End Process using a parallel gateway

[emmanuelb]

Hi, Im using a parallel gateway that open a task for each branch, like that:
                  
                      _____________ userTask1——-END-EVENT_1
                      |                                                                                           
                      |                                                                                           
start—–parallel
                      |
                      |_____________userTask2———-userTask3—–etc—–END-EVENT_2


I want to end process if any branch reaches end, but dont work for me. Im going to the end-event completing userTask1, but dont end the process instance, it waits to complete the other branch and i dont want it.

Any solution? Thanks!!

Emmanuel.

[martin_grofcik]

Hi Emanuel,

Could you use TerminateEndEvent?
Have a look on:
org.activiti.engine.test.bpmn.event.end.TerminateEndEventTest.testProcessTerminate()
in Activiti sources

Martin

[emmanuelb]

Martin, thanks for reply. Im triying with terminate end event but not work for me. I have this code:

I want that when complete the task "userTaskEnd", my process end, at any time. I want to use this task like a flag.

<code>      
<process id="myProcess">
      <startEvent id="start" />        
           <sequenceFlow id="flow1" sourceRef="start" targetRef="forkInit" />
          
           <parallelGateway id="forkInit"/>
       <sequenceFlow id="flow1" sourceRef="forkInit" targetRef="serviceTask1"/>
   <sequenceFlow id="alternativeFlow1" sourceRef="forkInit" targetRef="userTaskEnd" />
          
           <serviceTask id="serviceTask_1" activiti:delegateExpression="${delegateExp}" >
     <documentation> service task</documentation>
   </serviceTask>
   
   <userTask id="userTaskEnd">
                  <documentation> end the process instance </documentation>
   </userTask>
   
   <sequenceFlow id="alternativeFlow2" sourceRef="userTaskEnd" targetRef="end" />
           <sequenceFlow id="flow2" sourceRef="serviceTask_1" targetRef="userTask_2" />
          
           <userTask id="userTask_2" activiti:assignee="${user}" >
          </userTask>         
          
           <sequenceFlow id="flow3" sourceRef="userTask_2" targetRef="userTask_3" />
          
           <userTask id="userTask_3" activiti:assignee="${otherUser}" >
   </userTask>
          
           <sequenceFlow id="flow4" sourceRef="userTask_3" targetRef="exclusiveGw" />
      
       <exclusiveGateway id="exclusiveGw"
         name="exclusiveGw"/>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow5" sourceRef="exclusiveGw" targetRef="userTask_4" >
        <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression" >
          <![CDATA[${evaluation == 'OK'}]]>
       </conditionExpression>
       </sequenceFlow>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow6" sourceRef="exclusiveGw" targetRef="userTask_5" >
        <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression">
          <![CDATA[${evaluation == 'NOT OK'}]]>
       </conditionExpression>
       </sequenceFlow>
      
        <userTask id="userTask_5" activiti:assignee="${assigneeFP}">    
                             </userTask>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow7" sourceRef="userTask_5" targetRef="exclusiveGwNotOk" />
      
       <exclusiveGateway id="exclusiveGwNotOk" name="Verify"/>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow8" sourceRef="exclusiveGwNotOk" targetRef="userTask_2" >
        <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression" >
          <![CDATA[${continue}]]>
       </conditionExpression>
       </sequenceFlow>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow9" sourceRef="exclusiveGwNotOk" targetRef="end" >
        <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression">
          <![CDATA[${!continue}]]>
       </conditionExpression>
       </sequenceFlow>
      
       <userTask id="userTask_4" activiti:assignee="${otherUser}" >
       </userTask>
   
       <sequenceFlow id="flow10" sourceRef="userTask_4" targetRef="newExclusiveGw" />
      
       <exclusiveGateway id="newExclusiveGw"
          name="newExclusive"/>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow11" sourceRef="newExclusiveGw" targetRef="userTask_7" >
        <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression" >
          <![CDATA[${newEvaluation}]]>
       </conditionExpression>
       </sequenceFlow>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow12" sourceRef="newExclusiveGw" targetRef="userTask_8" >
        <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression">
          <![CDATA[$!{newEvaluation}]]>
       </conditionExpression>
       </sequenceFlow>
      
