Custom Workflows

With the activity templates to change ACL and lifecycle, are those done in workflow? If so, can you explain how? I didn't see them.

Great, so where on the Content Server do I install these custom java classes so that they will work with workflow?

While I appreciate the comments, I don't think anyone else is listening to the question. We are not using Process Builder. We are using the workflow manager. This is what I'm trying to get to work. I've contact EMC about getting process builder, but they have not gotten back to me yet. In the meantime, I need to find a way to make the workflow that we've been using for years on 5.3 work on 6.7.

I found where it goes, though some of the documentation says that location is depricated. When I start the Java Method Server, it says that it gets the class files from the $DOCUMENTUM/dba/java_methods folder, so I placed my class files here. It still doesn't work.

Here's an image of the method

here's a copy of my code....

package com.gdais.custom.Workflow;

/*
*   
* @class name: CMSWorkflow
*    Called by workflow automatic activity.  This class processes the
*    child of the workitem document.  For child components of
*    the mini-build template, promote the lifecycle state, and set permissions
*    according to current state and CMS Workflow requirements. 
*/

import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;

import com.documentum.fc.client.DfClient;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfActivity;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfClient;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfCollection;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfSession;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfSessionManager;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfSysObject;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfVirtualDocument;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfVirtualDocumentNode;
import com.documentum.fc.client.IDfWorkitem;
import com.documentum.fc.common.DfException;
import com.documentum.fc.common.DfId;
import com.documentum.fc.common.DfLogger;
import com.documentum.fc.common.DfLoginInfo;
import com.documentum.fc.common.IDfId;
import com.documentum.fc.common.IDfLoginInfo;
import com.documentum.mthdservlet.IDmMethod;

public class CMSWorkflow implements IDmMethod {
/**
  * @param args
  */
protected IDfSessionManager m_sessionMgr = null;
protected String m_docbase = null;
protected String m_userName = null;
protected String m_workitemId = null;
protected String m_ticket = null;
protected String m_packageID = null;
protected String m_TaskName = null;
private String m_domain = null;

private static final String USER_KEY = "user";
private static final String DOCBASE_KEY = "docbase_name";
private static final String WORKITEM_KEY_2 = "workitemId";
private static final String TICKET_KEY = "ticket";
private static final String WORKITEM_KEY = "packageId";

private IDfId docIdObj; // ID of main document in WF package
private boolean lifeCycleOverride; // always false in this workflow
private boolean lifeCycleTestOnly; // default to false

public void execute(Map params, OutputStream ostream) throws Exception {
  IDfSession session = null;
  IDfId workitemID = null;
  IDfWorkitem workitem = null;
  IDfCollection pkgColl = null;
  lifeCycleOverride = false; // force object promotion
  lifeCycleTestOnly = false; // true to test if object can be promoted

  initWorkflowParams(params); // receive and initialize params
  DfLogger.info("tracing", "STARTING WORKFLOW:", null, null);
  IDfSessionManager sessionManager = login();

  try {
   workitemID = new DfId(m_packageID);
   session = sessionManager.getSession(m_docbase);

   DfLogger.info("tracing", "SESSION ID: "
     + session.getSessionId(), null, null);

   // Get the workitem (task)
   workitem = (IDfWorkitem) session.getObject(workitemID);

   // Acquire the workitem then process the package
   workitem.acquire();

   // This is the partial build (techinfo object)
   pkgColl = workitem.getPackages("");

   if (pkgColl != null) {
    while (pkgColl.next()) {
     IDfActivity m_act = workitem.getActivity();
     m_TaskName = m_act.getObjectName();
     DfLogger.info("tracing", "TASK NAME: "
       + m_TaskName.toString(), null, null);
     int docCount = pkgColl.getValueCount("r_component_id");

