I am seeing a problem in the latest stable build 12/27 andn 1/26 where a flow variable does not get updates from a facts updated in a rule node in the flow. Both the flow variable and the fact are initially the same object instance, but It looks like the flow variable gets a cloned instance after the rule node. I am inserting 1 fact and running a flow with a debug node, a rule node, a debug node, and a human task. As you can see below the hashcode changes for the flow variable after the rule node, but retains the user value set earlier in the flow. After the rule node the user should be myuser which is set in the rule, but instead has the value bogus, which is set in the first debug node. Is anyone else seeing similar issues in drools flow? This is happening when we run in JBoss 5.1. This is a blocking issue that makes drools flow unusable for us, so any help you can provide is appreciated. Debug: 15:00:31,985 INFO [STDOUT] ******** flowApproval hashcode at fact insert:18886777 15:00:31,985 INFO [STDOUT] Hibernate: insert into ProcessInstanceInfo (externalVariables, lastModificationDate, lastReadDate, processId, processInstanceByteArray, startDate, state, OPTLOCK) values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?) 15:00:31,985 INFO [STDOUT] ******** first flow node, hashcode: 18886777 user: null 15:00:31,985 INFO [STDOUT] ******** first flow node after approver set to bogus, hashcode: 18886777 user: bogus 15:00:32,000 INFO [STDOUT] Hibernate: update ProcessInstanceInfo set externalVariables=?, lastModificationDate=?, lastReadDate=?, processId=?, processInstanceByteArray=?, startDate=?, state=?, OPTLOCK=? where processInstanceId=? and OPTLOCK=? 15:00:32,000 INFO [STDOUT] Hibernate: insert into ProcessInstanceInfo_eventTypes (ProcessInstanceInfo_processInstanceId, element) values (?, ?) 15:00:32,000 INFO [STDOUT] Hibernate: update SessionInfo set dirty=?, lastModificationDate=?, rulesByteArray=?, startDate=? where id=? 15:00:32,000 INFO [STDOUT] ******** in rule node setting approver to enduser, hashcode: 18886777 user: myuser 15:00:32,000 INFO [STDOUT] Hibernate: select processins0_.processInstanceId as col_0_0_ from ProcessInstanceInfo processins0_ where ? in (select eventtypes1_.element from ProcessInstanceInfo_eventTypes eventtypes1_ where processins0_.processInstanceId=eventtypes1_.ProcessInstanceInfo_processI nstanceId) 15:00:32,000 INFO [STDOUT] Hibernate: select processins0_.processInstanceId as processI1_149_0_, processins0_.externalVariables as external2_149_0_, processins0_.lastModificationDate as lastModi3_149_0_, processins0_.lastReadDate as lastRead4_149_0_, processins0_.processId as processId149_0_, processins0_.processInstanceByteArray as processI6_149_0_, processins0_.startDate as startDate149_0_, processins0_.state as state149_0_, processins0_.OPTLOCK as OPTLOCK149_0_ from ProcessInstanceInfo processins0_ where processins0_.processInstanceId=? 15:00:32,016 INFO [STDOUT] ******** after rule node, hashcode:15392910 user: bogus Rule: dialect "mvel" rule "Assign Initial Approver" ruleflow-group "approver" no-loop when $flow : com.datacert.FlowApproval() then modify( $flow ) { setLastapprover( 'myuser' ) }; System.out.println("******** in rule node setting approver to enduser, hashcode: " + $flow.hashCode() + " user: " + $flow.getLastapprover()); end Flow: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <definitions id="Definition" targetNamespace="http://www.jboss.org/drools" typeLanguage="http://www.java.com/javaTypes" expressionLanguage="http://www.mvel.org/2.0" xmlns="http://schema.omg.org/spec/BPMN/2.0" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xs:schemaLocation="http://schema.omg.org/spec/BPMN/2.0 BPMN20.xsd" xmlns:g="http://www.jboss.org/drools/flow/gpd" xmlns:tns="http://www.jboss.org/drools"> <itemDefinition id="entityIdItem" structureRef="java.lang.Object" /> <itemDefinition id="entityItem" structureRef="java.lang.Object" /> <itemDefinition id="flowApprovalItem" structureRef="java.lang.Object" /> <resource id="Actor" name="Human Actor" /> <process id="com.datacert.workflow.Base" name="approval" > <!