What is a Global Activity?

Global activities are primarily used to allow end users to run applications or database queries only when needed.

These applications are not an integral part of the process, but they contain information that can be accessed on an "as needed" basis. As a result of this, Global activities can be assigned to any user-defined role. Global activities never have transition lines going to or coming from them. They do not have interaction with instances either.

Global activities are useful to easily run lookup queries on databases, to quickly send e-mails or to invoke any applications that will help the end user as he or she interacts with the process.

You can also implement certain predefined functions using a Global activity, such as:

Process image: shows the instance within the process graphic.
Display instance: you can custom the instance panel.
Workload: shows the process workload.
Dashboard: shows business activity monitoring based on stored information.

Using the Global Activity

The following table outlines some of the considerations when using the Global Activity within ALBPM Studio.

WorkSpace	The Global activity is visible in WorkSpace, but only to users assigned to the role where the Global activity exists. If the Global activity does not have access to the instance, it can be executed from the WorkSpace Application view. If the Global activity has access to the instance, it can be executed from the WorkSpace next to the instance. The following Global activities can be executed from the Optional tasks toolbar: All Global activities that do not have instance access, for example the Workload global activity Global activities that have instance access but defined as Read-Only. Global activities defined as Process image. When you execute a Main task you have enabled the optional toolbar. Check Workload and SendMail are Global activities with no instance access.
Roles	Global activities reside in user-defined roles.
Variables	Global activities can access predefined, local and argument variables from the BP-Method Editor.
Pre Conditions	No preconditions are required for the Global activity. It is an "as needed" activity that can interface with an instance. or be an independent activity with no relation to an instance.
Post Conditions	There are no post-conditions for the Global activity.
Transitions	There are no transitions to or from the Global activity.
Tasks	The task has to be defined by the developer. The global activity can have only one task to be completed, that is, the Main Task. The Global activity can have instance access or no interaction with an instance. Based on this property, the task can have different type of implementation.
Business Process Methods	There are no methods for this Activity.