Define General Properties for a Stage

In the General tab, you can edit the stage name and provide a helpful description about the stage. In addition, you can also enable markers for the stage.
Description of dp-stage-prop.png follows
Description of the illustration dp-stage-prop.png

Enabling Markers for a Stage

Using markers, you can control transitions of a stage between states. In addition, you can also specify if the execution of a stage is mandatory for the process to complete or if the execution must be repeated under certain conditions.

Select a marker’s check box to enable it. When a marker is enabled, a corresponding decorator appears on the stage.

When you enable a marker without conditions, it applies to a stage by default. However, you can also enable markers based on data conditions defined using process variables, decision models, or REST connectors. To enable a marker based on data conditions:

Select the marker’s check box.
Click Edit Property next to the marker.
In the resulting pane, click Create Data Condition to create a new condition. The marker is enabled for the stage only when this condition is satisfied.

In the Create Data Condition dialog box, choose one of the available condition types.
- Simple: Select to define a simple condition based on a process variable’s value in the payload.
- Decision: Select to define a condition based on a decision model. Choose the decision model and the service you want to use (only the models for which you’ve created a connector within the application show up in the drop-down menu), specify the process variable you want to pass as input to the model, and, finally, define a condition using the model’s output (body.interpretation) or problems array (body.problems). See Configure a Decision Sentry in a Dynamic Process.
- REST: Select to define a condition based on a REST connector. You can also use OIC integrations of the type REST to define conditions.
  Specify the integration you want to use in the Integration field. If you choose a REST connector defined within the process application (that is, a native connector), specify a resource and an operation for it too. Map a process variable as input to the connector’s request body or parameter, and then define a condition using the connector’s response body.
The following figure shows an example decision condition defined:

Description of the illustration dmn-rest-sentries.png
Click Save to close the pane.

Note:

In Decision and REST condition types, you can create multiple data triggers and form a logical expression using AND or OR operators. Click the drop-down arrow to switch between operators.

Markers and state transitions of a stage are interlinked. To know how markers effect various transitions, see About Process and Plan Item Lifecycles. The following table lists all markers available for a stage:

Marker	Description
Repeatable	Enable the Repeatable marker to repeatedly execute an entire stage. If this marker is enabled with no data condition, a new instance of the stage is created each time the execution of the stage is complete. If this marker is enabled with a data condition, a new instance of the stage is created only when the data condition is fulfilled and the stage instance transitions away from the Available state into the next state.
Required	Enable this marker to make execution of a stage obligatory for the process to complete.
Manually Activated	Enable the Manually Activated marker if you require a stage to be started by a process participant. If this marker is enabled, the stage transitions from Available to Enabled (after fulfilling enablement conditions if any). From here, a process participant can move the stage into Active or Disabled states. If this marker is disabled, the stage automatically transitions from Available to Active (after fulfilling activation conditions if any). To define enablement or activation conditions for a stage, see Define Conditions for a Stage.
Auto Complete	If the Auto Complete marker is enabled, a stage is automatically marked Complete if none of the activities within it are in the Active state and all required activities are Completed, Terminated, or Disabled. If the Auto Complete marker is disabled, a stage is marked Complete only if all activities are Completed, Terminated, or Disabled. When this marker is disabled, you can also manually complete a stage if none of the activities is in the Active state, and all required activities are Completed, Terminated, or Disabled. Note: For a new stage, the Auto Complete marker is enabled by default.