Process Models

Question 1

What is a Process Model?

Answer 1

An Appian object used to create sequence of actions or activities that perform a business process in an application. Can execute business rules and smart services to capture and manipulate data.

Question 2

Activity Chaining

Answer 2

Used to connect activities for attended tasks. For example, returning a user to an interface after completing a start form or user input task.

Allows a user to perform attended tasks (interfaces) back-to-back without having to leave the flow. By default, there is an upper limit of 50 chained nodes between attended activities.

Question 3

MNI

Answer 3

Multiple Node Instance. Used to execute a process node multiple times. For example, reassigning a user input task node to a different user or user group.

Question 4

Synchronous vs Asynchronous

Answer 4

Synchronous process models are executed sequentially and pause before the parent process completes.

Asynchronous process can execute when initiated and does not wait for the parent process to complete.

Question 5

Activity Class Parameter

Answer 5

variables that can be used within a single node. Unlike process variables, activity class parameters cannot be passed to other nodes in a process model.

Question 6

a!startProcess vs a!startProcessLink

Answer 6

a!startProcess is only called in a saveInto parameter or WebAPI. Used for unattended activities to start a process when triggering an interface reevaluation.

a!startProcessLink is used to direct a user to a specific process relating to information on the interface. Begins at start form or first chained node.