Oracle WorkFlow Interview Questions & Answers (Part-1)

1. what is workflow and what are the benefits of using workflow ?

Oracle workflow is a graphical tool that allows you to create, track and modify business process, embedded in the oracle database server, it can monitor the workflow activity statuses.

Benefits: 

1) Create a clear business process definition

2) Automate the business routings

3) Monitor the process

4) Allow users to define their own business process to suit their organization needs. 

5) Readily change the business process definitions in case of a change business process

2.what are the steps involved in oracle workflow?

design & create a Workflow using Oracle Workflow Builder start the Oracle Workflow process from pl/sql integrate Oracle Workflow with pl/sql for validation and DML etc. build Oracle Workflow Notifications attach roles/people to notifications in Oracle Workflow

3. How do you send a particular Oracle Apps Workflow Activity/Function within a workflow process into background mode?

If cost of the workflow activity is greater than 50, then the workflow activity will be processed in background mode only, and it won't be processed in online mode.

4. What are the various ways to kick-off a workflow? 

You can eiter use wf_engine.start_process or you can attach a runnable process such that it subscribes to a workflow event.

5. When starting (kicking off) an oracle workflow process, how do you ensure that it happens in a background mode?

a)if initiating the process using start_process, do the below

wf_engine.threshold := -1;

wf_engine.createprocess(l_itemtypetitemkeyRYOUR PROCESS NAMES'); wf_engine.startprocess(l_itemtype, l_itemkey)

B) When initiating the workflow process through an event subscription, set the Execution Condition Phase to be equal to or above 100 for it to be executed by background process.

6. Give me one example where apps uses partitioning in Oracle workflow?

 WF_LOCAL_ROLES

7. Can you send blob attachments via workflow notifications? 

Yes, you can send BLOB Attachments.

8. When will an activity be deferred in Oracle workflow?

Activity cost > Workflow Engine threshold

activity is deferred when the activity cost is greater than the Workflow Engine threshold. If the activity cost = 0 or if the activity cost is less than the Workflow Engine threshold, the activity will become Active.

9. What is the primary purpose of a oracle workflow?

Routes information, Sends notifications, Defines process rules

The primary purposes of a workflow are to route information, send notification, and define process rule. Although some history is maintained automatically by Oracle Workflow, it will not be considered as creating audit trails.

10. How will you define the possible results of an activity in order to drive different transitions?

As lookup codes for a lookup type

You define the possible results of an activity to drive different transitions using lookup codes for a lookup type. You cannot use item attributes. Separating the activity into two does not make sense since you want to drive two transactions with the same activity, but with two result codes. A process activity will not help in this scenario.