     for (int i = 0; i <= (docCount - 1); i++) {
      docIdObj = pkgColl.getRepeatingId("r_component_id", i);
      if (docIdObj != null) {
       DfLogger.info("tracing", "DOCIDOBJ: "
         + docIdObj.getId(), null, null);
       setChildProperties(null, docIdObj, session, ostream);
      }
     }
    }
    pkgColl.close();
   }
   DfLogger.info("tracing", "ENDING WORKFLOW:", null, null);
   workitem.complete();
  } catch (DfException e) {
   ostream.write(e.getMessage().getBytes());
   DfLogger.error("tracing", "Error message : " + e.getMessage(),
     null, null);
   e.printStackTrace(); // spit out to stderr as well
   throw e;
  } finally {
   if (session != null) {
    sessionManager.release(session);
    sessionManager.clearIdentities();
   }
  }
}

// get the 5 WF-related parameters always passed in by Server
protected void initWorkflowParams(Map params) {

  Set keys = params.keySet(); // returns a Set
  Iterator iter = keys.iterator(); // get the iterator
  while (iter.hasNext()) {
   String key = (String) iter.next();
   if ((key == null) || (key.length() == 0)) {
    continue;
   }
   String[] value = (String[]) params.get(key);

   if (key.equalsIgnoreCase(USER_KEY)) {
    m_userName = (value.length > 0) ? value[0] : "";
    DfLogger.info("tracing", "INIT WF PARAM-User Name = : "
      + m_userName, null, null);
   } else if (key.equalsIgnoreCase(DOCBASE_KEY)) {
    m_docbase = (value.length > 0) ? value[0] : "";
    DfLogger.info("tracing", "INIT WF PARAM-Docbase = : "
      + m_docbase, null, null);
   } else if (key.equalsIgnoreCase(WORKITEM_KEY_2)) {
    m_workitemId = (value.length > 0) ? value[0] : "";
    DfLogger.info("tracing", "INIT WF PARAM-Workitem ID = : "
      + m_workitemId, null, null);
   } else if (key.equalsIgnoreCase(WORKITEM_KEY)) {
    m_packageID = (value.length > 0) ? value[0] : "";
    DfLogger.info("tracing", "INIT WF PARAM-Package ID = : "
      + m_packageID, null, null);
   } else if (key.equalsIgnoreCase(TICKET_KEY)) {
    m_ticket = (value.length > 0) ? value[0] : "";
    DfLogger.info("tracing", "INIT WF PARAM-Ticket value = : "
      + m_ticket, null, null);
   }
  }
}

// login and return a session manager interface
protected IDfSessionManager login() throws DfException {
  if (m_docbase == null || m_userName == null || m_ticket == null) {
   return null;
  }

  // now login
  IDfClient dfClient = DfClient.getLocalClient();
  if (dfClient != null) {
   IDfLoginInfo li = new DfLoginInfo();
   li.setUser(m_userName);
   li.setPassword(m_ticket);
   li.setDomain(null);

   IDfSessionManager sessionMgr = dfClient.newSessionManager();
   sessionMgr.setIdentity(m_docbase, li);
   return sessionMgr;
  }
  return null;
}

// This method sets properties of applicable virtual document components.
// Applicable objects
// include those with the MRU_Development lifecycle applied. Recursively
// Walk the VD (minibuild)
// tree and set object permissions and lifecycle states.
private void setChildProperties(IDfVirtualDocumentNode vdNode,
   IDfId docObjID, IDfSession session, OutputStream ostream)
   throws DfException, IOException {
  try {
   if (m_docbase.equalsIgnoreCase("devtest")) {
    m_domain = m_docbase;
   } else if (m_docbase.equalsIgnoreCase("sp23fdcms")) {
    m_domain = m_docbase;
   }
   // get the root object
   if (vdNode == null && docObjID != null) { // for Root node only
    IDfVirtualDocument vDoc = null;
    IDfSysObject m_obj = (IDfSysObject) session.getObject(docObjID);
    if (m_obj != null) {
     // process (vdNode) root node
     vDoc = m_obj.asVirtualDocument("CURRENT", false);
     vdNode = vDoc.getRootNode();
     // DfLogger.info("tracing",
     // "setChildProperties: ROOT OBJ NAME= " +
     // m_obj.getObjectName(),null,null);
    }
   }

