Frequently asked questions on upgrading IBM Case Manager to IBM Business Automation Workflow

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Traditional:
To learn more about FileNet® , WebSphere® Application Server, migration, Content Platform Engine, Case Analyzer, plug-ins, and other support considerations, see these frequently asked questions.

FileNet related

Do I have to upgrade my FileNet Content Manager before augmenting it with a Business Automation Workflow server?: No. For a list of supported FileNet Content Manager versions for each Business Automation Workflow release, see the Detailed system requirements for a specific product.
Is Case Analyzer still supported outside of IBM Case Manager for FileNet P8 processes?: Yes, FileNet Process Engine is supported.
What is the difference between Process Designer in Business Automation Workflow and FileNet Process Designer in Case Manager?: In Case Manager, processes are authored by using FileNet Designer Applet and they run on FileNet Process Engine. In Business Automation Workflow, business processes are authored by using the web-based Process Designer and they run on the process engine that is built on the former IBM BPM Process Engine with a lot more capabilities.
If FileNet P8 Process Engine remains available, can I use the FileNet P8 Process Engine or the Business Automation Workflow engine for new workflows?: The strategic workflow engine is Business Automation Workflow. You can continue to use your FileNet P8 processes in your case projects. Over time, you can replace or add new processes to these projects by using Business Automation Workflow business processes to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities.
Is FileNet P8 Process Engine included in the on-premise installation?: Yes. Because FileNet P8 Process Engine is part of Content Platform Engine, it is automatically included in the on-premise, traditional installation.
How do I deal with two different user interfaces for Case Manager and business process tasks?: Business Automation Workflow process tasks that are related to a case show up in the same user interface as the case or FileNet P8 Process Engine tasks. The tasks from any case activity from either process engine are shown in the same in-basket in the case solution. The task user interface opens in a case tab as before and you can control how that user interface looks, especially if you are using the client-side human service capabilities.

After I migrate from Case Manager to Business Automation Workflow with the Case Manager object stores in an external FileNet Content Manager server, can I continue to use applications that are installed and configured with Case Manager (Case Client, Case administration client, and Case Builder) to work with existing Case Manager solutions?: No. This scenario is not tested. To work with the existing Case Manager solutions, you need to use the new case applications that are installed and configured with IBM Business Automation Workflow. A new Case Builder application is installed and configured on the Business Automation Workflow server to allow for editing the existing Case Manager solutions. The new Case Client and Case administration client applications for Business Automation Workflow are configured with plug-ins against IBM Content Navigator, in the embedded or the external IBM Content Navigator configuration, depending on your migration path. Migrating to an external IBM Content Navigator is the preferred path for Case Manager migration that allows you to keep all of your existing plug-ins and desktop configurations that you had configured with your Case Manager environment. Ensure that when you configure the Business Automation Workflow environment, you use the Case configuration tool that is installed with Business Automation Workflow. Also, make sure to stop existing Case Manager applications and remove any existing Case Manager plug-ins on the existing IBM Content Navigator server after migration.

Migration related

How do I migrate my FileNet P8 processes to Business Automation Workflow processes?

There are no tools to convert FileNet P8 processes to Business Automation Workflow processes. You can continue to use your FileNet P8 processes after upgrading to Business Automation Workflow. Over time, you can refactor your projects to take advantage of the new capabilities offered by business processes.

Do I need to migrate my custom widgets to the Business Automation Workflow server or can they still run on the IBM Content Navigator server?

In the new topology, the case code and custom case widgets and extension packages are on different servers, Business Automation Workflow versus IBM Content Navigator. After you upgrade, your custom widgets continue to run as usual. However, when you install or reinstall a package, you must redirect the references in your plug-in code to the Business Automation Workflow server in one of the following ways:

Using the case configuration tool, as described in the topic Upgrading your IBM Case Manager system using an external IBM Content Navigator. If your custom widget references any Case JavaScript APIs, you must make the changes that are described in this topic.
Manually update your deployed application to run on the same server.

