When a Workflow Process Instance is suspended, any currently executing activities are allowed to complete. New Activity Instances are created and immediately suspended.

This table stores the activity instance details for all currently suspended activities associated with a suspended workflow Process Instance .

Example

You define a workflow (Process Definition) to allow correspondence to be sent to customers whenever their payment details change. The activities defined in your workflow are:

• system prints out a letter (automatic);
• User puts the letter in an envelope and posts it (manual); and
• 'End Process' (a necessary step to end the workflow which is mandated by the Process Definition Tool).

Person John Smith's payment details change due to an increase in rates. This increase raises an event which causes the Workflow Engine to enact your workflow and create a Process Instance. As soon as the Process Instance is started, administrator Ronan Rooney realizes that the printer is not working. He suspends the process before it executes the 'system prints out a letter' activity. A suspended activity record is added for this Activity Instance, and the Process Instance ceases to continue.

At a later time the problems with the printer are resolved and administrator Ronan Rooney resumes the Process Definition. All suspended activity records associated with the suspended Process Instance are read from this table and resumed.

Technical Notes

• Once a suspended Process Instance has resumed, all suspended activity records are deleted from this table.
• If an Activity Instance associated with a suspended Process Instance references a synchronous sub-flow Process Definition, the sub-flow Process Instance is similarly suspended.