Defining Workflows

A workflow is a digitized process where a logical series of steps define the path followed by a package. Workflow steps can range from reviews and approvals to performing the actual migration.

When defining a deployment workflow, you must first determine the intent of the business process the deployment workflow will follow. For example:

• Are you designing a simple migration of a file from one environment to another environment with little oversight or supervision?

• Are you designing a business-wide deployment process with a great deal of oversight and supervision?

After you understand the intent of the business process, you can then begin to define the deployment workflow itself. The following lists the basic components of a workflow:

• Workflow steps. Workflow steps are the events (steps) of the process (workflow) that start your business process. Workflow steps are where decisions are made and actions are taken. The following lists the different types of workflow steps:

  • Decision steps: Require an external process to decide their outcome.

  • Execution steps: Perform actual work or actions.

  • Condition steps: Logic steps used for complex workflow processing.

  • Subworkflows steps: Represent multiple workflow steps that follow a consistent pattern.

• Transitions between workflow steps: Represent the outcome of one workflow step that leads to the next workflow step. Workflow steps can have more than one transition.

• Security: Determines who can access a workflow step. Each workflow step includes a list of who can access a workflow step, who can approve a workflow step, whether only one user can approve the workflow step, if several users can approve the workflow step, and whether multiple users must approve the workflow step.

• Notification: Determines who hears about the workflow step. Each workflow step includes a list of who will be notified about the workflow step and when the notification will occur.