Understanding My Worklist

To understand the functioning of the K2 Worklist, one has to understand the process designed in K2 for Visual Studio, K2 Studio or K2 Process Designer. Below is an explanation of a few concepts that will help you better understand the functioning of the K2 Worklist in conjunction with the process designed.

Process Design Concepts

Destination

Destination is an abstract definition for a User, Role or a Group.

Destination Set

If there is more than one destination set, the activity plan is followed unless there is a destination set rule. For example, if there is no destination set rule, all destination sets are treated as a single destination set. If there is a destination set rule, the destination set that evaluates to True according to the rule is the destination set used for the activity plan.

Activity Instance

Activity Instance is an instance based on an Activity Definition. Many instances can exist for an Activity. Each instance contains unique data and/or configuration. An Activity Instance is created when a certain path is followed in the process. The instance is created by a Line Instance and only when the Line Rule for that instance has evaluated to true. The Activity Instance is responsible for the Preceding Rule(Should the Activity Instance start-true/false), Start Rule(When should the Activity Instance start- datetime) and the Destination Rule(Plan option, Slot configuration, Keep In Sync settings, resolving configuration and the actual Destinations that will be used. This acts as the definition for an Activity Instance Destination). The Activity Instance will hold a collection of all the Activity Instance Destinations created.

Slots and Activity Instances

Slots and Activity instances are two different concepts. Activity Instance is a unique copy of the definition that contains runtime data. Activity instances are created via line instances. A line instance is created for every route the process follows and when the Line Rule is true, the Activity instance is created in the direction the line flows.

The following forms part of the Activity Instance:
Preceding Rule - Determines whether an activity instance should be created
Start Rule - Determines when the activity instance should start to execute
Destination Rule - Includes the Plan option, Slot configuration, Keep In Sync settings, resolving configuration and the actual Destinations that will be used. A destination can be a Role,User or a Group. This acts as the definition for an Activity Instance Destination. The Activity Instance will hold a collection of all the Activity Instance Destinations created.

Activity Instance Destination

Activity Instance Destination is a container that holds the instances of the events. Each Activity Instance Destination has one serial number. This serial number is used for Client, IPC and Server events. The number of Activity Instance Destinations created will depend on settings configured in the destination rule. Each Activity Instance Destination contains a list of Destinations it is responsible for, the amount of Slots available and a copy of the Data/Xml Fields that will be unique for the Activity Instance Destination. The Activity Instance Destination is also responsible for executing the Succeeding Rule. That’s why the Succeeding Rule will be executed after every Activity Instance Destination is completed. If the Succeeding Rule is true, all other active Activity Instance Destinations will be expired. All event instances in the Activity Instance Destination will be executed only once. Each Activity Instance Destination will only create one Event Instance for every Event as per definition.

The Plan Just Once option will only create one Activity Instance Destination.
The Plan per Destination option will create an Activity Instance Destination for every Destination.
The Plan per slot option will create Activity Instance Destinations and use the number of slots as a counter.
Each Activity Instance Destination contains a slots collection and a destinations collection. Each Activity Instance Destination contains a copy of its own data and XML fields. Each slot that is completed also contains a copy of its own data and XML field.

Event Instance

Event Instance, is an instance created from an Event Definition. The event Instance is contained by the Activity Instance Destination. The event Instance is responsible for the Event Succeeding Rule. The Event Succeeding Rule determines if the event should complete. Using this in a Client Event is most beneficial. The succeeding rule will be executed every time a slot is completed for this event instance.

Line Instance

Line Instance is an instance of a Line definition. There can be more than one instance for a Line definition. Each instance contains unique data or configuration based on the definition of the Line.

Keeping the above in mind, the following are examples of what will be created as soon as an instance of the process is started:

Options Selected
Plan Just Once	Create a slot for each destination	3 Destinations

The activity instance will contain 1 Activity Instance Destination and 3 slots as the option create slot per destination was configured. This means that one serial number exists for all Destinations, the one Activity Instance Destination has 3 slots and all Destinations configured in the destination rule will be added to the Destinations collection of the Activity Instance Destination. When a task item is delegated, the user gets added to the Destinations collection of that Activity Instance Destination. The slots count remains the same. When a task item is redirected, the redirected user is added to the Destinations collection of the Activity Instance Destination and the user who redirected the task is removed from the Destination collection.

Options Selected
Plan per destination	Create a slot for each destination	2 Destinations

The activity instance will contain 2 Activity Instance Destinations and 2 slots as the option create slot per destination was configured. This means that a serial number exists for every Activity Instance Destination , each Activity Instance Destination has one slot and contains one Destination in the Destinations collection of the Activity Instance Destination. When a task item is delegated, the user gets added to the Destinations collection of that Activity Instance Destination. The slots count remains the same. When a task is redirected, the redirected user is added to the Destinations collection of the Activity Instance Destination and the user who redirected the task is removed from the Destination collection.

Options Selected
Plan per slot	2 Slots	No destinations configured, but it works the same as Plan per destination

The activity instance will contain 2 Activity Instance Destinations, and 1 slot in each Activity Instance Destination. This means that a serial number exist for every Activity Instance Destination and each Activity Instance Destination has one slot and contains no Destinations in the Destinations collection of the Activity Instance Destination. This is only for server and IPC events that don’t need user interaction.