-- process variables --> <property id="entityId" itemSubjectRef="tns:entityIdItem"/> <property id="entity" itemSubjectRef="tns:entityItem"/> <property id="flowApproval" itemSubjectRef="tns:flowApprovalItem"/> <!-- nodes --> <endEvent id="_2" name="End" g:x="564" g:y="16" g:width="48" g:height="48" /> <userTask id="_4" name="Human Task" g:x="432" g:y="16" g:width="100" g:height="48" > <ioSpecification> <dataInput id="_4_CommentInput" name="Comment" /> <dataInput id="_4_TaskNameInput" name="TaskName" /> <dataInput id="_4_ContentInput" name="Content" /> <inputSet> <dataInputRefs>_4_CommentInput</dataInputRefs> <dataInputRefs>_4_TaskNameInput</dataInputRefs> <dataInputRefs>_4_ContentInput</dataInputRefs> </inputSet> <outputSet> </outputSet> </ioSpecification> <property id="_4_Comment" /> <property id="_4_TaskName" /> <property id="_4_Content" /> <dataInputAssociation> <assignment> <from xs:type="tFormalExpression">workitem</from> <to xs:type="tFormalExpression">_4_CommentInput</to> </assignment> <sourceRef>_4_Comment</sourceRef> <targetRef>_4_CommentInput</targetRef> </dataInputAssociation> <dataInputAssociation> <assignment> <from xs:type="tFormalExpression">Human Task</from> <to xs:type="tFormalExpression">_4_TaskNameInput</to> </assignment> <sourceRef>_4_TaskName</sourceRef> <targetRef>_4_TaskNameInput</targetRef> </dataInputAssociation> <dataInputAssociation> <assignment> <from xs:type="tFormalExpression">#{entityId}</from> <to xs:type="tFormalExpression">_4_ContentInput</to> </assignment> <sourceRef>_4_Content</sourceRef> <targetRef>_4_ContentInput</targetRef> </dataInputAssociation> <potentialOwner resourceRef="tns:Actor" > <resourceAssignmentExpression> <formalExpression>#{flowApproval.getLastapprover()}</formalExpression> </resourceAssignmentExpression> </potentialOwner> </userTask> <scriptTask id="_6" name="After Rule" g:x="320" g:y="16" g:width="80" g:height="48" > <script>System.out.println("******** after rule node, hashcode:" + flowApproval.hashCode() + " user: " + flowApproval.getLastapprover());</script> </scriptTask> <startEvent id="_1" name="StartProcess" g:x="16" g:y="16" g:width="48" g:height="48" /> <businessRuleTask id="_3" name="Rule" g:x="208" g:y="16" g:width="80" g:height="48" g:ruleFlowGroup="approver" /> <scriptTask id="_7" name="Before Rule" g:x="96" g:y="16" g:width="80" g:height="48" > <script>System.out.println("******** first flow node, hashcode: " + flowApproval.hashCode() + " user: " + flowApproval.getLastapprover()); flowApproval.setLastapprover("bogus"); System.out.println("******** first flow node after approver set to bogus, hashcode: " + flowApproval.hashCode() + " user: " + flowApproval.getLastapprover());</script> </scriptTask> <!-- connections --> <sequenceFlow sourceRef="_4" targetRef="_2" /> <sequenceFlow sourceRef="_6" targetRef="_4" /> <sequenceFlow sourceRef="_3" targetRef="_6" /> <sequenceFlow sourceRef="_7" targetRef="_3" /> <sequenceFlow sourceRef="_1" targetRef="_7" /> </process> </definitions> Most Code: package com.datacert; import groovy.lang.GroovyClassLoader; import java.util.HashMap; import java.util.Map; import java.util.Properties; import javax.annotation.Resource; import javax.naming.InitialContext; import javax.naming.NamingException; import javax.persistence.EntityManagerFactory; import javax.persistence.Persistence; import org.apache.log4j.Level; import org.drools.KnowledgeBase; import org.drools.KnowledgeBaseConfiguration; import org.drools.KnowledgeBaseFactory; import org.drools.SessionConfiguration; import org.drools.SystemEventListenerFactory; import org.drools.base.MapGlobalResolver; import org.drools.bpmn2.xml.BPMNSemanticModule; import org.drools.builder.KnowledgeBuilder; import org.drools.builder.KnowledgeBuilderConfiguration; import org.drools.builder.KnowledgeBuilderError; import org.drools.builder.KnowledgeBuilderErrors; import org.drools.builder.KnowledgeBuilderFactory; import org.drools.builder.ResourceType; import org.drools.compiler.PackageBuilderConfiguration; import org.drools.io.ResourceFactory; import org.drools.logger.KnowledgeRuntimeLogger; import org.drools.logger.KnowledgeRuntimeLoggerFactory; import org.drools.persistence.jpa.JPAKnowledgeService; import org.drools.process.workitem.wsht.CommandBasedWSHumanTaskHandler; import org.drools.runtime.Environment; import