Migrate a Business Object Lifecycle

Migrate your Business Objects from the legacy lifecycle method to get all the benefits of using the Business Object Lifecycle Editor.

A new and recommended method for adding a lifecycle to a Business Object was added to CSM 10.2.0. This method uses a visual lifecycle editor. See Open the Lifecycle Editor. The now legacy method added a lifecycle to a Business Object using Business Object Properties. For more information see Define Lifecycle Properties for a Business Object.

Given the complexity and customizable nature of CSM, updating any associated content to use the new Business Object Lifecycle must be achieved manually. Also we recommend that, if you want to try migration, you do so on a non-production database and you fully consider what is involved by reading this topic beforehand Update Associated Items for Business Object Lifecycle Migration.

Benefits of the Business Object Lifecycle Editor

  • New form controls display and control progression through the lifecycle. Customers can see the progress of their ticket and users can see what requirements need to be met to allow their work to be progressed.
  • The visual editor gives administrators a view of the complete workflow or business process during design and editing. It saves time by removing the need to change many different areas of CSM when updating a lifecycle.
  • Rules and post-transition actions are all added using the Editor, removing the need for administrators to create One-Steps and additional processes to move items between states.

If you are migrating a legacy Business Object lifecycle to a new one that uses the Lifecycle Editor, you may find it useful to draw your existing business process on paper first. This can make it faster when recreating your lifecycle using the visual editor.

If you have lifecycles already attached to Business Objects and you upgrade your system to CSM 10.2.0 or later, be aware of the following:

  • If the Has Lifecycle check box is cleared and then your system is upgraded to CSM 10.2.0 or later, the Lifecycle tab in Business Object properties disappears.
  • If you manually clear the Has Lifecycle check box, then publish a Blueprint, the Lifecycle tab in Business Object properties disappears.
  • You can continue to use the legacy method for existing Business Objects that have lifecycles but lifecycles added to all new Business Objects must be carried out using the Lifecycle Editor. As a result, there is no time pressure to move your Business Objects to the Lifecycle Editor, though you see benefits when you do so.

It is possible to use both legacy and new lifecycles in parallel on the same Business Object but this is not recommended and is not supported by Cherwell. If you have both legacy and new lifecycles setup on the same Business Object in error, the user will be using the one for which you have form controls set up.

Migration methods: