Workflow interview questions and answers -1

1. What is workflow and what are the benefits of using Oracle workflow?

     Oracle workflow is a graphical tool that allows you to create, track and modify business process, embedded in the oracle database server,
    it can monitor the workflow activity statuses.

Benefits:

1)      Create a clear business process definition

2)      Automate the business routings

3)      Monitor the process

4)      Allow users to define their own business process to suit their organization needs.

5)      Readily change the business process definitions in case of a change business process



2.what are the steps involved in oracle workflow?

 design & create a Workflow using Oracle Workflow Builder
 start the Oracle Workflow process from pl/sql
 integrate Oracle Workflow with pl/sql for validation and DML etc.
 build Oracle Workflow Notifications
 attach roles/people to notifications in Oracle Workflow


3.  How do you send a particular Oracle Apps Workflow Activity/Function within a workflow process into background mode?.
    If cost of the workflow activity is greater than 50, then the workflow activity will be processed in background mode only,
    and it won't be processed in online mode.

4. What are the various ways to kick-off a workflow?
    You can eiter use wf_engine.start_process or
    you can attach a runnable process such that it subscribes to a workflow event.

5. When starting (kicking off) an oracle workflow process, how do you ensure that it happens in a background mode?

   a)if initiating the process using start_process, do the below

    wf_engine.threshold := -1;
    wf_engine.createprocess(l_itemtype,l_itemkey,'<YOUR PROCESS NAME>');
    wf_engine.startprocess(l_itemtype, l_itemkey)

   B) When initiating the workflow process through an event subscription,
    set the Execution Condition Phase to be equal to or above 100 for it to be executed by background process.


6. Give me one example where apps uses partitioning in Oracle workflow?
    WF_LOCAL_ROLES


7. Can you send blob attachments via workflow notifications?
    Yes, you can send BLOB Attachments.

 
8.    When will an activity be deferred in Oracle workflow?
    
    Activity cost > Workflow Engine threshold

      activity is deferred when the activity cost is greater than the Workflow Engine threshold.
    If the activity cost = 0 or if the activity cost is less than the Workflow Engine threshold, the activity will become Active.



9.      What is the primary purpose of a oracle workflow?

    Routes information, Sends notifications, Defines process rules
       
    The primary purposes of a workflow are to route information, send notification, and define process rule.
     Although some history is maintained automatically by Oracle Workflow, it will not be considered as creating audit trails.


10.      How will you define the possible results of an activity in order to drive different transitions?

    As lookup codes for a lookup type
    
    You define the possible results of an activity to drive different transitions using lookup codes for a lookup type.
    You cannot use item attributes. Separating the activity into two does not make sense since you want to drive
    two transactions with the same activity, but with two result codes. A process activity will not help in this scenario.



11.      Time-out parameters apply to which activity in Oracle workflow?
   
    Notification
   
    A time-out parameter only applies to a notification activity since the time-out parameters are used to measure when a notification expires.
    It does not apply to a function activity or a process activity.

12.      What will solicit responses from a notification activity?

    Having a Respond message attribute

    Having a Respond message attribute will solicit responses from a notification activity.
    The display name will become the prompt and the description will be the instruction.
    Nothing else, such as a time-out parameter, a performer, or a Send message attribute, will have
    an affect in soliciting responses.


13.      Which Work Engine API should you use to begin execution of an activity in Oracle workflow?
         
    StartProcess
    The StartProcess API begins the execution of an activity. The CreateProcess API creates a new runtime process for an item.
    The ResumeProcess API resumes a suspended item. The BeginActivity determines if the specified activity may currently be performed on the item.


14.      Which implementation process group comes before the product family processes?
   
    Common application processes

    Common application processes come before the product family processes, which come before product-specific processes.
    Common financial is one of the product family processes. It does not come before product family processes.



15.      What is the proper format for an internal name in the Workflow Builder component?

    An internal name for a Workflow Builder component must be in uppercase, have no spaces, and be unique within item type.



16.  Which of the following statements is true?
    A user must be a role. A role cannot be created in the Workflow Builder.
    Having one active responsibility is not a requirement for a user to be a role.
    A role can have more than one user.


17.  Which component in Oracle Workflow is the graphical interface for workflow processes?
    The Workflow Builder in Oracle Workflow is the graphical interface for workflow processes.
    The Workflow Engine drives items through workflow processes.
    The Workflow Monitor allows you to view and monitor workflow process instances and
    the Workflow Definitions Loader loads workflow definitions from a text file or database.


18.  When do you need a selector for an item type?
    When you have more than one process associated with an item type, you need a selector to select a process.
    You use the Role Resolution standard activity to perform role resolution.
    Voting is another standard activity.
    Multiple result codes drive different transitions, but this is not related to the selector.


19.  What does the Workflow Engine do when a function activity has finished?
    The Workflow Engine issues a savepoint when a function activity is completed.
    The Workflow Engine never issues a commit; the calling application issues a commit.
    The Workflow Engine does not generate a log file or notify users.


20.      What job does the SetItemUserKey API perform?
   
    Set the user-friendly identifier for an item
    The SetItemUserKey API is used for setting a user-friendly identifier for an item.



All the best.......