4.1

Validating Workflows
Orchestrator provides a workflow validation tool. Validating a workflow helps identify errors in the workflow
and checks that the data flows from one element to the next correctly.
When you validate a workflow, the validation tool creates a list of any errors or warnings. Clicking an error
in the list highlights the workflow element that contains the error.
If you run the validation tool in the workflow editor, the tool provides suggested quick fixes for the errors it
detects. Some quick fixes require you to provide additional information or input parameters. Other quick fixes
resolve the error for you.
Workflow validation checks the data bindings and connections between elements. Workflow validation does
not check the data processing that each element in the workflow performs. Consequently, a valid workflow
can run incorrectly and produce erroneous results if a function in a schema element is incorrect.
By default, Orchestrator always performs workflow validation when you run a workflow. You can change the
default validation behavior in the Orchestrator client. See “Testing Workflows During Development,” on
page 15. For example, sometimes during workflow development you might want to run a workflow that you
know to be invalid, for testing purposes.
Validate a Workflow and Fix Validation Errors
You can validate workflows in either the Orchestrator client or in the workflow editor. However, you can only
fix validation errors if you have opened the workflow for editing in the workflow editor.
Prerequisites
You must have a complete workflow to validate, with schema elements linked and bindings defined.
Procedure
1 Click the Workflows view.
2 Navigate to a workflow in the Workflows hierarchical list.
3 (Optional) Right-click the workflow and select Validate workflow.
If the workflow is valid, a confirmation message appears. If the workflow is invalid, a list of errors appears.
4 (Optional) Close the Workflow Validation dialog box.
5 Right-click the workflow and select Edit to open the workflow editor.
6 Click the Schema tab.
7 Click the Validate button in the Schema tab toolbar.
If the workflow is valid, a confirmation message appears. If the workflow is invalid, a list of errors appears.
8 If the workflow is invalid, click on an error message.
The validation tool highlights the schema element in which the error occurs by adding a red icon to it.
Where possible, the validation tool proposes a Quick fix action.
n
If you agree with the proposed Quick fix action, click it to perform that action.
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If you disagree with the proposed Quick fix action, close the Workflow Validation dialog box and
fix the schema element manually.
Always check that the Quick Fix that Orchestrator proposes is appropriate. For example, the proposed
action might be to delete an unused attribute, when in fact that attribute has not been correctly bound.
Chapter 2 Developing Workflows
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