Adding Timeout Paths

A timeout path is used to interrupt an executing process after a certain amount of time has lapsed. Timeout paths can be associated with individual nodes, a group of nodes, or with the process (global). If you add a Timeout path to a start node, the timer starts when the process begins. If you add a Timeout path to any other node, or group of nodes, the timer starts when the process reaches that point of execution.

Creating a Timeout Path

You can associate a timeout path with individual nodes in your business process, with groups of nodes, or with the whole process (global). You create a global timeout path by adding a timeout path to the start node of your process. If you add a Timeout path to a start node, the timer starts when the process begins. If you add a Timeout path to any other node, or group of nodes, the timer starts when the process reaches that point of execution. This section contains the following topics:

To Create a Timeout Path

Select the node or groups of nodes for which you want to create a timeout path. (For information on how to group nodes, see Grouping Nodes in Your Business Process)
Right-click on the node or group of nodes and select Add Timeout Path from the drop-down menu.

A timeout path is added to your node or group of nodes (see Figure 17-1).

Figure 17-1 Timeout Path

Timeout Path

You can rename the path anything you like by double-clicking OnTimeout and entering the new name. You can also change the name in the name field of the Property pane.

To Configure a Timeout Path

Select the Timeout path which you want to configure.

The related properties are displayed in the Properties view. If the Properties view is not visible in BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform, choose WindowShow ViewProperties from the BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform menu bar.

In the Property pane, configure the following properties:

general

name—Enter the name you want displayed in the BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform for this path.
notes—Enter any notes you want associated with this timeout path. These notes can then be accessed through the WebLogic Integration Administration Console.

timeout

after execute—Select the action you want to take place after a timeout path is executed.

skip—Skip the node or group with which the Timeout path is associated. That is, resume execution of the process at the node following the node or group for which the Timeout path is defined.

resume—Resume execution of the process at the node that was executing when the timeout was triggered. The process state returns to that before the On Timeout path executed, and the On Timeout path resets (that is, timeout begins again).

duration—Specify the number of seconds, minutes, days, month, or year that should lapse before the path is triggered. (Expected format is Xs, for example 5s.
exclusive— Block process execution until the handler completes.
retry count—Specify how many times, after the first attempt, the process engine tries to execute the node or group of nodes contained in the path, before the afterExecute path is taken.

Add any business process nodes to the exception path, as required to define the timeout path logic.
To configure the annotations, choose WindowShow ViewAnnotations from the BEA Workshop for WebLogic Platform menu bar. For information on annotations see http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E13214_01/wli/docs92/wli.javadoc/index.html.

Viewing Timeout Paths in the Design View

When you create a timeout path, the following icon appears beside a node (or group of nodes) in the Design view to indicate that an exception path is activated for the specified node:

Table 17-1 Timeout Path
	This icon represents the timeout path in your business process. In this case, the path appears empty, indicating that the logic to execute when a timeout is received is not defined yet. To define the exception handling logic, add business process nodes by dragging the nodes from the Node Palette and dropping them on the timeout path.

You can collapse the view of any timeout pate (or exception handler or message path) by clicking the grey arrow of the exception path icon. The following figure shows the icon associated with your node to indicate a collapsed path.ode

Table 17-2 Collapsed and Expanded
	You can toggle between collapsed and expanded views of paths in the Design view by clicking the path icon.

Guide to Building Business Processes