[jboss-user] [JBoss jBPM] - Lifecycle of process and task instances

[heckelmeister]

Hello everybody!

I wonder about the lifecycle of process instances, subprocess instances and task instances and how they are related to each other.

For the process instances I identified four states: started ? suspended ? ended

-> A process instance is started as soon it is in the database
-> If a process instance is suspended, no tasks can be done and it can?t be signalled. What is with timers in suspended state. Do they continue or are they suspended as well?
-> Ended means a process instance completed normally

This should be the same for subprocesses instances as they are normal process instances at first.

For task instances the documentation (chapter 11.2.1) describes three states: created ? started ? ended. 
But in fact there seem to be more states: suspended ? cancelled ? open.

-> Created should be clear, this is as soon as an entry in the taskinstance table in the database is made.
-> What means the started state? Who or what is supposed to start a task instance when? Only the actor?
-> Suspended is like process instance suspension but just for the single task. Isn?t it?
-> Ended is the task instance is ended normally (the taskinstance end date in the database is not null)
-> Cancelled is the task was cancelled (the taskinstance end date is not null AND the iscanceled flag is set in the database)
-> What is the open state for? (the isopen flag is set in the database)


Now: How do states of process instance, subprocess instance and task instances of the process instance and any subprocess instance relate?

What do I mean? For example:
->When ending a process instance, are all subprocess instances and task instances of the process and subprocess instances ended as well?
->Does a suspended process instance mean that also all subprocess instances of that process instance are suspended and all tasks of the process and subprocess instances as well?

So as you see I still didn?t get the whole picture yet, despite digging into the documentation and source code and searching the forum (yes, I found some hints but some have been contradictory, though). Therefore I would really appreciate one of you, maybe even one of the developers, giving me this picture. Probably I am also not the only one seeking for it.

Thanks in advance, 
Markus


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