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Author's profile photo Archana Shukla

Initiate your Workflow from SAP Cloud Platform Integration Services

You must have read the blogs on this much-awaited SAP Cloud Platform Workflow Service which has been a new addition to SAP Cloud Platform services.

Among various benefits that this service offers, this blog will cover one of the most requested aspect of how-to-start workflow service from SAP Cloud Platform Integration services. By doing so, we have expanded the use of workflow services such that it can be consumed for building extension scenarios like that of Employee Onboarding inSuccessFactors, Travel Expenses Approval in Concur solutions systems, to name few.

In this blog, you will learn how can you start a workflow using HTTP protocol from your cloud integration flow. In this example, I would be showing you how to start the workflow to onboard a newly hired employee of a company that is using SuccessFactors as their employee on-boarding tool. For sake of simplicity of understanding, I have used only those integration components that are required to start the workflow.

Please note that the workflow used in this example is already designed and deployed in the cloud and this blog will not cover modelling of the workflow.

Let us get started …

  1. Create an Integration Flow in SAP Cloud Integration in Web Application
    https://uacp2.hana.ondemand.com/viewer/368c481cd6954bdfa5d0435479fd4eaf/Cloud/en-US/da53d93cd8fb47ff9ea55b6b278cd85e.html
  2. Model the integration flow as shown in the screenshot
  3. Fill in the properties of various components of the integration flow as shown below.
    • Sender Component: HTTPS

    • Content Modifier

Workflow service requires XSRF token to be generated before the service call is made to create workflow instances. For this, you need a Content Modifier where you will define the headers to fetch the CSRF token

If you have specified any input payload for the workflow service, then you need to collect it for passing it later during starting the workflow service

  1. Once you have modelled the integration flow, Save and Deploy the integration flow to the server
  2. Run the integration flow from POSTMAN or any REST-client of your choice. I will use POSTMAN here to show you the execution results

Wasn’t that simple? Indeed, it is. I have already used it in few extension scenarios for SAP applications and it works seamlessly. Additionally, you can add a timer in this integration flow to automatically start the workflow for any new requests is triggered in the backend system like new employee is onboarded in SuccessFactors or new expenses report created in Concur systems etc.

Use this service to play around for your requirements and share your findings. I will be all happy to help you with your queries, if any.

 

 

 

 

 

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      8 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Anjan Paul
      Anjan Paul

      Very nice documents. Thanks.

       

      Author's profile photo Changlin Ke
      Changlin Ke

      I am using a trial account, I don't find the "Integration Flow in SAP Cloud Integration in Web application".

      Author's profile photo Fabian Lehmann
      Fabian Lehmann

      Hi  Archana,

      your code snippet has two little errors, in opposition to the screenshot:

      1. import com.sap.gateway.ip.core.customedev.util.Message; should be changed to  import com.sap.gateway.ip.core.customdev.util.Message;
      2. Log.error(“cookie”+ bufferedCookie); shoul be changed to  log.error(“cookie”+ bufferedCookie);

      br,

      fabian

       

       

      Author's profile photo Archana Shukla
      Archana Shukla
      Blog Post Author

      Thanks Fabian for the diligent check. Changes are done!

      Author's profile photo RAJESH KATHARE
      RAJESH KATHARE

       

      Hi Archana ,

      The documentation links are broken. Could you please update that or share the correct links in the comment section?

      Regards,

      Rajesh

      Author's profile photo Archana Shukla
      Archana Shukla
      Blog Post Author

      There was a change in API documentation link. Updated in the blog. Thanks!

      Author's profile photo B. Deterd
      B. Deterd

      Are these steps still needed? Including the groovy script?

      Author's profile photo Archana Shukla
      Archana Shukla
      Blog Post Author

      This is more for Neo Workflow where XSRF token have to be preserved and based on session. For CF workflow, this is not needed.