 | Level: Introductory Alan Yaung (ayaung@us.ibm.com), Senior Software Engineer, Content Management Development, Silicon Valley Laboratory, IBM
Allan Tham (thamawh@my.ibm.com), DB2 Presales Technical Specialist, ASEAN Techline, IBM
11 Aug 2005 This third article in a series introduces you to IBM® DB2® Content Manager document routing and provides a claim process case study to show examples of implementation and usage of Web-, Windows®-, and portlet-based clients.
Introduction
Efficient collaboration in the workplace contributes greatly to a company's success. But knowledge sharing and information are often lost because of the inability to collaborate effectively either within the same department or across departments. This can result in customer dissatisfaction and eventually leads to loss of revenue.
Today, most enterprise content management solutions provide a means for information to flow seamlessly to the intended recipient. The means to route information, documents, memos in a timely manner to users or
groups of users holding different roles is the key to a successful business practices in a highly collaborative
environment.
Workflow is an integral part of the IBM Enterprise Content Management solution. There are different
flavors of workflow available. DB2 Content Manager offers
an integrated workflow solution, namely, built-in
document routing. For more complex environments, customers can opt for WebSphere® MQ Workflow. In this series
of three articles, you can come to a deeper understanding of DB2 Content Manager document routing. We also provide a comparison between DB2 Content Manager document routing and WebSphere MQ Workflow to help you better understand the differences and capabilities of each.
The series of three articles are broken down as follows:
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IBM DB2 Content Manager document routing, Part 1: A guided tour to process modeling
- Introduction to DB2 Content Manager document routing
- Capabilities of DB2 Content Manager document routing
- What is new in DB2 Content Manager document routing
- Case Study - Claim Process
- Implementation - Claim Process
- Table of Comparisons - WebSphere MQ Workflow vs DB2 Content Manager document routing
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IBM DB2 Content Manager document routing, Part 2: A guided tour to API usage
Using the same case study, this article demonstrates the usage of APIs for solution development.
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IBM DB2 Content Manager document routing, Part 3: A guided tour to client usage
Experience the fruits of your labor by actually using the workflow defined in the same case study. The following client applications are considered in this article:
- eClient - Web-based client
- pClient - Windows-based client
- CM Portlet - Portlet-based client
Introduction to DB2 Content Manager clients
There are three out-of-the-box clients that DB2 Content Manager offers for its customers.
These clients have the built-in capabilities for users to carry out document routing tasks, such as
suspend, resume, and continue actions. This article walks you through the different clients (mainly Windows and Portlet). It shows you how easy the workflow feature is to use, and how the built-in capabilities make daily tasks much more manageable. DB2 Content Manager eClient is left out, as the functionalities and features are
very similar to those of the Portlet. Shown below are the available clients for DB2 Content Manager.
- DB2 Content Manager Windows Client - Thick Client
- DB2 Content Manager eClient - Thin Client
- DB2 Content Manager Portlet 3.1 - CM Portlet
Introduction to DB2 Content Manager clients walk-through
There are eighteen steps in this walk-through for the client usage.
Listed below are the pseudo-steps. It could be handy to have a printed Claim scenario to follow.
Due to the length of this article, we will focus on Content Manager Windows Client and Portlet.
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Content Manager Portlet Version 3.1
Note that a new version of Content Manager Portlet, Version 3.1, was published in the portal catalogue since May 15, 2005.
It introduces a number of enhancements such as adding and removing items to and from folders, pagination, view versions of documents, document
routing, and more.
This portlet is free for download and use. However, it requires you to have WebSphere Portal Server.
Please refer to the How to get Content Manager Portlet section to get
hold of a copy for this exercise.
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- Logon to the client (USERID: ICMADMIN, PASSWORD:< Your_Password >)
- Search for a folder, XYZClaimFolder, based on a search template
- Open the folder to view the details
- Start a process on XYZClaimFolder with SimpleAutoClaimProcess by assigning a priority 50
- Go to the worklists
- Open the worklist, AllWorklist
- View the work in the worklist. The workpackage should stay at the SubmitClaim workbasket
- Select Continue in the drop-down menu. The workpackage will then move to the WaitForReportAndEstimate collection point
- The workpackage will stay in the WaitForReportAndEstimate collection point until the required documents are available in the folder being routed
- When the required documents are available in the WaitForReportAndEstimate collection point, the work package will move to the first decision point
- If the claim amount is larger than $500, two workpackages will be shown in the worklist as a result of the split node.
One stays on the ReviewCredit workbasket, whereas the other stays on the ReviewLargeClaim workbasket.
- Select Continue in the drop-down menu for the ReviewCredit workbasket.
The workpackage will move to the CheckFraudHistory business application node. If a user exit is defined, that exit will be invoked.
- Select Variables in the drop-down menu for the ReviewLargeClaim workbasket. Set the value of the APPROVE variable to ACCEPT or REJECT. Then select Continue in the drop-down menu for the same workbasket.
- If the claim is less than or equal to $500, the workpackage will stay on the ReviewSmallClaim workbasket.
- Select Variables in the drop-down menu for the ReviewSmallClaim workbasket. Set the value of the APPROVE variable to ACCEPT or REJECT. Then Select Continue in the drop-down menu for the same workbasket.
- Based on the value of the APPROVE variable, the flow will launch the PayClaimSubProcess subprocess and move to the PayClaim workbasket, if APPROVE=ACCEPT. Otherwise, it will move to the SendRejectionLetter workbasket.
- If the workpackage in the worklist stays on the PayClaim workbasket, select Continue in the
drop-down menu on the workbasket. The flow will move to the SendThankYouLetter workbasket.
