> ### 5.8 Editing Active Process Instances

> To preserve the integrity of existing process instances, Interstage BPM is designed to prevent users from editing published process definitions. Only one copy of each published process definition is maintained internally, and all process instances created from it follow the same workflow. In the real world, however, the specific circumstances of an individual business process may be completely different from the norm.

> For such cases, Interstage BPM provides users with the ability to change the process to fit the real situation through the Process Editing feature. Process instance editing creates a private process definition that is assigned to a specific process instance. All changes to the structure of that process instance are stored in this single private process definition, no matter how many times the process instance is edited. No changes are saved to the published process definition, which was used to create the process instance.

> For the most part, process instance editing is similar to editing a process definition, but there are differences. For instance:

> · If you are a editing a process definition, it becomes locked and no one else can edit it. In process instance editing, the process instance can also be locked by changing user-defined process attributes or activating or deactivating a node.

> In process instance editing, you can activate or deactivate nodes. This means that you can put them into a running state or into a completed state. If a process instance is complete (inactive), then activating a node with process instance edit will return that process instance to the active state. However, deactivating a node will not deactivate the entire process instance. Once a process instance has been reactivated at a given node, it must run to completion again before the process state will again be inactive. This completion can be expedited by activating the EXIT node, which will complete the process instance.

> If process instance edit is used in the BPM Console, the colors representing activity states in the graphic pane and the thumbnail pane may be confusing. For example, if you reactivate a node after other nodes have completed, these nodes will still show as completed, even though the nodes now may have to complete again for the process instance to show complete. For a more accurate representation of what has actually transpired so far in the session, the history entries should be consulted.

> Note: Changes made in a process instance do not actually take effect until the process instance being changed is saved. For example, after activating the EXIT node to force completion of a process instance, the process instance will not show up as completed until the process instance is saved.

> ###### To edit a process instance:

> 1. Click the Process instance List tab to display a list of process instances.

> 2. Click the Edit button of the process instance you wish to edit. The Target Area will display the standard editing toolbar containing all types of nodes and arrows.

> 3. Edit as you would a process definition. For more information, see the overview and cross references in the section "Creating and Modifying Process Definitions".

> 4. You may also view-or modify-the values of any user-defined process attribute in the process instance.

> 5. To activate or deactivate a node, select it in the target area. Select the Activity menu, and click Activate or Deactivate. For more information, see the table below.

> 6. When finished, click Save or Cancel Edit.

> | Results of Activation | Results of Deactivation
> General | Activation places the node in an Initial state, as if receiving an event from an arrow, or places the node in the Completed state and sends events to outgoing arrows. | Deactivation aborts a running activity.
> Activity Node | Any Prolog and Role scripts or Java Actions are executed. Work items are created. The node is placed into the Running state. | All outstanding work items are deleted, all the active timers are deactivated, and the activity instance is put in the Completed state.
> Voting Activity Node | Any Prolog and Role scripts or Java Actions are executed. Work items are created. The node is placed into the Running state. | All outstanding work items are deleted, all the active timers are deactivated, and the activity instance is put in the Completed state.
> Start Node | Any Init script or Java Action is executed. All outgoing arrows are activated. | Not applicable.
> Exit Node | Any Commit script or Java Action is executed. The process instance is completed. | Not applicable.
> OR Node | All outgoing arrows are activated. | Not applicable.
> Condition Node | Any Prolog script or Java Action is executed. The condition is evaluated and appropriate outgoing arrows are activated. | Not applicable.
> Complex Condition Node | Any Prolog script or Java Action is executed. The condition is evaluated and appropriate outgoing arrows are activated. | Not applicable.
> Subprocess Node | Any Prolog script or Java Action is executed. A subprocess instance is created. The node is placed into the Waiting-for-Subprocess state. | Any active timers are deactivated and the activity instance is put in the Completed state.
> Remote Subprocess Node | Any Prolog script or Java Action is executed. A subprocess instance is created on the remote Workflow server. The node is placed into the Waiting-for-Subprocess state. | Any active timers are deactivated and the activity instance is put in the Completed state.
> Chained Process Node | Any Prolog script or Java Action is executed, and a Chained Process is created. | Not applicable.
> Delay Node | Any Prolog script or Java Action is executed, and any defined timers are activated. | Any active timers are deactivated and the activity instance is put in the Completed state.
> AND Node | Not applicable. | See below.
> | Results of Deactivating an AND Node
> AND Node | When an AND Node instance receives an event on an incoming arrow, it enters the Running state. The node instance then records all events that it receives in a special memory and waits for events on all of its incoming arrows. Deactivating an AND node instance erases the record of events that have been received, and puts the node into the Completed state.

> Note: New timers added to a currently active Activity Node will not start running unless you deactivate the node, save it, edit it again, activate it again, and then save it again. In addition, parent Activity Nodes can be activated, even if Subprocess Nodes are not completed.

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