MessageStep workflow step

A MessageStep is a special-purpose step designed to support messaging-based integrations. It automatically generates and sends a single integration message and then stops the workflow until the message completes. (Typically, this is through receipt of an ack return message.) After the message completes, the workflow resumes automatically.

The Workflows editor indicates an message step with a mail icon in the box the represents that step.

Just before running the Enter block, the workflow creates a new message and assigns it to Workflow.Message. Use the Enter block to set the payload for the message. After the Enter block finishes, the workflow commits its bundle and stops. This commits the message. At this point, the messaging subsystem picks up the message and dispatches it.

If something acknowledges the message (either internal or external), PolicyCenter stores an optional response string (supplied with the ack) on the message in the Response field. PolicyCenter then does the following:

• It copies the message into the MessageHistory table
• It updates the workflow to null out the foreign key to the original message and establishes a foreign key to the new MessageHistory entity.

It then resumes the workflow (by creating a new work item).

There can be any number of GO branches that leave a message step (but only GO branches). As with AutoStep Workflow Step, the workflow evaluates each GO condition, and chooses the first one that evaluates to true. If none evaluate to true, the workflow takes the branch with no condition attached to it.