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About system maps

All workflow definitions include several FileNet-supplied system maps: Workflow, Terminate, and Malfunction. The Process Engine system software executes the system maps as needed during the course of standard or exception processing. Note that there is not a single version of each system map which is shared by all workflow definitions—instead, each workflow definition has its own copies of the system maps.

The Workflow system map

The main map in each workflow definition is named Workflow. When a workflow is launched, processing begins with the execution of the Workflow map contained in the work item's workflow definition. By default, the Workflow system map includes only a Launch step. Within every workflow definition, you should place all the steps or the primary sequence of steps (if you are using submaps) on the Workflow map. When you create or open a workflow definition, Process Designer automatically starts with the Workflow map displayed.

The Terminate and Malfunction system maps

In general, there is no need to be aware of these system maps. The default Terminate and Malfunction maps are not represented graphically in Process Designer. However, if you would like to alter the processing defined on either map to meet your system's specific requirements, you can do so by creating a submap in your workflow definition with the same name as the system map you want to override.

CAUTION Use care when overriding these system maps. The conditions under which the Process Engine system software executes the system maps do not change even if you override these maps. Fundamentally changing the definition of a system map can cause unexpected results in subsequent processing. For example, if you modify the Terminate system map to send work items to a work queue rather than removing them, you will have deleted the primary mechanism for removing completed work items from the system.

Following are overviews of the Terminate and Malfunction system maps.

Terminate This map is called automatically at the end of the Workflow map (see Note below for the exception to this rule). By default, the Terminate map has no steps; it simply removes the work item from the system. You can manually execute the Terminate map via the Terminate system function, the terminatewob command in vwtool, or the Terminate command in Process Administrator.

NOTE The Terminate system map executes when a parent work item terminates. When a child work item reaches the end of its Workflow map, the work item is automatically removed from the system, but the Terminate system map is not called. Within a running workflow, a child work item is created for each participant in a multi-participant step and for each route taken simultaneously from a step that has multiple outgoing routes.

Malfunction This map executes when an error occurs during workflow execution. The Process Engine system software calls Malfunction for specific errors such as dividing by zero, invalid date/time mask, or invalid participant. In addition, a software developer can define a custom step processor or other application to call the Malfunction system map when specific errors occur. By default, the Malfunction map moves the work item to the Conductor system queue.

Note that the Process Engine system software disables all timers for the work item when it executes the Malfunction system map.

TIP While you cannot alter the circumstances under which the Process Engine system software executes the Malfunction system map, you can create your own exception-handling workflow maps and call them as needed within your business process. For example, in the code for a custom step processor, a software developer can include a call to execute a user-defined map if a certain error occurs when the step processor is running.