Do I need to migrate the FileNet Content Manager tasks or workflows to Business Automation Workflow process workflows (previously known as IBM BPM workflows) after I configured an external FileNet Content Manager server in Business Automation Workflow?

No. The workflows in the external FileNet Content Manager server remain fully functional, operational, and supported.

Content Platform Engine and Navigator related

I understand we must create the Case Content Platform Engine database to install or use Business Automation Workflow. Can this database be removed later? Will it cause Business Automation Workflow to fail if removed?: The Content Platform Engine database is used for attachments in Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) processes. It is required for Business Automation Workflow and will likely cause errors if it is missing at startup. You should keep the Case database to secure smooth upgrades, even if you are not using the Case Manager capability.
Can you upgrade to the internal Content Platform Engine and IBM Content Navigator that is part of Business Automation Workflow? Or must you upgrade to an external Content Platform Engine and IBM Content Navigator?: If you use an external IBM Content Navigator and Content Platform Engine, you don't need to migrate. If you use the Content Platform Engine and IBM Content Navigator that are part of Business Automation Workflow, you must move all your documents and settings as there are no migration tools available. This approach is not recommended. For case or content use cases, we recommend the External Content Platform Engine or IBM Content Navigator for production.
How is the database design different from Case Manager?: There are more databases (sets of schemas) for Business Automation Workflow. There is no change to the databases in Case Manager or FileNet Content Manager.

Case Analyzer related

Can I still use Case Analyzer with Business Automation Workflow or Cloud Pak for Business Automation?

Yes, you can continue to use Case Analyzer as before. The components of Case Analyzer are included in the Business Automation Workflow bundle.

Case Analyzer continues to work with Business Automation Workflow configured with an external Content Platform Engine that is either on-premise or in a container. You can also take advantage of the functions that are offered by IBM Business Automation Insights.

If you already have Case Analyzer with Case Manager, you have the following options:

If you upgrade from Case Manager V5.3.3, you might already have the Case Analyzer components that are bundled with Business Automation Workflow. No additional upgrade is needed for Case Analyzer.
If you upgrade from a Case Manager version earlier than V5.3.3, you must install the Case Analyzer components that are bundled with Business Automation Workflow.

For more information on configuring Case Analyzer with Cloud Pak for Business Automation, see Configuring Case Analyzer store that uses external Microsoft Analysis services server connection in a Cloud Pak for Business Automation (CP4BA) deployment.

Is the Case Analyzer database moved or migrated during the upgrade to Business Automation Workflow?

Case Analyzer uses its own database and schema for storing its configuration and data. When you upgrade from Case Manager to Business Automation Workflow, you configure Business Automation Workflow with an external Content Platform Engine that uses the servers and databases that are used for your existing Case Manager environment. As Content Platform Engine is not changed but rather reconfigured to be used with Business Automation Workflow, your Case Analyzer database does not need to change either.

Support related

Do IBM Content Navigator or IBM Case Manager plug-ins that are developed on a previous version need to be rewritten?: No rewrite is needed. However, as the case component now runs on the Business Automation Workflow server instead of the Navigator server, you might need to modify widgets to point to the Navigator server.
Does Business Automation Workflow still support custom IBM Content Navigator plug-ins as before?: Yes.
Can Business Automation Workflow and Case Manager work in the same domain as side-by-side installs?: No, this option is not supported.
What support options are available for Case Manager V5.3.x going forward?: For revised information about the software support for Case Manager V5.3.x, see this document.

Others

Can we create multiple deployment environments?: You can. However, it is a safer to go with a new cell for Business Automation Workflow.
Is WebLogic supported?: No, WebLogic is no longer supported in Business Automation Workflow.
How can I size a Business Automation Workflow installation when you upgrade from a Case Manager installation?: If you do not plan to change anything on your existing case solution, your overall hardware footprint should be similar. If you have more new case types and processes, you might want to do a new sizing.
Are functions in Case Manager such as exporting queue display, sending email, available in Business Automation Workflow?: Yes, it is the same engine. You keep all of these functions, and you also gain the Business Automation Workflow capabilities.