   IDfVirtualDocumentNode childNode = null;

   // # of child nodes of current (vdNode) virtual document node
   int childCnt = vdNode.getChildCount();

   // update children objects
   for (int i = 0; i <= (childCnt - 1); i++) {
    childNode = vdNode.getChild(i);
    IDfSysObject m_childObj = childNode.getSelectedObject();
    // String nameOfAcl = m_childObj.getACLName();
    // DfLogger.info("tracing", "ACL NAME: " + nameOfAcl, null,
    // null);

    // Make sure no system objects are processed
    if (m_childObj.getBoolean("a_is_template") == false
      && !(m_childObj.getTypeName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("sp23_system"))) {
     // DfLogger.info("tracing", "OBJECT NOT TEMPLATE: " +
     // m_childObj.getObjectName(), null, null);
     // set permissions on all VD components based on WF activity
     if ((m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("Check_Initial_Data"))
       || (m_TaskName
         .equalsIgnoreCase("DemoteToDocDevelopment"))) {
      // DfLogger.info("tracing",
      //"set permissions to content developer: ", null,null);
      // set permissions to content developer if needed
      // aclContDev = dm_450038b280000901_80000500 in devtest
      // repository
      if (m_childObj.getACLName() != "aclContDev") {
       m_childObj
         .setACLName("aclContDev");
       m_childObj.setACLDomain(m_domain);
       m_childObj.save();
      }
     } else if (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToPVAL")) {
      // set permissions to content manager if needed
      // aclContMngr = dm_450038b280000902_80000500 in devtest
      // repository
      if (m_childObj.getACLName() != "aclContMngr") {
       m_childObj
         .setACLName("aclContMngr");
       m_childObj.setACLDomain(m_domain);
       m_childObj.save();
      }
     } else {
      // DfLogger.info("tracing","setChildProperties:TASK: " +
      // m_TaskName,null,null);
     }

     // Process IETM content objects
     if (m_childObj.getPolicyName().equalsIgnoreCase(
       "MRU_development")) {
      if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName().equalsIgnoreCase("Doc_Development")
        && m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToPeerReview")) {
       // Lifecycle state
       // Doc Development => Peer Review
       m_childObj.promote("PEER_REVIEW", lifeCycleOverride, lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.save();
       // DfLogger.info("tracing",
       // "DocDevelopment --> Peer_Review: " +
       // m_childObj.getObjectName(),null,null);
      }
      // The workflow templates allow reject/demote when an
      // object meets lifecycle states =
      // PVAL, PMO, Verification, or External_Review for the
      // procedural workflow.
      // Less PVAL, Verification, and External_Review for
      // descriptive workflow.
      else if (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("DemoteToDocDevelopment")) {
      
