Monitoring and Editing Processes

This page describes how to monitor, edit, and debug running process instances in the Process Modeler, and how to view process details for a running process.

You may also want to see the following related pages:

• See the Monitor view page for detailed reference information about monitoring the process activity on your system in Appian Designer.
• For guidance on identifying and fixing common process issues, see Troubleshooting Process Models.
• For more details on the types of process errors that you could encounter, see the Process Errors reference page.

What is a process flow?

A process flow is the visual representation of the path that execution takes through a process model. It's composed of flow objects, which are objects that can be added to the sequence of a process model, like connectors, activities, gateways, and other nodes. A process flow tracks which nodes have been completed, which are active, and which are still ahead, giving you a real-time picture of where a process instance stands.

Process flow object status

When in Monitor mode or Edit mode, the process flow objects display with different colored borders, depending on their status.

Format	Status
Blue	Completed flows and flow objects.
Green	Active flow objects.
Red	Paused flow objects.
Red with a slash (Ø) through the object	Flow objects that are canceled by exception.
No color	Flow objects that are not yet activated by the sequence flow.
Diagonal shading	A node that is skipped due to an exception flow.

For example:

In this example:

• The Start Event object shows a completed flow object.
• The Participation object shows an active flow object.
• The Team Information, Script Task, and End Node objects have not yet been activated.

When viewing process models with exception flows, all exception flows appear in red before they have been executed. Upon execution, the flow color changes to purple as shown in the following image:

In this example:

• The Start Event and Participation objects are completed.
• The Team Information node shows a node skipped due to an exception flow.

Monitor mode in the Process Modeler

While viewing a process instance in Monitor mode, you can monitor and administer active flow objects.

View a process in Monitor mode

To access Monitor mode for a process instance:

1. In the navigation pane, click Monitor.
2. Go to the Process Activity tab.
3. Locate the process instance that you want to monitor.
4. Click the Process Name link.
5. The process instance opens in Monitor mode in the Process Modeler. The current status of the flow objects is displayed.

In Monitor mode, the Process Modeler displays only toolbar options that can help you investigate and monitor a process. See the Navigation in the Process Modeler section to learn how to edit the process model while viewing the process instance.

Pause a process

You can pause an active process instance from the Process Modeler in Monitor mode. To pause a process instance, select Modify > Pause Process from the toolbar. This option is only available for active process instances.

When a process instance is paused, the following occurs:

Paused Flow Object	System Behavior
Tasks	Active tasks assigned to a user no longer show up in the user's Tasks list. Tasks show up with the "Paused" status in the All Tasks report. Tasks submitted while the process instance is paused display an error upon submission. Users cannot save tasks related to the process instance. If a user is actively working on a task when a process instance is paused, the user cannot save or submit the task. If the process instance resumes before the user clicks on either save or submit, the user can successfully submit the task.
Message events	Active receive message event nodes do not receive any messages while the process instance is paused, and the messages are not queued. Messages sent after the process instance resumes are received.
Timer events and active nodes	Active timer events and active nodes scheduled to execute while the process instance is paused only execute when the instance is resumed. Active timer event nodes and active nodes configured to recur at a certain interval continue to generate new instances of the activity while the process instance is paused. The instances only execute when the process instance is no longer paused. For example, if you pause a process for 10 minutes, and a node is configured to repeat every 1 minute, if the node is an unattended smart service, the smart service runs 10 times when the process is resumed. If the node is an unattended script task that stores a value into a process variable, the value is written to the process variable 10 times when the process resumes.
Synchronous subprocesses	Active synchronous subprocess nodes with Output Variable mappings write values from the subprocess to the parent process while the parent process is paused. Any subprocesses do not pause with the parent process. The output flow from the subprocess node is only taken when the process resumes. When the output flow of a subprocess node is configured to "keep process variables synchronized across this flow", the synchronization is preserved after the parent process resumes.

Resume a paused process

You can resume a paused process instance from the Process Modeler in Monitor mode. To resume a process instance, select Modify > Resume from the toolbar. The process instance continues execution from where it was paused.

Change process variables

You can change the value of process variables in a process instance. The approach differs based on the type of the variable.