Client Event Setting

Allow any user to complete the task is a necessary setting on the client event if tasks are to be actioned by users who are forwarded task notifications. However, delegated or redirected users automatically get rights to action the task. If this setting is not enabled, and the Worklist API is used to retrieve the serial number of a task, users not in the destination set receive an error when they try to open the task and the task remains Available to other users in the destination set. Allow any user to complete the task ignores the instance rights set on the Event Actions. Tasks will not show on all users' worklists, but the rights are ignored when opening the task with a serial number, and any user will be able to execute any action. Global rights are still enforced.

Workflow Concepts

Destination User

A user that is directly assigned a task or is a member of a Role, Group or SharePoint Group that is part of the destination set.

Task

This is a business user concept and is represented on a technical level as a Worklist Header. A serial number consists of the Process Instance ID and the Activity Instance Destination ID (8_10). Each task has a unique serial number. A serial number is owned by an Activity Instance Destination. In case of a Client Event, a Worklist Header is created, that identifies the Serial Number as a User Task.

A Group or a Role cannot respond to a task, only an individual user who may belong to a Group or Role.

Worklist Header

A Worklist Header is responsible for identifying a serial number as a user task item created by a client event. It stores the platform, serial number, slots available, total slots and the Data for the serial number which is better known as the Task item URL. This is basically what is visible on your worklist.

Slots

A slot is a placeholder that captures the response from the user for a specific task.
A slot contains XML/data field values for a specific user’s response.
Only a user can own a slot.
Many slots can exist for a Worklist Header.
When a Work List Item is opened, that user Allocates a slot, which allows the user to respond to the task by capturing his own data and executing an action.
If a task is assigned to a Role, Group or SharePoint Group, and it is delegated or redirected it is still visible to the remaining users in the Role/Goup/SharePoint Group.
If a task has more slots than users it will never complete.
If a task has less slots than users, the activity will complete when the number of actions equals the number of slots, regardless of whether the task is redirected, delegated or forwarded. However, this is controlled by the Succeeding Rule. If the Succeeding Rule remains false, and no more slots are available, the activity will complete.
If a task has one slot and multiple users, when one user opens the task, it is no longer available on the other users' worklists (regardless of whether the user who opened the task is in the original destination set or is the user the task has been forwarded, delegated or redirected to). This same rule applies to any scenario where there are more users than slots.

Action

An action is a business concept that represents a list of instructions for the Workflow server. This entails setting XML/data field values and performing one of the Server Tasks, like Update, Finish, Redirect, Release and Goto Activity. Security Rights are configured between Actions, Worklist Headers and Destinations. (User/Group or Role).

Status

An Open task is a task that is not available for other users to open. It is a task allocated to the user who opened the task. This means the user has a slot and a set of slot data, that no other user can see or use. A task can only be opened by as many users as the number of slots configured. If 3 slots are configured, a maximum of 3 Open tasks is possible to 3 different users at the same time. Each of the 3 users will occupy 1 slot for the same worklist item.
An Available task is a task that is available for any user in the destination set to open.
An Allocated status means that the task is opened by other users, and no more slots are available. Until a slot is released, the item will remain allocated.
An administrator can see all tasks in Management Console. If a task is assigned to a Role/Group/SharePoint Group, and the option Resolve all roles and groups to users has not been selected, the Role/Group/SharePoint Group name will be displayed in Management Console with the option to expand and view the users of that Role/Group/SharePoint Group. If the option to Resolve all roles and groups to users has been selected, the individual users of that Role/Group/SharePoint Group will be displayed.
Only Open tasks can be released.
Only a person with Administration rights can release an Open task in Management Console.

Role/Group/SharePoint Group

A Group or a Role cannot respond to a task, only an individual user who may belong to a Group or Role.
One cannot delegate or redirect to a Role, Group or SharePoint Group name - it must be an individual user.

Delegate

A delegated user is a user that is delegated a task that was sent to a destination user. Delegated users can be in or out of the destination set. Delegated tasks remain on both user's worklists.
Delegated tasks remain on the original user's worklist, even if the task was assigned to a Role, Group or SharePoint Group, but the delegated users will share the slot. Once the task is completed, it disappears from the delegated users’ worklist as well as from the original destination user's worklist.
Delegated users can action a task regardless of the Allow any user to complete the task setting.

Redirect

A redirected user is a user that is assigned a task that was originally sent to a destination user. Redirected users can be in or out of the destination set. Redirected tasks are only visible to the user to whom the task was redirected (it is no longer visible to the original user).
Redirected tasks disappear from the original user's worklist, even if the task was assigned to a Role, Group or SharePoint Group. The status remains the same and any changes by the original user remain intact.
Redirected users can action a task regardless of the Allow any user to complete the task setting.

Out of Office (OOF)

A Forwarded User is a user designated in the Out of Office settings by another user to receive all tasks assigned to the Out of Office user, minus any tasks related to activities that are specified as exceptions.
Forwarded users do not have the option to redirect or delegate tasks.
An Exception User is a user designated in the Out of Office settings for receiving tasks related to one or more specific activities.
Out of Office(OOF) represents the sharing of a task, where the task is assigned to the destination user who is Out of Office, but it also appears on the shared user's worklist.
If a task is delegated or redirected to a user who is already part of the destination set, the user cannot open and/or action the task more than once. This user will not see two tasks on his or her worklist.
If a task is shared via Out of Office with a user who is already part of the destination set, the user can open and action the task more than once. He will be able to view his task as part of the destination set as well as the shared task which belongs to the original destination user. The name of the original destination user is reflected in the Original Destination column in Worklist.

Manager

A manager always has access to the worklists of his or her Managed Users, and can action them regardless of the settings of the activity.

Reports

A task that is actioned always contains the information of the user who actioned the task.