Process Route step

The Process Route step allows you to select an execution path dynamically at run time based on some value, such as a document property, data profile, extension value, or trading partner.

note

• Process Route step is part of the Advanced Workflow and is available only in the Professional and Enterprise Editions of Integration. For more information, contact your account representative.

• If a process route step is included in a process then that packaged component cannot be shared with Integration Pack, Process libraries, or Bundles.

The Process Route step can be thought of as combining the functionality of the Route step and multiple Process Call steps, with the added benefit of dynamic resolution at run time. This combination can simplify process design by:

• reducing the number of paths, subprocesses, and steps you have to manage

• providing a single point for managing multiple subprocesses

An additional benefit of the Process Route step is deployment flexibility—the ability to deploy the parent process, the Process Route or Processing Group component, and the subprocesses independently. Because the Process Route or the Processing Group component and its subprocesses are not dependent components, the deployment process might require some additional coordination. At execution, paths are executed according to the order specified in Return Path Execution Sequence field.

Using the Process Route step

If the Process Route step that is routed by a Process Route calls a passthrough process
(Passthrough is turned on in the Process Route component), incoming documents are grouped by process route key. The process associated with that key, as defined in the Process Route component, is called once for all documents that match the key. If the process being called is not a passthrough process, the Process Route step is executed once for each document that reaches it.

The Process Route step that is routed by a Processing Group must call a passthrough process.
Incoming documents are grouped by either partners or documents. If all your trading partners use a standard structure, the routes should be structured on documents. Then, the few partners that do not use a standard document format can call a different process. If the documents do not use a standard structure, the routes should be structured on partners. When the route is structured on partners, individual trading partners can be set to use their own process, and individual Document Standards and Document Types can be set to use other processes instead of the default.

If you want to use process extensions in a process that uses the Process Route step, keep the following in mind:

• Extensions that you define in the parent process are applied only to the parent process.

• Extensions that you define in a subprocess are applied only to that subprocess.

For example, if you use the same Connector component in the parent process and one of the subprocesses, you need to define the extension in both the parent process and the subprocess.

note

Process properties are an exception to this behavior because they have execution scope, meaning that once a property is accessed or set, it remains in effect for the duration of the current process execution. With a Process Route step, once a process property value is accessed or set, all default or extended values for that property in any process or subprocess are ignored. The only way to change that process property is with:

• the Set Properties step

• the Set Process Property map function

• a custom scripting step or custom scripting map function

Process Route step dialog

The Process Route step dialog has the following tabs:

General

1. Enter the Display Name to describe the step. If you do not enter the name, no label appears on the step.

2. Select the Route By if you are routing by Process Route or Processing Group.

   • Process Route - Identifies the process route component that you want to call.
     You can select an existing component or create a new one. You can also open an existing component for editing.
   • Processing Group - Identifies the processing group component that you want to call.
     You can select an existing component or create a new one. You can also open an existing component for editing.

3. Select the Wait for the process to complete option if:

   • selected, the parent process waits for the subprocess to complete before continuing to its next step. If the subprocess fails, the parent process stops.
   • cleared, and if Abort if process fails is selected, the parent process reports any subprocess errors after all subprocesses have executed.
   • the process that is being called is a passthrough process (Data Passthrough is selected in its Start step dialog), this check box is turned on and cannot be turned off.

4. Select the Abort if process fails option if the parent process stops and is marked as failed.

Route Parameters

The Route Parameters tab is only available if Process Route is selected in the Route By field on the General tab.

1. Click the plus icon to open the Parameter Value dialog.

2. Select the parameter type in the Type field and values that are basis for process routing. The parameter values that you specify are combined to become the route key in the Process Route component. Route keys are used to determine which subprocess to call.

For detailed information on creating the Process Route step, refer to the Boomi Community article How to use the Process Route step and component.