process was copied with the AutoML Use Case and model, follow these steps to apply AutoML settings: Model retraining.

Import BCB project

If a source business process was developed using the BCB project, deploy and import it according to this section: BCB Configuration.

Create a new business process copy with the same name to update all BCB configs, if the BCB is used for business process.

Machine configs from BCB that are used as steps in the business process are not replaced by import, instead, they are skipped, and the warning is added in the audit log of business process import: "WARNING: Machine config from BCB with inclusion code '%s' and name '%s' already exist, it will not be rewritten".

For machine configs from BCB used as included configs, the import will show three options to resolve:

  • Replace - contents of the included config will be replaced with contents from the imported package
  • Skip - contents of the included config will be skipped
  • Rename - not recommended option, will create a new machine config with the specified name and autogenerated inclusion code, but it wouldn't be used in any business process after import
note

Manually created machine configs are replaced as before.

Version labels

Let's assume that you have a business process and:

  1. created the first package for this business process and imported this package to the PROD environment;
  2. edited the business process and saved it;
  3. created the second package for this business process and imported this package to the PROD environment.

As a result, each new imported package creates a business process or task run that is automatically labeled by a timestamp.

The latest version is marked with green color, other versions have grey color.

The following task and business process settings are NOT included in a package:

  • Workforce for each manual task (when importing, these settings will be taken from target instance defaults)
  • Global variable values (when importing, respective columns are created in the Global Variables Data Store, but with empty values)
  • Bonus Rules
  • Custom Attributes
  • Priority
  • Permanent open tasks
  • Forcefully complete option
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