Unified Messaging Service Framework: Wealth of Messages

Many times we have resorted to browser scripts for displaying message and based on the input given have decided steps to follow but with the introduction of UMS the dependency on the browser script can be avoided. We can do wonders with the UMS framework which can really help in orchestration of system.

UMS is highly used in Order Management however Siebel is kind enough to allow us to use this for any other standard BO. However we need certain level of customization and scripting to achieve this. The main advantage of this framework is to invoke popup applets from workflow. I was not sure whether it was possible or not but as they say absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. A more than little help from support web and universal buddy Google made it. The details of Unified Messaging Service is available in OrderManagement guide. Here we will try to construct and invoke message from Service Request List Applet. It will display snapshot of Service Request which will help SR agent to work upon certain actions. Make sure you are working on SIA application. This goes in three steps:

1 - Creation of Message Type to be displayed.

a ) Navigate to Administration- Order Management -> Message Types.Create new record with following fields:

Name: Testing UMF

Display Mode: Active

Group:Internal Error Message

Title: Testing UMF

Short Text: Testing UMF

Full Text: Status: [Status]

Account: [Account]

Deparment: [Department]

Product: [Product]

b ) Navigate to Payload Tab. Define input payload fields as below:

Status

Account

Department

Product

These parameters will be replaced to actual values at runtime.

c ) Navigate to Response Tab this will hold the business service and method name to be invoked on clicking responses. Create following record in Response applet.

Sequence: 1

Name: Assign\ReAssign

Business Service: ResponseService // We will write this business service in later steps. Initially it can be left blank.

Method: AssignRequest

Sequence: 2

Name: Additional Information

Business Service: ResponseService

Method: AddInfo

Sequence: 3

Name: Opinion Request

Business Service: ResponseService

Method: OpReq

Now our Message set is done. Its time to invoke this message from applet. We will keep business service null for time being.

2 - Add the required BC's in the Service Request business object including "UMF Active Message Virtual BusComp", "UMF File Handler","UMF Passive Message Virtual BusComp".Navigate to Service Request List Applet. Add a button on the list applet with method as "Popup". Open script editor for this and add below script. This script will create message hierarchy at runtime to be invoked on button click.

if(MethodName == "Popup")

{

// Local declaration

var obj_UMS; // Business Service "Unified Messaging Service"

var obj_Inputs_PS; // Property Set used as inputs for UMS business service

var obj_Outputs_PS; // Property Set used as outputs for UMS business service

var obj_MessageList_PS; // Property Set used to construct the list of messages to be sent to UMS business service

var obj_Message_PS; // Property Set used to construct the message to be sent to UMS business service

var obj_Payload_PS; // Property Set used to construct the list of payload-value pairs be sent to UMS business service

var str_ErrMsg; // Used to create error message strings

// Variables initialization

obj_UMS = TheApplication().GetService("Unified Messaging Service");

obj_Inputs_PS = TheApplication().NewPropertySet();

obj_Outputs_PS = TheApplication().NewPropertySet();

obj_MessageList_PS = TheApplication().NewPropertySet();

obj_Message_PS = TheApplication().NewPropertySet();

obj_Payload_PS = TheApplication().NewPropertySet();

obj_Payload_PS.SetType("Payload");

//Creating Paload

obj_Payload_PS.SetProperty("Business Component","Service Request");

obj_Payload_PS.SetProperty("Status",this.BusComp().GetFieldValue("Status"));

obj_Payload_PS.SetProperty("Account",this.BusComp().GetFieldValue("Account"));

obj_Payload_PS.SetProperty("Department",this.BusComp().GetFieldValue("Department"));

obj_Payload_PS.SetProperty("Product",this.BusComp().GetFieldValue("Product"));

// Build message property set

obj_Message_PS.SetType("Message");

obj_Message_PS.SetProperty("Score", "100");

obj_Message_PS.SetProperty("Message Id", this.BusComp().GetFieldValue("Id"));

obj_Message_PS.SetProperty("Message Type", "Testing UMF");

obj_Message_PS.SetProperty("Display Mode", "Active");

obj_Message_PS.AddChild(obj_Payload_PS);

// Build message list property set

obj_MessageList_PS.SetType("Message List");

obj_MessageList_PS.AddChild(obj_Message_PS);

obj_Inputs_PS.SetProperty("Source", "SR Messages");

obj_Inputs_PS.AddChild(obj_MessageList_PS);

// Submit message to the unified messaging service

obj_UMS.InvokeMethod("AddMessages", obj_Inputs_PS, obj_Outputs_PS);

return (CancelOperation);

}

we can also write a business service and call that business service from workflow and invoke that workflow on button click. After compilation on button click following popup will appear.

The next important step is to capture responses and define appropriate actions. We will cover this in the next post till then stay tuned.