ValidateUpdateSetParentDependencies

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of ValidateUpdateSetParentDependencies

    The ValidateUpdateSetParentDependencies validator helps ServiceNow customers identify workflows that are interdependent but edited in separate active update sets. Specifically, it detects when a workflow is used as a subflow in parent workflows that are being modified concurrently in different update sets. This situation can cause deployment and compatibility issues when migrating workflows between instances.

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    Key Features

    • Detects workflows that are subflows called by parent workflows in other in-progress update sets.
    • Issues a warning about potential incompatibility risks when parent and subflow workflows are edited separately.
    • Provides clear validation results with messages indicating whether there are update set dependency issues.
    • Operates only on update sets that are currently in progress or checked out to users, ignoring closed update sets.
    • Is publishable and runnable within the ServiceNow platform.

    Why This Matters

    When parent workflows and their dependent subflows are modified in separate update sets, it can lead to runtime validation failures or unexpected behavior after deployment. For example, if a subflow’s return type changes in one update set but the parent workflow remains on an older version in another update set, the parent workflow might fail or produce incorrect results when deployed to a new instance.

    Suggested Actions

    • Deploy both parent and dependent workflows together in the same update set to ensure compatibility and smooth migration.
    • If separate update sets are necessary, ensure all related update sets migrate concurrently or merge dependencies into a single update set before completing deployment.

    Common Scenarios and Troubleshooting

    This validator warns when:

    • A published subflow is in a different in-progress update set than its parent workflow.
    • A subflow is checked out by another user working in a different update set than the current user.

    It helps prevent scenarios where workflows fail at runtime due to version mismatches or missing dependencies following migration.

    Example Risk Scenario

    Two users edit related workflows in separate update sets:

    • User A modifies a workflow’s return value type and publishes it in Update Set A.
    • User B includes that workflow as a subflow and modifies a parent workflow in Update Set B.
    • If Update Set B is moved alone to another instance without the updated subflow, runtime errors or logic differences can occur.

    Practical Solutions

    • Solution 1: Migrate both parent and dependent workflows together in the same update set, republishing as needed and completing the update set before deployment.
    • Solution 2: Move dependent workflows into the parent workflow’s update set using the System Update Sets interface, consolidating dependencies before migration.

    These methods ensure workflows remain compatible and functional when deployed to other ServiceNow instances.

    The ValidateUpdateSetParentDependencies validator identifies all the workflows that call the current workflow as a subflow and determines if any of those parent workflows are being edited in a different update set that is in progress.

    This warning informs the user that this workflow and one or more workflows that depend on this workflow are being actively modified in a way that will not deploy concurrently to another instance without additional effort.

    Validation summary

    • Risk: If a parent workflow is edited in one update set and its dependent subflow is edited in another, the two workflows might not be compatible when moved to a different instance. Making independent changes, such as editing common or expected values, can make the two workflows incompatible.
    • Severity Level: Warning
    • Valid Result: Valid
    • Valid Message: There were no Update Set dependency issues found.
    • Invalid Result: Invalid
    • Invalid Message: This workflow has dependent workflows that are in a different update set.
    • Suggested Action: Modify and deploy both workflows in the same update set. If you must modify dependencies in separate update sets, use one of these methods:
      • Ensure that all update sets migrate concurrently.
      • Prior to deploying the main flow update set, merge the dependencies into one update set before setting that update set to complete.
    • Publishable: Yes
    • Runnable: Yes
    • Related Information: Workflow movement with update sets

    Troubleshooting

    A workflow is added to an update set only when the workflow is published. This validator issues a warning when either of the following conditions exist:

    • A published subflow is in a different update set than the parent workflow and that update set is In progress.
    • A subflow is checked out by another user, who is working in a different update set than the current user.
    Note:
    This validator does not look for update sets that have been closed. It looks only at update sets that are In progress or at the update sets of all parent workflows that call the current workflow and are checked out to users who are working in a different update set.

    Example

    Following is an example of an at-risk development scenario in which two users create dependencies between workflows in different update sets.

    User A:

    1. Sets Update Set A to the current update set.
    2. Checks out Workflow A.
    3. Changes the return value of the String type in Workflow A to a Reference/User type.
    4. Publishes Workflow A, causing an entry into Update Set A.

    User B:

    1. Sets Update Set B to the current update set.
    2. Checks out Workflow B.
    3. Includes Workflow A as a subflow.
    4. Uses the user reference return value from Workflow A as an approval assignment.
    5. Publishes Workflow B, causing an entry into Update Set B.

    Risks

    • User B moves Update Set B to a different instance that has an older version of Workflow A. The return value is not a user reference, which causes the outcome of Workflow B to be different than it was when tested in development.
    • User B moves Update Set B to a new instance that does not have a version of Workflow A. Workflow B experiences a validation failure at runtime and cannot execute. A log entry is added to the workflow log of the current record.

    Possible solutions

    Solution 1

    Migrate the parent workflow and all dependent workflows to a new instance together using the same update set.

    1. Set the update set to the one you want to migrate to new instances.
    2. Check out and republish the workflows that need to be included.
      Note:
      This action forces an entry into the current update set.
    3. Complete the update set with all dependencies.
    4. Follow standard procedures for migrating update sets to local instances. For information about update sets, see System update sets.

    Solution 2

    Move dependent workflows between update sets.

    1. Identify the update set containing the main workflow to be migrated.
    2. Navigate to System Update Sets > Local Update Sets.
    3. Find and select the update set that contains the dependencies to the main workflow.
    4. In the Customer Updates related list, select the workflow version of the subflow you want to move.
    5. Select the update set containing the parent workflow in the Update set field. If this field is not on the Customer Update form, configure the form and add the field.
    6. Click Update. The base system moves the dependent subflow to the update set selected.
    7. Repeat steps 4-6 to add additional dependent subflows to the parent flow update set.