1. Developing SOA Applications with Oracle SOA Suite
  2. Using the Human Workflow Service Component
  3. Using Oracle BPM Worklist
  4. Setting Rules
  5. How to Avoid Circular Logic in Reassigned Vacation Rules

How to Avoid Circular Logic in Reassigned Vacation Rules

When creating vacation rules, ensure that approval tasks are not reassigned in a circular fashion.

For example, jstein is jcooper’s manager, and some tasks may need to go to jstein for approval. If jstein creates a vacation rule, ensure that those tasks will not be reassigned to jcooper.

Alternatively, you can use the Delegate option in vacation rules instead of Reassign. For more information, see How To Create User Rules.

How To Avoid Circular Dependency

In this example, we define two rules for User2, who wants to set a vacation period and reassign his tasks to someone else. The first rule states that if the task is not coming from User1, then reassign it to User1. The second rule states that if the task is coming from User1, then reassign it to User3.

The task flow is: jcooper to jstein to wfaulk. The rules are set for jstein.

  1. Log in to Worklist as jstein and go to the Preferences page.
  2. Ensure that the Vacation Period is disabled, as shown below:
    Vacation Period Disabled
  3. Click My Rules and click Add New Rule +.
  4. Enter a name for the rule, for example VacationRule1.
  5. Clear the Use as vacation rule check box.
  6. Check the Execute rule only between these dates check box and enter the appropriate dates.
  7. In the Tasks drop down, choose Tasks matching these conditions.
  8. Click Add condition + and select User, From User.
  9. In the new row, select isn't.
  10. In the text box next to it, enter jcooper for the user name.
  11. In the Action section, select Reassign to and enter jcooper for the user name.
  12. Click Save.
    Repeat the steps above to create another rule with these inputs:
  13. Enter a name for the second rule, for example VacationRule2.
  14. Select the same start and end dates as in VacationRule1.
  15. Add a From User condition of is.
  16. Enter jcooper for the user name.
  17. In the Action section, select Reassign to and enter wfaulk for the user name.
  18. Click Save.
Invoke the composite and the tasks will be assigned as expected based on these two new rules defined for jstein.