Change system data type variables

To change a process variable of a system data type:

1. From the toolbar, select the Process Model Properties icon to view the process variables.
2. Select a process variable to update it.
3. For a process variable of type multiple, insert the value with a comma separator. For example, to add an array of two values to a process variable of type Text, enter text string 1, text string 2.

Change custom data type variables

To change a custom data type variable, add a script task to your process model that stores the new value into the variable:

1. Edit the process.
2. Drag and drop a script task onto the canvas.
3. Add a node input, and choose the custom data type as its type.
4. Set the new values.
5. Save the node input into the process variable that you want to update.
6. Apply your changes to the process instance.
7. Switch to Monitor mode.
8. Close the tab open in Edit mode.
9. Right-click on the new script task and select Start.

Change encrypted text variables

To change an encrypted text value, use a technique similar to the one for custom data types:

1. Edit the process.
2. Drag and drop a User Input Task onto the canvas.
3. Add a node input of type Encrypted Text.
4. Configure an interface that displays the encrypted text value and saves the updated value back into the node input.
5. Save the node input into the process variable that you want to update.
6. Apply your changes to the process instance.
7. Switch to Monitor mode.
8. Close the tab open in Edit mode.
9. Right-click on the new User Input Task and select Start.

Update a flow object in Monitor mode

A developer has the following options for flow objects when monitoring a process instance.

Pause a flow object

Pausing a flow object stops execution at a single node, unlike pausing a process instance, which stops the entire instance. When you pause a flow object, other active flows in the same process instance continue to execute.

To pause a flow object, right-click an active node (indicated by a green border) and select Pause. The border of the paused node becomes red.

If a flow reaches a paused node and no other flows in the instance are active, the entire process instance pauses. The node must be resumed for the instance to continue.

Start a flow object

You can manually start a flow object in Monitor mode to create a new instance of a node or to resume a node that was canceled by exception. To start a flow object, right-click the node and select Start.

View activated instances

To view activated instances of a node:

1. Right-click the flow object in Monitor mode to see an indicator of how many instances there are.

   

2. Click Instances. The Spawned Nodes dialog displays, detailing each activated instance.

   

3. From the Spawned Nodes dialog, perform the appropriate action, depending on the selected flow object's status:

   Action	Description
   View Node Details	Opens the Properties dialog, which allows a developer to view errors and change task properties, including the assignee, priority, deadline, and escalation settings. When changing the assignment, the Reassign Automatically option removes the current assignment and send the task back to all original assignees. This option is mainly used for tasks that were originally assigned to a group. When setting a new deadline, a future date must be selected. To remove an existing task deadline, clear the Set deadline checkbox. Existing escalations can be skipped or triggered. Skipped escalations are canceled. Triggered escalations are executed immediately, using the configured settings.
   Pause	Allows a developer to pause an active instance.
   Resume	Allows a developer to resume a paused instance.
   Cancel	Allows a developer to cancel active and paused instances or instances with errors. Once a quick task has been activated, it can be disabled or canceled by canceling all the active instances. Appian also cancels any synchronous subprocesses running without autoscale enabled. Any pending tasks associated with those subprocesses are also canceled. These processes are not canceled: Any synchronous subprocesses running with autoscale enabled. Any synchronous processes started with the Start Process smart service. Any pending tasks associated with these processes are also not canceled.
   Trigger Schedule	Allows a developer to trigger the selected node immediately, if it's scheduled to start at a specific time.
   Open Sub-Process Model	Shows the process model triggered by the subprocess node.
   Open Sub-Process	Opens the selected subprocess instance in monitoring mode.

4. Click Close to exit the dialog.

View and complete a form

To view and complete a form, right-click a flow object and select View Form to display the form. Users with the right to do so can complete the form.

Edit mode in the Process Modeler

You can view an active process instance in Edit mode, so you can make structural and configuration changes to the sequence flow.

View a process in Edit mode

To access Edit mode for a process instance:

1. In the navigation pane, click Monitor.
2. Go to the Process Activity tab.
3. Locate the process instance that you want to monitor.
4. Click the Process Name link.
5. The process instance opens in Monitor mode in the Process Modeler. The current status of the flow objects is displayed.
6. Click Edit Process View.
7. The process instance opens in Edit mode in a new tab of the Process Modeler.

