Workflow Manager 2019 Release

[kmantagi]

Up until now, the ability to make modifications to Workflow Templates was limited in Workflow Manager and this has been a bottleneck for many of our customers. Workflow Manager 2019 is going to change all of that. With WFM 2019, you will now be able to make any kind of modifications to the current templates and the best of all is that these changes will be synced down automatically to the in-progress Workflow requests just by click of a button.

For more details, please refer the Release Notes for Workflow Manager 2019 here.

[adam_becker]

Is that hyperbole to be able to make any change? There are clearly restrictions in the section you have linked to. I'll have to install this and give it a go.

Is there a more plain explanation of what can and can't be changed? I'm not entirely sure I understand how to read that grid. Why specifically are radio buttons used for branching restricted? Not sure I have any, but a very interesting thing to leave out.

Is there a list of the improvements made? In previous releases it was relatively straightforward to add data elements as long as they had no part in branching or conditions. It simply did nothing to update in progress workflows, so that is a vast improvement.

I see many mentions of adding things, but I am guessing removal of anything with logic is still not supported?

[chiranjeevi]

Workflow Manager 2019 includes a new feature to Edit a template and update those changes in In-Progress Workflow requests.

As mentioned in the below helpnet link

https://helpnet.flexerasoftware.com/workflowmanager2019/default.htm#helplibrary/WFMEditingInUseTemplate.htm

The restrictions mentioned in the documentation are helpful in avoiding the impacts of modifying such details in the template, which may lead to breakages in the In-Progress workflows.

When you are in Template Details page:

As mentioned in the grid ‘Updating an In-Use Template’

Under Templates Tab

Permitted to Add column has No in the grid, which means there is no Add button so nothing can be added.

Permitted to Change column has

Name text field

Folder text field

Status combo box

Global Template check box

Which means you can modify Name, Folder, Status, Global Template properties part of Editing the template.

Not Permitted to Change column has

Template type combo box  

Which means you can’t change the value of Template Type as there is no such property.

Please note that the text field, combo box, and checkbox mentioned in the grid beside the property names are just to specify the type of the field. This is nothing to do with restricting those fields to choose only such data types in conditional branching.

Likewise, the other columns are mentioned with such details.

[adam_becker]

That is probably more confusing then it needs to be. You shouldn't be listing the data type of the options, but just the option name.

If I am interpreting it correctly, then the primary reason we wanted this modification made hasn't been achieved. Still basically impossible to change the logic of a template with active workflows?

Nice that previous workflows can be subjected to the same modifications that new ones could also be subjected to previously. At least that appears to be the conclusion I can see.

[chiranjeevi]

There is a video tutorial available to demonstrate the Workflow Manager 2019 new features.

Here is the link: https://learn.flexera.com/series/tech-operations-with-adminstudio/whats-new-in-recent-releases-of-adminstudio

Note: In order to access the link you need to be a registered Flexera Community user and once you land in the page click on 'Register for free' button to access the tutorials available.