Reproducing your Comala server workflows in Cloud
- Robert Alexander Marshall
Overview
Because the cloud and server platforms work differently, they can't have the same features. Exact feature parity between the environments is not possible.
Because of these functional differences, the Atlassian Migration Assistant cannot migrate existing workflows from the server instance.
After installing the Comala Document Management for Cloud app, you can use
one of the bundled workflows
manually create a workflow in your cloud instance
import one or more workflow
The server and data center apps include a tool, the Workflow Translator for Cloud, to translate the hosted Confluence app workflow to a cloud-compatible workflow. The translated workflow template code can be copied and pasted into the workflow builder code editor in a space document management dashboard in the Confluence Cloud app.
Reproducing a Comala workflow
Workflows bundled with the Cloud app
There are several Comala Document Management workflows available in Comala Document Management for Cloud
These workflows have some feature equivalence to the similarly named workflows found in the server app but have feature and functionalities that are difference in the cloud environment.
Custom workflows
You can create a custom workflow in a space in your cloud site.
a custom workflow in Confluence Cloud is created using the workflow builder visual editor or the code editor
the included cloud workflows can be duplicated and the copy edited using the visual editor or the code editor to create a new custom workflow
Importing workflows from a server or data center instance using workflow translator for cloud
A server or data center workflow can be translated to a cloud-compatible JSON code template using the server app Workflow Translator for Cloud tool (from v6.17.10+). This workflow template code can then be copied and pasted into the code editor in the cloud app.
The tool is not able to translate all the workflow elements into a cloud-compatible workflow. Some workflow elements are not supported in Confluence Cloud (workflow page layout parameters to add a footer, header, or workflow instructions), and other elements, such as triggers, although supported in the cloud app, have different functionalities and must be recreated in the workflow builder visual editor in the cloud.
Further details are found in
Migration resources - Using workflow translator for cloud
Comala Document Management Server and Data Center documentation - Workflow translator for Cloud
Cloud features and functionality
There are some functional and feature differences between a Comala workflow in the cloud app and the workflow in the server app.
In the Atlassian Confluence Cloud platform, some features in the server app workflow are not available or have a different range of functionality in the cloud workflow
for example, there are a different range of events, conditions, and action macros available for workflow triggers in cloud
When using the server Workflow Translator for Cloud tool to translate your server workflows into cloud compatible JSON code, feature differences that are not in cloud or have different functionality will not be translated and are listed in a Messages dialog box in Workflow Translator for Cloud.
Some workflow elements and parameters, for example triggers and workflow parameters that are not translated can be created in cloud but have different features and functionality in the cloud platform.
Additional app installation
If you require the capability to direct view users to approved content:
use the Cloud Publishing for Cloud app
adjust how the workflow works in your Cloud instance
Adding a read confirmation request requires the installation of the Comala Read Confirmations for Cloud app.
If you are using Comala Document Management for Server with a third-party app, you need to check with the vendor for the availability and features of the app in Atlassian Cloud.
Maintaining auditable history
When migrating, there is limited migration of Comala Document Management app data.
For example, only the last workflow state data is copied but the document Document Activity (the report that maintains all the approval data per page) cannot be migrated.
The full history of workflow events and activity for a page and the page status cannot be migrated to the cloud and available within the applied cloud workflow.
For an organization in a Compliance/Regulatory industry that includes a periodic audit, you can
keep Confluence on a server instance so auditors can review your previous document activity/page activity or page status
use the server Attach Activity utility option in each space before migration to create and add the page workflow history as a CSV file attachment to each page. This record is not accessible by the cloud app
Current usage of Comala Document Management in server
For help in analyzing your server instance use of Comala Document Management, you can use the server app support console to capture helpful information on your current usage of the Comala Document Management app.
create an Appfire Comala support package for each space using the app support console option in space tools
Add the Usage data and the Support package to a related support request.