In Edit mode, the Process Modeler displays all toolbar options needed to edit a process model.

Edit a running process

You can make structural and configuration changes to a running process instance in Edit mode. Opening a running process for editing pauses the process instance.

When multiple process instances are running at different steps, edits to the process model affect each instance only when it reaches the updated step:

• Completed steps: Instances that have already passed the updated node are not affected by the change.
• Future steps: Instances that have not yet reached the updated node execute the new configuration when they arrive at that step.
• New nodes and connectors: You can add nodes, connectors, and business rules to send instances down a new process flow. Configure these changes using an Exception flow when possible.
• Timer events: Activating a timer event locks in a schedule that cannot be changed in an active process flow. To apply new timer settings, delete and recreate the timer event.

Concurrent process model editing

Only one user can edit a given process instance at a time. Multiple users can edit different running instances of the same process model.

If a user attempts to edit a process instance that another user is already editing, the behavior depends on the user's security permissions:

• User chooses to proceed: The first editor is prevented from making further edits, and the new user takes over.
• User chooses not to proceed: The process instance opens in the Process Modeler in read-only mode.

Save changes to a running process

Once you have made the desired changes, they can be applied to the process instance or saved to the process model. Both options are available under the File menu:

Option	Description
Apply Changes	Changes are only applied to this particular instance of the process. They are not saved for later use. Future executions of the process do not reflect the changes made.
Save New Version	Changes are saved as a minor version update to the latest published version of the process model. Minor version updates must be published before they appear in new instances of the process model. The changes are also applied to this particular instance of the process.

To save a process instance as a new version, you must have the right to save changes in the Process Model Folder where the process model is stored, in addition to administrator access to the instance and editor access to the process model.

Once a process instance is modified, it is validated. Any validation errors are displayed on the Modeler interface. Validation errors must be resolved before changes can be applied to the instance or process model successfully.

Debug mode in the Process Modeler

To iteratively develop and test your process models, you can debug a process instance directly within the Process Modeler.

Running a process in Debug mode starts the process and performs the configured actions in the same manner as if it were started by a user. Any emails or alerts that you configure are sent to the specified users. The process instance is opened in Monitor mode.

Run your process in Debug mode

To run your process in Debug mode:

1. With the process open in the Process Modeler, click File > Save & Publish.
2. Click File > Start Process for Debugging.
3. For each attended node, right-click the node and select View Task Form.
4. Complete the form.
5. Click Submit. Any errors are displayed. If your forms are activity-chained, the subsequent form is displayed. If the activity chain enters a Subprocess node, the subprocess opens in a new tab.
6. View the task form for each attended node in your process.

View process errors in the Process Modeler

While viewing a process instance in the Process Modeler, you can view error messages for any problems that have occurred in the process to assist in debugging.

There are two ways to view the errors that have occurred in a process while in the modeler:

• Double-click the node where the error occurred. The properties dialog of the node includes a tab called Error, which displays the error message.

  If the node was executed multiple times, you can drill down to the error message of an individual instance by right-clicking on the node, selecting the Instances option, and then finding the appropriate instance in the Spawned Nodes dialog.

  

• The Process Details dialog includes a tab called Errors. This view shows any unresolved errors that have occurred in the process. Select the Show resolved errors checkbox to see a full history of errors that have occurred in the process instance.

  

View process details

Once a process is started, process details are available to users with appropriate privileges when monitoring or editing the process instance.

The Process Details dialog serves as an administrative tool for process owners and other actors, who can use it to perform actions that affect the flow of a process. The actions that can be performed through this interface vary according to the security settings a user has for the corresponding process.

To view the Process Details dialog:

1. In the Process Modeler, click the Process Details button in the toolbar. The process details dialog opens, with the tabs described in the following sections.

Process history tab

The History tab allows you to view executed actions associated with the process, as well as the changes made by the process.

Process history data includes the following information:

Property	Description
Date Time	When the action occurred. The process data is sorted by this column in descending order (most recent action is listed on top).
Object	The process node that executed the action.
Action	The action that occurred. For example, Start, Complete, Retry, or Modify Variable.
Actor	The user or system that performed the activity.
Properties	The properties of the action taken, including the type and value of the process variable written by an action. If the variable's type is a record type, fields with changed values are indicated by a yellow arrow icon. Unchanged fields are marked with a gray circle.