- If the workpackage in the worklist stays on either the SendThankYouLetter workbasket or the SendRejectionLetter workbasket, select Continue on the drop-down menu on the workbasket.
The process is then terminated.
Refer to the diagram below for the scenario built in the previous article.
Figure 1. SimpleAutoClaimProcess diagram
Walk-through using Content Manager Windows client
- Log on to the Content Manager Windows Client using ICMADMIN/PASSWORD.
Figure 2. Log on to Windows Client
- Import a document into Police Report, XYZ_PolReport
Figure 3. Import a document into XYZ_PolReport
- Search using the basic search, the folder XYZClaimFolder. Once found, right-click on the 123 folder and select
Attributes from the drop-down list. Edit by entering 700 for the attribute, CLAIM_AMOUNT.
Figure 4. Edit the Claim_Amount
- Back to the folder, right-click and select Process -> Start on ... then select the process to start on SimpleAutoClaimProcess
Figure 5. Start on the Process, SimpleAutoClaimProcess
- Now go to File -> Open worklists or simply Ctrl-K to open the worklist screen. Select AllWorklist and then double-click.
Figure 6. Open Worklist
- Right-click on the workpackage and select Process -> info to
check the status of the workpackage. You will see work package is at the SubmitClaim work basket.
Figure 7. Verify Status - SubmitClaim work basket
- Right-click at the workpackage on the folder 123. Select Process -> Continue from the drop-down menu.
Right-click at the workpackage and select Process -> Info, which shows that the workpackage is now at the WaitForReportAndEstimate collection point.
Figure 8. Reaching WaitForReportAndEstimate collection point
- As WaitForReportAndEstimate is a collection point, in order to move the workpackage forward, we need to
import a document into XYZ_AdjReport. (Refer to WaitForReportAndEstimate collection point definition)
Figure 9. Select Info
- Since the CLAIM_AMOUNTis greater than $500, by right-clicking on the workpackage 123
and selecting Process -> Info, you will see two work baskets, ReviewLargeClaim
and ReviewCredit due to the split node.
Figure 10. Splitting
- Right-click on the workpackage 123 in the ReviewCredit work basket (Note: You can always check the information
to determine which work package is in the ReviewCredit work basket). Continue the work package. The work package
will be moved to the CheckFraudHistory business application node. If a user exit is defined, it will be invoked at this
juncture.
Figure 11. ReviewCredit to CheckFraudHistory
- Right-click at the workpackage currently sitting in the ReviewLargeClaim work basket. Select Process -> Variables.
Enter REJECT in the APPROVE field. Continue the workpackage. The split previously is now joined back
and you should be seeing one workpackage instead of two. Continue the workpackage again. The workpackage is moved
to SendRejectionLetter.
Figure 12. Reject at second decision point
- Continue the workpackage. The workpackage is then terminated with your worklist, AllWorklist empty.
- If, however, the CLAIM_AMOUNT is less than or equal to $500, the workpackage will take on the other route.
It will reach the ReviewSmallClaim work basket from the first decision point. (Note: You can simply
modify CLAIM_AMOUNT to a value say $450 and start the folder in the process again).
Figure 13. Reaching ReviewSmallClaim
- Right-click on the workpackage, Process ->Variables. Enter ACCEPT in the APPROVE field.
Continue the workpackage. The workpackage will reach PayClaim work basket in the PayClaimSubProcess.
Figure 14. Reaching PayClaimSubProcess
- Continue the workpackage. It will now reach the SendThankYouLetter work basket.
Figure 15. Reaching SendThankYouLetter
- Continue the workpackage. The workpackage is then terminated with your worklist, AllWorklist empty.
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Walk-through using Content Manager Portlet (3.1)
Prior to running this exercise, you should have already deployed the DB2 Content Manager Portlet Version 3.1 in your portal server.
If you have not already done so, please refer to the How to get Content Manager Portlet section below for the steps to deploy it.
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Conclusions
This article discussed IBM DB2 Content Manager document routing using Windows (pClient) and Portlet
clients.
We purposely left out the eClient as the functionalities in eClient are very much the same as those of Portlet, and readers are encouraged to use Portlet for
content access. Leveraging the claim scenario and its process model constructed in a previous article, the article illustrates that managing and using workflow in the built-in
Content Manager document routing is a breeze. With these simple walk-throughs, this article will then serve as a basis that
readers can extrapolate on a bigger scale and in more complex business scenarios.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Jane Kohn, Portlet Team Lead, IBM DB2 Content Management, Silicon Valley Laboratory for her time reviewing this article.
Where to obtain a copy of IBM DB2 Content Manager 8.3
There are numerous ways to download Content Manager installation, either by
downloading or ordering online. Follow the methods below accordingly.
How to get Content Manager Portlet
- Go to Portal Catalogue.
You need to have a PartnerWorld ID.
- Use the keyword CM V8.3 for the search.
- Download the portlet at the right corner link.
- Log in using your partnerWorld ID (Step 1)
- Fill the survey, view the license, and accept it (Step 2)
- Click Download to download the idm.war (Step 3)
- Download the documentation (right corner bottom) for instructions to deploy Content Manager Portlet 3.1
Resources Learn
Discuss
About the authors | | |
Alan Yaung is a senior software engineer of Content Management Development
at IBM Silicon Valley Laboratory. He is lead of Content Management Workflow Team.
He has more than eight years of experiences in product development of enterprise content management solutions.
Alan is a Content Manager Certified Solution Designer.
He also has over 20 granted and pending patents.
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| | Allan Tham works as a DB2 Content Manager Technical Presales Support Specialist for Business Partners. He helps business partners solve a wide range of technical problems. Allan is certified for DB2 Content Management administration. Prior to joining IBM, Allan worked in an end-user environment, where he was an Oracle DBA for three years. |
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