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e-docs > WebLogic Platform > WebLogic Integration > BPM Topics > Using the Studio > Importing and Exporting Workflow Packages

Using the Studio

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Importing and Exporting Workflow Packages

The following sections show you how to import and export workflow packages from and to Java archive files and how to import and export template definitions from and to XML files:

 

About Import/Export

WebLogic Integration provides the capability of exporting and importing workflow objects to and from Java Archive (JAR) files. This capability allows you to export and import templates, template definitions, business operations, business calendars, event key tables, and XML repository items. Organizations, users, and roles cannot be exported or imported.

You can mark exported packages as published packages, which marks their contents as read-only when they are imported. In published templates, new template definitions cannot be created. However, published templates and template definitions may be deleted.

You can also assign password protection to exported packages to prevent them from unauthorized import.

 

Exporting Workflow Packages

To export a workflow package:

  1. Choose Tools—>Export Package to display the Export: Select File dialog box.

    Figure 11-1 Export: Select File Dialog Box


     

  2. Specify the full pathname of the JAR file to which you want to export the package, by doing one of the following:

  3. Click Next.

    If you specified an existing JAR file that is not password protected, the Export: Select Components to Export dialog box is displayed.

    If you specified an existing JAR file that is password protected, the Export: Enter Password dialog box is displayed. Enter the necessary password and click Next to display to display the Export: Select Components to Export dialog box, or click Back to specify an alternate file.

    Figure 11-2 Export: Select Components to Export Dialog Box


     

    Note: If, in the Export: Select File dialog box, you selected an existing JAR file on your system in which to export the package, the items in the tree are prechecked, based on the contents of the selected JAR file.

  4. Specify the components to be exported by selecting or deselecting the appropriate check boxes. The export feature does not enforce template definition integrity so you can deselect any object to exclude it from the exported package.

    Note: If you select a template definition to be exported, any sub-workflows or business operations referenced by the template definition are automatically selected. However, business calendars and XML entities are not automatically selected. Therefore, you must manually select these items if you want them to be included in the exported package.

If you export a template definition that specifies a due date for a task, and the due date is set using a business calendar, be sure to export the calendar along with the template definition.

Similarly, if you export a template definition that uses the XSL Transform action, be sure to export the XML entities in the repository required by the XSL Transform action. The XML entities could be the XSLT template document or the XML input document.

  1. Optionally, select the Published Package check box to make the objects of a published package read-only after they are imported to the target system.

  2. Optionally, select the Password Protect check box to assign a password to the package, and enter the password in the Password and Confirm fields. The user on the target system must specify this password before they can import the package.

  3. Click Export to begin the export. After the export operation is complete, a Review Export Summary report is displayed indicating if the export operation was successful.

  4. Click Close to close the Review Export Summary dialog box.

 

Importing Workflow Packages

If you are importing a template definition from a published package (that is, a package that was previously exported and marked as published), and a template does not exist on the target system, a published template is automatically created. If, however, you are importing a published template definition into an existing template, the existing template must also be published. You cannot import a published template definition into an unpublished template.

Similarly, if you are importing a template definition from an unpublished package and a template does not exist on the target system, an unpublished template is automatically created. To import an unpublished template definition into an existing template, the existing template must also be unpublished. You cannot import an unpublished template definition into an published template.

During the import process, a warning is displayed if you are attempting to import an object with the same name as an object that already exists on your system. You can overwrite templates, business operations, and business calendars. You are not permitted to overwrite template definitions, so multiple copies will be created instead.

After import, you can associate templates with additional organizations by using the Template Properties dialog box and checking additional organizations (see Updating Template Properties for procedures). Do not re-import the same template into additional organizations, as this will simply create multiple template definitions.

To import a workflow package:

  1. Choose Tools—>Import Package to display the Import: Select File dialog box.

    Figure 11-3 Import: Select File Dialog Box


     

  2. Specify the full pathname of the JAR file from which you want to import the package, by doing one of the following:

  3. Click Next.

    If the package you want to import is not password-protected, the Import: Select Components to Import dialog box is displayed.

    If the package you want to import is password-protected, the Import: Enter Password dialog box is displayed. Enter the necessary password and click Next to display the Import: Select Components to Import dialog box.

    Figure 11-4 Import: Select Components to Import Dialog Box

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  4. Clear the check box for any object that you do not want to import.

    Note: If you import a template definition that specifies a due date for a task, and the due date is set using a business calendar, be sure to import the calendar along with the template definition. Similarly, if you import a template definition that uses the XSL Transform action, be sure to import the XML entities in the repository required by the XSL Transform action. The XML entities could be the XSLT template document or the XML input document.

  5. From the Target Organization drop-down menu, select the organization to which the imported template definition should be initially assigned.

  6. Optionally, select the Activate after import check box if you want the imported template definitions to be activated automatically after they are imported. For information on activation, see Updating, Labeling, and Activating a Template Definition.

    Note: If a template definition has unresolved references to objects, it cannot be activated.

  7. Click Import to begin the import operation, or Cancel to cancel the operation.

    After the import operation is complete, a Review Import Summary report is displayed. The report lists all the objects that were imported and any problems that were encountered during the import operation.

    Figure 11-5 Review Import Summary Window


     

  8. Click Close to close the Review Import Summary dialog box, or Back to return to the previous screen.

 

Importing and Exporting Workflow Template Definitions from and to XML Files

For compatibility with earlier versions of WebLogic Process Integrator, you can export a workflow template definition to an XML file on any drive mapped on your computer, and import a workflow template definition (that was previously exported), in XML format, into the Studio to create a new workflow template definition.

Note: If you do not need to maintain compatibility with older versions of WebLogic Process Integrator, we recommend that you take advantage of the Import/Export Package facility described earlier in this section.

Exporting Workflow Template Definitions to XML

To export a workflow template definition:

  1. In the folder tree, right-click the template definition to be exported.

  2. Choose Export from the pop-up menu.The Save dialog box is displayed.

  3. Select the drive and the directory in which you want to save the exported workflow template definition.

  4. Optionally, select or enter a name for the file in the File name field. The default name is the template name.

  5. Click Save to export the template definition, or Cancel to cancel the operation.

Importing Workflow Template Definitions from XML

Workflow template definitions imported from an XML file are always marked as inactive. Before an imported workflow template definition can be instantiated, you must change the definition to active in the Template Definition dialog box. For details, see Updating, Labeling, and Activating a Template Definition.

If a template does not exist, you must create one before you can import a template definition. For details about creating a template, see Creating a Workflow Template.

Note: In some cases, importing workflows may display warning messages. You must define any business operations or event keys that are referenced by imported workflows, and redefine Perform Business Operation or Start Workflow actions contained in imported workflows.

To import a workflow template definition, proceed as follows:

  1. In the Studio folder tree, right-click the workflow template into which you will import the workflow template definition.

    Note: If the template into which you are importing the workflow is named differently from the name of the XML file you are importing, a warning message is displayed.

  2. From the pop-up menu, select Import Template Definition to display the Open dialog box.

  3. In the Open dialog box, select the current location of the XML file on your hard drive, and click Open.

    Note: You cannot import a workflow template definition using a name that is different from the one that it was assigned when it was exported. If you attempt to do so, you will receive a warning message.

  4. After the file is imported, an import confirmation dialog box is displayed that asks you to confirm the import. Click Yes to import the workflow template definition. The template definition is created with the dates and times that were originally specified

 

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