For changes to process variables that hold multiple values (or multiple items in a custom data type), only the first 100 items are retained in process history.

Process variables tab

The Variables tab allows you to view and update process variables in the active process instance.

The Variables tab includes the following process variable information:

Property	Description
Name	The process variable name.
Type	The data type of the process variable.
Multiple	Whether or not the variable accepts multiple values.
Value	The current value in the process instance.

To edit a process variable, click the Edit link for the process variable. The Edit Process Variable dialog displays, where you can update the value. Changes are immediately reflected in the process instance.

Update complex data type and encrypted text variables

You cannot edit process variables from the Process Details dialog if they are a complex data type or Encrypted Text type.

To modify the value of a complex data type in a running process, edit the process and add a script task to your process model that stores the new value into the variable.

To modify an encrypted text value, edit the process and add a User Input Task with a form that displays the encrypted text value and saves the updated value back into the process variable.

Process nodes tab

The Process Nodes tab lists each node in a process. If a flow object is executed multiple times, then multiple entries are listed for that object.

By default, this list does not include nodes associated with any subprocesses. You can view the subprocess nodes by selecting the Show nodes from sub-process checkbox. Up to 10 levels of nested nodes are displayed.

Nodes from a subprocess can be distinguished by the Process Id and Process Name columns. All nodes from a subprocess have different identifiers and names than nodes that reside in the parent process.

Each of the nodes is listed in a table that displays the following columns:

Column	Description
Node Name	The name of the node.
Status	The current status of the node.
Owner	The owner of the node.
Priority	The priority of the node.
Time	When the node was started.
Duration	How much time was spent during node execution.
Process Id	The local ID of the process associated with the node.
Process Name	The name of the process associated with the node.

Each node listed on this tab has additional actions available to Managers, Editors, and Administrators of the process. Selecting the checkbox associated with a node displays the actions that are available to the user.

The following options are only available to Process Administrators, System Administrators, and the Administrator account:

• Start
• Pause (only applies to active nodes)
• Cancel (only applies to active nodes)

Current tasks tab

The Current Tasks tab displays all active tasks for the process. To view or complete a task that you have permissions to, click the task name. Depending on permissions, you can also reassign or cancel a task from this tab by selecting the checkbox next to it.

Errors tab

The Errors tab displays all active errors for the given process. Each of the errors is listed in a table that displays the following columns:

• Node Instance
• Error
• Occurred date and time

By default, this list does not include resolved errors and errors associated with any subprocesses. You can view the resolved errors by selecting the Show resolved errors checkbox.

See also: Process Errors

Sub-Processes tab

The Sub-Processes tab displays all subprocesses that have been triggered by the given process. Clicking on a subprocess will open the subprocess in Monitor mode.

See also: Subprocess

Quick Tasks tab

The Quick Tasks tab displays all of the quick tasks that have been activated by the current process. The grid lists the task name, the date and time at which the task was enabled, and the users who have the right to view and complete the quick task.

By default, the tasks displayed within the grid are sorted by Task Name in descending order. You can sort the table by any of the column headers.

To view or complete a quick task, click the task name. After submission of a quick task, a new task instance is automatically generated and listed on the tab.

See also: Creating a Quick Task

Navigation in the Process Modeler

When viewing a process instance in the Process Modeler, you can easily navigate to the process instance's parent instance and its process model or switch between the different modes.

To navigate to the process instance's parent process:

1. Open the File menu.
2. Click Open Parent Process.
3. The process instance's parent opens in a new tab in the Process Modeler in Monitor mode.

To navigate to the process instance's process model:

1. Open the File menu.
2. Click Open Process Model.
3. The process instance's process model opens in a new tab in the Process Modeler.

Switch between Monitor and Edit mode

1. Click the dropdown in the top right of the Process Modeler.
2. Select the mode to switch to, either Monitor or Edit.
3. The process instance opens in the selected mode in a new tab of the Process Modeler.

Once you have completed monitoring or editing a process instance, you can exit the Process Modeler by clicking x on the top-right corner of the tab.

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