      } else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("PEER_REVIEW")
        && (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToPVAL"))) {
       // Peer Review to PVAL
       // lifeCycleState = "PVAL";
       m_childObj.promote("PVAL", lifeCycleOverride,
         lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.save();
      } else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("PEER_REVIEW")
        && (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToPMO"))) {
       // Descriptive Path, will skip over PVAL and go to
       //PMO as it's supposed to do
       // PEER_REVIEW --> PMO
       // lifeCycleState = PMO;
       m_childObj.promote("PMO", lifeCycleOverride,
         lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.save();
      } else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("PVAL")
        && (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToPMO"))) {
       // PVAL --> PMO
       // lifeCycleState = PMO;
       m_childObj.promote("PMO", lifeCycleOverride,
         lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.save();
      } else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("PMO")
        && (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToVerification"))) {
       // PMO => Verification
       // lifeCycleState = Verification
       m_childObj.promote("VERIFICATION", lifeCycleOverride, lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.save();
      } else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("PMO")
        && (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToPA"))) {
       // Descriptive Path, will skip over Verification and External Review
       // and go to PA as it's supposed to do
       // PEER_REVIEW --> PA
       // lifeCycleState = PA
       m_childObj.promote("PA", lifeCycleOverride, lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.save();
      } else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("Verification")
        && (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToExternalReview"))) {
       // Verification => External
       m_childObj.promote("EXTERNAL_REVIEW",
         lifeCycleOverride, lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.save();
      } else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("External_Review")
        && (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToPA"))) {
       // External => PA
       m_childObj.promote("PA", lifeCycleOverride, lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.save();
      }
      else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("PA")
        && (m_TaskName.equalsIgnoreCase("PromoteToDevComplete"))) {
       // External => PA
       m_childObj.promote("DEVELOPMENT_COMPLETE", lifeCycleOverride, lifeCycleTestOnly);
       m_childObj.mark("DEVELOPMENT_COMPLETE");
       m_childObj.save();
       DfLogger.info("tracing", "setChildProperties:new state = DEVELOPMENT_COMPLETE: "
           + m_childObj.getObjectName(), null, null);
      }
      // SHOULD NEVER PROCESS FROM THIS STATE
      else if (m_childObj.getCurrentStateName()
        .equalsIgnoreCase("DEVELOPMENT_COMPLETE"))
       // "DEVELOPMENT COMPLETE" )
      {
       DfLogger.info("tracing",
         "setChildProperties:Object already DEVELOPMENT_COMPLETE: "
           + m_childObj.getObjectName(), null,
         null);
      } else // just log that this object is not processed
      {
       // String LogMsg = "\nChild object " +
       // m_childObj.getObjectName()
       // +
       // " does not meet the lifecycle state for activity!"
       // + m_TaskName;
       // DfLogger.info("tracing",LogMsg ,null,null);
      }
     } // if not a template, set object attributes
    } // lifecycle correct?

    // recurse through children of current child node
    if (childNode.isVirtualDocument()) {
     // DfLogger.info("tracing",
     // "setChildProperties: Process Next Component: "
     // +
     // childNode.getProperties().getString("object_name"),null,
     // null);
     // Recurse through document
     setChildProperties(childNode, null, session, ostream);
    } else // not a virtual document node
    {
     String DbgMsg = childNode.getProperties().getString(
       "object_name")
       + " IS LEAF NODE!";
     DfLogger.info("tracing", DbgMsg, null, null);
    }
   } // for each child node
  } // try
  catch (Exception e) {
   if (e instanceof DfException) {
    String exceptionTrace = ((DfException) e)
      .getStackTraceAsString();
    DfLogger.info("tracing", exceptionTrace, null, null);
    ostream.write(exceptionTrace.getBytes());
   } else {
    DfLogger.info("tracing", e.getMessage(), null, null);
    e.printStackTrace();
   }
  } // catch
}// setChildProperties
} // class

and this is the error I'm getting on the Content Server when I run the

startMethodServer.sh and leave it running...after it runs completely and I get the message that says it's started, I try to start a workflow, here is the message that shows up on the Content Server...

Java class must implement IDmMethod interface or have a main() method.

As you can clearly see from above my class does implement IDmMethod...any ideas?

Message was edited by: Joe_Chorba

No, I got this error from the startMethodServer.sh script that is run from the Content Server. When you start this script it doesn't close, and when I start a workflow this error pops up and continues to popup. It's on a loop.

I contacted EMC Support for help and here is what I received from them. Once I try this and see if it works I'll let you all know how it went.

To summarize here is action plan since you don’t have license to PE which handles workflow method.

1). Revert change on your  dm_method to use standard doMethod by blanking out the a_special_app attribute. This attribute should not be set to ‘workflow’ if you don’t have PE server side installed.

2). Then repackage your classes into a jar and place inside:

$DOCUMENTUM_SHARED/jboss5.1.0/server/DctmServer_MethodServer/deploy/ServerApps.ear/DmMethods.war/WEB-INF/lib/

Please check to make sure your com.gdais.custom.Workflow folder structure don’t exists anywhere else, if they do, please delete the com/ folder structure. You should not be placing class file inside dba/java_method folder anymore as it’s deprecated.