org.drools.runtime.EnvironmentName; import org.drools.runtime.KnowledgeSessionConfiguration; import org.drools.runtime.StatefulKnowledgeSession; import org.drools.runtime.process.ProcessInstance; import org.drools.runtime.process.WorkItemManager; import org.drools.task.service.MinaTaskServer; import org.drools.task.service.TaskService; import com.arjuna.ats.jta.TransactionManager; public class FlowService { private static final String FLOW_SERVICE_URL = "flow.service.url"; private static final String FLOW_SERVICE_LOCATION = "flow.service.location"; private TaskService taskService; private MinaTaskServer server; private EntityManagerFactory taskServerEntityManagerFactory; public void startWorkflow() { Map<String, Object> parameters = new HashMap<String, Object>(); parameters.put("entityId", 22); parameters.put("flowApproval", new FlowApproval()); KnowledgeBase kbase = getKnowledgeBase("approval.bpmn", "approval.drl"); StatefulKnowledgeSession ksession = getSession(kbase); KnowledgeRuntimeLogger logger = KnowledgeRuntimeLoggerFactory.newFileLogger(ksession, "test"); registerHumanTaskHandler(ksession); ksession.insert(parameters.get("flowApproval")); System.out.println("******** flowApproval hashcode at fact insert:" + parameters.get("flowApproval").hashCode()); ProcessInstance pi = ksession.startProcess("com.datacert.workflow.Base", parameters); ksession.fireAllRules(); } private ClassLoader getClassLoader() { GroovyClassLoader gcl = new GroovyClassLoader(); gcl.addClasspath("c:\\temp\\"); return gcl; } private Environment getEnvironment() { Environment env = KnowledgeBaseFactory.newEnvironment(); EntityManagerFactory emf = Persistence.createEntityManagerFactory("org.drools.persistence.jpa"); env.set(EnvironmentName.ENTITY_MANAGER_FACTORY, emf); env.set(EnvironmentName.GLOBALS, new MapGlobalResolver()); InitialContext ctx = null; try { ctx = new InitialContext(); } catch (NamingException e) { System.err.println(e); } env.set(EnvironmentName.TRANSACTION_MANAGER, TransactionManager.transactionManager(ctx)); return env; } private KnowledgeBase getKnowledgeBase(String xmlFileName, String ruleFileName) { KnowledgeBaseConfiguration config = KnowledgeBaseFactory.newKnowledgeBaseConfiguration(null, getClassLoader()); KnowledgeBase kbase = KnowledgeBaseFactory.newKnowledgeBase(config); kbase.addKnowledgePackages(getKnowledgeBuilder(xmlFileName, ruleFileName).getKnowledgePackages()); return kbase; } private KnowledgeBuilder getKnowledgeBuilder(String xmlFileName, String ruleFileName) { Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(getClassLoader()); System.setProperty("drools.dialect.mvel.strict", "false"); KnowledgeBuilderConfiguration conf = KnowledgeBuilderFactory.newKnowledgeBuilderConfiguration(null, getClassLoader()); ((PackageBuilderConfiguration) conf).initSemanticModules(); ((PackageBuilderConfiguration) conf).addSemanticModule(new BPMNSemanticModule()); KnowledgeBuilder kbuilder = KnowledgeBuilderFactory.newKnowledgeBuilder(conf); kbuilder.add(ResourceFactory.newClassPathResource("approval.bpmn"), ResourceType.DRF); kbuilder.add(ResourceFactory.newClassPathResource("approval.drl"), ResourceType.DRL); KnowledgeBuilderErrors errors = kbuilder.getErrors(); if (errors.size() > 0) { for (KnowledgeBuilderError error : errors) { System.err.println(error); } throw new IllegalArgumentException("Could not parse knowledge."); } return kbuilder; } private StatefulKnowledgeSession getSession(int sessionId, KnowledgeBase kbase) { return JPAKnowledgeService.loadStatefulKnowledgeSession(sessionId, kbase, getSessionConfig(), getEnvironment()); } private StatefulKnowledgeSession getSession(KnowledgeBase kbase) { return JPAKnowledgeService.newStatefulKnowledgeSession(kbase, getSessionConfig(), getEnvironment()); } private KnowledgeSessionConfiguration getSessionConfig() { SessionConfiguration c = new SessionConfiguration(); c.setClassLoader(getClassLoader()); return c; } private void registerHumanTaskHandler(StatefulKnowledgeSession ksession) { CommandBasedWSHumanTaskHandler approveTask = new CommandBasedWSHumanTaskHandler(ksession); WorkItemManager wm = ksession.getWorkItemManager(); wm.registerWorkItemHandler("Human Task", approveTask); } } Thanks, Todd