Add or create a Comala workflow in Cloud using workflow builder or the JSON editor

Overview

Due to functional differences between the Cloud and Server platforms, we cannot deliver 1:1 feature parity between the environments. These differences are listed in a product comparison.

For this reason, the migration tool does not include the migration of existing Comala workflows from the server instance.

You must install and license the Comala Document Management for Cloud and either

• manually create the Comala workflows in your Cloud site

• import JSON cloud-compatible workflows from another space or Confluence site

• translate your server workflows using the server Workflow translator for Cloud and import the workflow using the code editor

Comala Document Management Cloud workflows

Currently, some Comala Document Management server app features are unavailable or have a different range of functionality in Comala Document Management for Cloud.

Current feature differences in our cloud app include

• different events and action macros available for workflow triggers

• application of a space workflow cannot be filtered by content label

• creating, editing, and importing custom workflows is limited to a space administrator

Bundled workflows

The workflows available on installation of Comala Document Management for Cloud

• Basic Approval workflow

• Content Expiry workflow

• Quality Management Systems QMS Workflow

These workflows are added to the document management dashboard in all the spaces in the cloud site.

Open

Custom workflows

Custom workflows in Confluence Cloud are created or added to the document management dashboard in a space using either the

• workflow builder visual editor

• JSON code editor

A custom workflow in your server instance can be added to your cloud instance by

• manually creating the workflow in the cloud

• translating the server workflow to cloud-compatible JSON code using the workflow translator for cloud and copying and pasting the JSON code into the cloud code editor in a space

Workflow translator for cloud

v6.17.10+

In the server and data center app, a workflow is translated to cloud-compatible JSON code using the Workflow Translator for Cloud option in workflow builder.

Open

Server/data center workflow features that cannot be translated are displayed in the Messages dialog box.

• use the Copy button to copy the cloud-compatible JSON code

Navigate to a space in the cloud site

• choose Space Settings>Apps>Comala Document Management

The space document management dashboard is displayed.

In the space document management dashboard

• choose Create New Workflow to open the visual editor

• add a temporary workflow name in the visual editor

• choose the code editor icon { }

• highlight the existing code and paste the copied code into the code editor (overwriting the existing code)

• choose Save

• choose Exit

The imported workflow is added as an editable custom workflow in the space document management dashboard.

Cloud workflow features 

Some Comala workflow server app features are unavailable or have different functionalities in the cloud app.

Differences in the cloud app include

• workflow triggers include a different range of available

  • trigger events

  • trigger conditions

  • trigger actions

• some parameters are not supported

  • workflow macro does not include the following parameters

    • header parameter

    • footer parameter

  • workflow state macro does not include the following parameters

    • hideselection parameter

    • hidefrompath parameter - current state cannot be hidden from the progress bar in the workflow popup

    • taskable parameter - manual addition of workflow tasks by a user in a workflow state

    • changeduedate parameter - a user, by default, can edit the due date for a state

• e-signatures

  • when enabled for a workflow approval a user

    • MUST use a third-party authentication app to generate a security token

• workflow parameters

  • only user, group and duration parameter type values can be managed at a space level in the document management dashboard

Workflow triggers and workflow parameters are available in Comala Document Management Cloud but have different functionalities. You must review the appropriate cloud app documentation and edit the feature using the cloud workflow builder visual editor or code editor.

Migration data

Due to Atlassian Confluence platform limitations

• custom content properties on a page are not migrated

• only the last workflow state data is copied but the full document activity data for a page is not migrated

A full history of the workflow events and actions on a page can be migrated as an attachment on the migrated page. Before migrating a space, a space administrator needs to run the Attach Activity option for a space. This attaches a CSV file of the workflow history to the page for audit purposes.

Additional apps

Based on your migration planning and needs requirements, you may also need to install and configure additional apps

• the Cloud Publishing for Cloud app manages page development in a source space, publishing approved pages to a target space

• the Comala Read Confirmations for Cloud app adds user read confirmations