       <callActivity id="userTask_8" calledElement="otherProcess" >
     <extensionElements>
        <activiti:in source="actividad" target="tramite" />
        <activiti:in source="otherUser" target="assignee" />
     </extensionElements>
    </callActivity>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow13" sourceRef="userTask_8" targetRef="end" />
      
       <userTask id="userTask_7" activiti:assignee="${newUser}">
    </userTask>
   
       <sequenceFlow id="flow14" sourceRef="userTask_7" targetRef="anotherExclusiveGw" />
      
       <exclusiveGateway id="anotherExclusiveGw" name="Verifify new evaluation"/>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow15" sourceRef="anotherExclusiveGw" targetRef="end" >
        <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression" >
          <![CDATA[${boolean}]]>
       </conditionExpression>
       </sequenceFlow>
      
       <sequenceFlow id="flow16" sourceRef="anotherExclusiveGw" targetRef="userTask_4" >
        <conditionExpression xsi:type="tFormalExpression">
          <![CDATA[${!boolean}]]>
       </conditionExpression>
       </sequenceFlow>
     <endEvent id="end" name="TerminateEndEvent">
        <terminateEventDefinition></terminateEventDefinition>
        </endEvent>
   </process>
</code>

[frederikherema1]

The nature of a parallel gateway is what is it: it creates independent parallel paths. When using a joining p-gateway, it will wait for all paths to come in. Your usecase seems better suited to use signal or error-events.

You could have the path that needs to end the workflow (or end all parallel paths), end in a error throw event (or error end event). If you want to handle the "sudden end" of the process, you can add an event-subprocess with an error-start event (see userguide) so that you can do some cleanup or excalation. Alternatively, you can use a embedded sub-process and a boundary-event (with cancelActivity="true") instead of an event-subprocess.

[emmanuelb]

Frederik, thanks for reply. Im triying but i dont know how implement this solution. I tried with that:
I have two branches from my parallel gateway. When complete the task "userTaskEnd", it goes to the endErrorEvent that i define but dont do nothing…my app freeze thinking and never ends the operation.

<code>
<error id="myError" errorCode="cancelationError"/> 
<process id="myProcess">
      <startEvent id="start" />        
           <sequenceFlow id="flow1" sourceRef="start" targetRef="forkInit" />

           <parallelGateway id="forkInit"/>
       <sequenceFlow id="flow1" sourceRef="forkInit" targetRef="serviceTask1"/>
   <sequenceFlow id="alternativeFlow1" sourceRef="forkInit" targetRef="userTaskEnd" />

           <serviceTask id="serviceTask_1" activiti:delegateExpression="${delegateExp}" >
     <documentation> service task</documentation>
   </serviceTask>

   <userTask id="userTaskEnd">
                  <documentation> end the process instance </documentation>
   </userTask>

   <sequenceFlow id="alternativeFlow2" sourceRef="userTaskEnd" targetRef="endErrorEvent" />
           <sequenceFlow id="flow2" sourceRef="serviceTask_1" targetRef="userTask_2" />

           <userTask id="userTask_2" activiti:assignee="${user}" >
          </userTask>
   .
   .
   .
   .
   .                     
   (etc)
   <endEvent id="end"/>
             
   <endEvent id="errorEndEvent">
    <errorEventDefinition errorRef="myError">
    </errorEventDefinition>
   </endEvent>
   </process>
</code>

[frederikherema1]

I don't see a sub-process with a catching error-event around the gateway, service-tasks and usertask. Keep in mind that service-tasks, by default, are executed in the current thread. So the user-task won't be available to the outside (by using the taskService) infill both parallel paths are finished or have reached a wait-state. So this process will run the service-task, and the task will be available AFTER that. Because there is no catching error-event, the execution will be ended (none-end event-semantics). However, because the sub-execution is ended by the end-event, it never reaches the parallel join, making your process stuck on the join-gateway.