How to re-create the path a workflow took?

[roadtripryan]

I need to re-create a processes and the steps before the current step to get the username of who completed the step previous to the current (service) task.

In particular, I don't see where service tasks are in the history tables, or how to find which execution called a current execution.

Any tips on re-creating the path a workflow took?

[jbarrez]

That info should be stored in the ACT_HI_ACTINST table, accessible through the historyService query api.

[roadtripryan]

I feel like I must be over complicating this. All I need is the user that did the task that led to this service call.

Example diagram attached shows any of 3 user tasks could led to Service Task 2, and I want to know which user led to Service Task 2 being call during any given call to user task 2.

Does this seem like the correct approach?

#1) Get the model, and iterate through it to find which tasks can lead to this service (for service 2 in my example, this would be User A, User B, or User C tasks)
#2) Iterate through the HistoricActivityInstance in reverse order. I assume the first entry is the activity that led to this web service.
#3)  If the most recent entry is a user task and it is in the list generated in #1, this is the user that led to this service call, done, grab the user from HistoricActivityInstance.asignee.
#4) If not #3, find the HistoricActivityInstance whose end time is equal to or just before this activitys start time. If a user task and it is in the list generated in #1, this is the user that led to this service call, done. Else repeat #4 until I find the user task.



Example Diagram:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<definitions xmlns="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/MODEL" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:activiti="http://activiti.org/bpmn" xmlns:bpmndi="http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/20100524/DI" xmlns:smileysurprised:mgdc="http://www.omg.org/spec/DD/20100524/DC" xmlns:smileysurprised:mgdi="http://www.omg.org/spec/DD/20100524/DI" typeLanguage="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" expressionLanguage="http://www.w3.org/1999/XPath" targetNamespace="http://www.activiti.org/test">
  <process id="myProcess" name="My process" isExecutable="true">
    <startEvent id="startevent1" name="Start"></startEvent>
    <userTask id="usertask1" name="User Task"></userTask>
    <userTask id="usertask2" name="User A Completes This One"></userTask>
    <userTask id="usertask3" name="User B Completes This One"></userTask>
    <serviceTask id="servicetask1" name="Service Task"></serviceTask>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow1" sourceRef="startevent1" targetRef="usertask1"></sequenceFlow>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow2" sourceRef="usertask1" targetRef="usertask2"></sequenceFlow>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow3" sourceRef="usertask2" targetRef="servicetask1"></sequenceFlow>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow4" sourceRef="usertask1" targetRef="usertask3"></sequenceFlow>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow5" sourceRef="usertask3" targetRef="servicetask1"></sequenceFlow>
    <serviceTask id="servicetask2" name="Service Task"></serviceTask>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow6" sourceRef="servicetask1" targetRef="servicetask2"></sequenceFlow>
    <endEvent id="endevent1" name="End"></endEvent>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow7" sourceRef="servicetask2" targetRef="endevent1"></sequenceFlow>
    <userTask id="usertask4" name="User C"></userTask>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow8" sourceRef="usertask1" targetRef="usertask4"></sequenceFlow>
    <sequenceFlow id="flow9" sourceRef="usertask4" targetRef="servicetask2"></sequenceFlow>
  </process>
  <bpmndi:BPMNDiagram id="BPMNDiagram_myProcess">
    <bpmndi:BPMNPlane bpmnElement="myProcess" id="BPMNPlane_myProcess">
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="startevent1" id="BPMNShape_startevent1">
        <omgdc:Bounds height="35.0" width="35.0" x="140.0" y="250.0"></omgdc:Bounds>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="usertask1" id="BPMNShape_usertask1">
        <omgdc:Bounds height="55.0" width="105.0" x="250.0" y="240.0"></omgdc:Bounds>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="usertask2" id="BPMNShape_usertask2">
        <omgdc:Bounds height="71.0" width="105.0" x="450.0" y="130.0"></omgdc:Bounds>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="usertask3" id="BPMNShape_usertask3">
        <omgdc:Bounds height="71.0" width="105.0" x="460.0" y="250.0"></omgdc:Bounds>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="servicetask1" id="BPMNShape_servicetask1">
        <omgdc:Bounds height="55.0" width="105.0" x="670.0" y="186.0"></omgdc:Bounds>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="servicetask2" id="BPMNShape_servicetask2">
        <omgdc:Bounds height="55.0" width="105.0" x="850.0" y="186.0"></omgdc:Bounds>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="endevent1" id="BPMNShape_endevent1">
        <omgdc:Bounds height="35.0" width="35.0" x="1000.0" y="196.0"></omgdc:Bounds>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNShape bpmnElement="usertask4" id="BPMNShape_usertask4">
        <omgdc:Bounds height="55.0" width="105.0" x="460.0" y="370.0"></omgdc:Bounds>
      </bpmndi:BPMNShape>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow1" id="BPMNEdge_flow1">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="175.0" y="267.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="250.0" y="267.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow2" id="BPMNEdge_flow2">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="302.0" y="240.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="502.0" y="201.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow3" id="BPMNEdge_flow3">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="555.0" y="165.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="722.0" y="186.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow4" id="BPMNEdge_flow4">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="355.0" y="267.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="460.0" y="285.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow5" id="BPMNEdge_flow5">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="565.0" y="285.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="722.0" y="241.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow6" id="BPMNEdge_flow6">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="775.0" y="213.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="850.0" y="213.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow7" id="BPMNEdge_flow7">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="955.0" y="213.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="1000.0" y="213.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow8" id="BPMNEdge_flow8">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="302.0" y="295.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="512.0" y="370.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
      <bpmndi:BPMNEdge bpmnElement="flow9" id="BPMNEdge_flow9">
        <omgdi:waypoint x="512.0" y="370.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
        <omgdi:waypoint x="902.0" y="241.0"></omgdi:waypoint>
      </bpmndi:BPMNEdge>
    </bpmndi:BPMNPlane>
  </bpmndi:BPMNDiagram>
</definitions>


[jbarrez]

Yes, the historic activity instance does not store the user id currently.
I'm afraid that is indeed the only way if you need that particular bit of information.