K2ROM and Transactions

Since posting my original question I have carried out the following tests to check how K2 handles transactions:

Test 1:
Create an activity consisting of one transactional event, which uses K2ROM to update some process instance data then deliberately throws an exception.
As expected, this results in the updates being rolled back.

Test 2:
Create an activity consisting of two transactional events, each of which updates data in an external SQL server database. The 2nd event deliberately throws an exception after the update. The activity is configured to run all events in 1 transaction.
As expected the updates from both events are rolled back.

Test 3:
Create an activity consisting of two transactional events, each of which use K2ROM to update some process instance data. The 2nd event deliberately throws an exception after the update. The activity is configured to run all events in 1 transaction.
I expected the updates from both events to be rolled back. But instead, only the updates from event 2 are rolled back.

Test 4:
Create a transactional ASP.NET web page containing a button. In the click event handler for the button use K2ROM to update a data field of a K2 process instance, then throw an exception.
I expected the updates to be rolled back. But instead they persist despite the exception.

These test results suggest that K2ROM is transactional only inside individual events. It does not appear to be transactional across events, nor within a web page.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks

Simon

Hi Hong,

I hope the following additional information helps you:

In Test 1 we set up the K2 server event as follows:
- Tick the "Execute Event in a transaction" checkbox in the Event General tab of the event properties page.
- Add the following code to the event (where "MyField" is already defined as a process instance data field):
K2.ProcessInstance.DataFields["MyField"].Value = 123;
throw new Exception("Whoops!");

In Test 2 we created a K2 activity consisting of two server events. The activity was set up as follows:
- Tick the "Execute all event as one transaction" checkbox in the Activity General tab of the activity properties page.

Each event in Test 2 was set up as follows:
- Tick the "Execute Event in a transaction" checkbox in the Event General tab of the event properties page.
- Add code to the event to call an external .NET DLL that updates an external SQL Server database (the DLL we used does not explicit manage transactions itself, and so runs within the caller's transaction).
- Add the following line of code at the end of the 2nd event:
throw new Exception("Whoops!");

In Test 3 we created a K2 activity consisting of two server events. The activity was set up as described above in Test 2. Each event was set up as described above in Test 1 (except that only the 2nd event threw an exception).

In Test 4 we created a ASP web page containing the following transaction directive (this makes all event handlers automatically begin/end a transaction):
<@ Page Transaction= Required >

We then added a button with the following click event handler:
private void MyButton_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
SourceCode.K2ROM.Connection myConn = new SourceCode.K2ROM.Connection();
myConn.Open("MyServer");
Worklist myList = myConn.OpenWorklist("ASP");
WorklistItem myItem = myList[0];
ProcessInstance myProc = myItem.ProcessInstance;
myProc.DataFields["MyField"].Value = 234;
myProc.Update();
myConn.Close();
throw new Exception("Whoops!");
}

Hope this helps

Now does anyone have an answer to my original question? Is anyone from K2 reading this user group?

Simon

Hi,

Worklist myList = myConn.OpenWorklist("ASP");

As I guess, the value "ASP" is the name of the platform. But I am wondering if we must always use "ASP" or there is any other platform?

Thanks Ockert for your helpful reply.
But I have another question and it would be nice to hear your answer.
You said that:

pentaco)" target="_blank">http://www.pentaco.co.za/K2/K2_net%20Enterprise%20Workflow%20Manage.htm]pentaco)

Many thanks Ockert.

I guess the other question will be:

Where do I specify the Platform?
Configure a default client event in K2.net Studio, select the Use Code option on the properties of the event and click on the Edit Code button.
Locate the following line of code:

 Function HTTPFunction(Byval K2 as ClientEventContext)
 Dim strURL as String
 strURL = "http://myserver/mysite/mypage.aspx?sn={SERIALNO}"
 strURL = strURL.Replace("{SERIALNO}",K2.SerialNumber)
 K2.AddWorklist("ASP",System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlPathEncode(strURL))
End Function 

Note: The AddWorklist method takes 2 parameters, the first being the Platform

Can I change the Platform?
Yes! (Look at next question)

What do I need to consider when changing the Platform?
The standard K2.net 2003 Worklist and SPS Tasklist will only display items where the platform is ASP . Changing the platform to anything other than ASP will cause these items not to be available from our standard worklist.