Activiti Cloud Notification Service

In order to provide a scalable notification service, we evaluated GraphQL and the integration with messaging systems such as RabbitMQ to provide reliable Subscription based mechanism where users can register interest in certain events emitted by the core building blocks. For now this endpoint is available as ACTIVITI_ADMIN role only.

GraphQL Query Endpoint

The GraphQL Query API provides single entry GraphQL query endpoint at /graphql URI with support for expressive process entity schema and type-safe query criteria expressions in order to execute flexible, fast and declarative data queries for consumer applications.

Supported HTTP Methods, Headers, and Body

Activiti GraphQL Rest Controller handles both HTTP GET and POST method requests.

GET requests

When receiving an HTTP GET request, the GraphQL query should be specified in the query parameter. For example, if we wanted to execute the following GraphQL query:

{
  ProcessInstance(processInstanceId:"1") {
    processInstanceId
    tasks {
      id
      name
    }
  }
}

This request could be sent via an HTTP GET like so:

http://host/graphql?query={ProcessInstance(processInstanceId:"1"){processInstanceId,tasks{id,name}}}

Query variables can be sent as a JSON-encoded string in an additional query parameter called variables.

POST requests

A standard GraphQL POST request uses the application/json content type, and includes a JSON-encoded body of the following form:

{
  "query": "query($id: String) { ProcessInstance(processInstanceId: $id) { processInstanceId, tasks { id, name } } }",
  "variables": { "id": "value" }
}

The field variables is optional.

In addition to the above, ActivitiQraphQLController supports the following cases:

  • If the application/x-www-form-urlencoded Content-Type header is present in the POST request, the GraphQL query should be specified in the query parameter string. Query variables can be sent as a JSON-encoded string in an additional query parameter called variables.

  • If the "application/graphql" Content-Type header is present, treat the HTTP POST body contents as the GraphQL query string.

GraphQL Query Response

Regardless of the method by which the query and variables were sent, the response is returned in the body of the request in JSON format.

{
  "data": {
    "ProcessInstance": {
      "processInstanceId": "1",
      "tasks": [
        {
          "id": "4",
          "name": "task4",
          "assignee": "assignee",
          "status": "COMPLETED",
        },
        {
          "id": "5",
          "name": "task5",
          "assignee": "assignee",
          "status": "COMPLETED",
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "errors": null
}

If there were no errors returned, the "errors" field will be null in the response object.

GraphQL Query Schema

Activiti GraphQL query endpoint provides schema descriptions derived from JPA entity model at runtime for the following entities: ProcessInstance, Task, ProcessVariable and TaskVariable. The schema also derives GraphQL scalar types from JPA entity model attributes to validate provided variable values against the schema.

Each entity in the query model is wrapped into two GraphQL query fields, i.e. ProcessInstance entity will have two representations in the GraphQL schema:

  • One that models the entity directly using singular form, i.e. ProcessInstance or Task to query single entity instance by id argument.

  • One that wraps the entity in a pagable query request with where criteria expression using Entity pluralized form, i.e. ProcessInstances or Tasks

For example, you can use singular query wrapper, if you need a single object as root of your query:

query {
  ProcessInstance(processInstanceId:"1") {
    processInstanceId
    tasks {
      id
      name
      assignee
      status
    }
  }
}

Will return:

{
  "ProcessInstance": {
    "processInstanceId": "1",
    "tasks": [
      {
        "id": "4",
        "name": "task4",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "ASSIGNED"
      },
      {
        "id": "5",
        "name": "task5",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "COMPLETED"
      }
    ]
  }
}

GraphQL Pluralized Query Wrapper with Where Criteria Expressions

This GraphtQL schema supports flexible type safe criteria expressions with familiar SQL query syntax semantics using where arguments int the select query field to use any combination of logical expressions like OR, AND, EQ, NE, GT, GE, LT, LR, IN, NIN, IS_NULL, NOT_NULL, BETWEEN, NOT_BETWEEN provided by SQL query language.

For example, the following query will find all running process instances with active tasks:

query {
  ProcessInstances(where: {
    status: { IN: RUNNING }
  }) {
    select {
      processInstanceId
      status
      tasks(where: {status: {IN: [CREATED,ASSIGNED] }}) {
        id
        name
        assignee
        status
      }
    }
  }
}

Will return

{
  "ProcessInstances": {
    "select": [
      {
        "processInstanceId": "0",
        "status": "RUNNING",
        "tasks": [
          {
            "id": "1",
            "name": "task1",
            "assignee": "assignee",
            "status": "ASSIGNED"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "processInstanceId": "1",
        "status": "RUNNING",
        "tasks": [
          {
            "id": "5",
            "name": "task5",
            "assignee": "assignee",
            "status": "ASSIGNED"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

GraphQL Reverse Query

You can execute an inverse query to fitler results with a join in many-to-one association.

For Example:

query {
  Tasks {
    select {
      name
      assignee
      status
      processInstance(where: {processInstanceId: {EQ: "1"}}) {
        processInstanceId
        status
      }
      variables {
        name
        type
        value
      }
    }
  }
}

Will return result:

{
  "Tasks": {
    "select": [
      {
        "name": "task4",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "Running",
        "processInstance": {
          "processInstanceId": "1",
          "status": "RUNNING"
        },
        "variables": [
          {
            "name": "variable5",
            "type": "String",
            "value": "value5"
          },
          {
            "name": "variable6",
            "type": "String",
            "value": "value6"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": "task5",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "COMPLETED",
        "processInstance": {
          "processInstanceId": 1,
          "status": "RUNNING"
        },
        "variables": []
      }
    ]
  }
}

GraphQL Paged Queries

Use plural query wrapper with Where Criteria Expressions to run complex queries with paged collection results and request total records and pages counts:

query {
  ProcessInstances(page: {start:1, limit:1}) {
    pages
    total
    select {
      processInstanceId
      tasks {
        id
        name
        assignee
        status
      }
    }
  }
}

The result will be:

{
  "ProcessInstances": {
    "pages": 2,
    "total": 2,
    "select": [
      {
        "processInstanceId": 0,
        "tasks": [
          {
            "id": "2",
            "name": "task2",
            "assignee": "assignee",
            "status": "RUNNING"
          },
          {
            "id": "3",
            "name": "task3",
            "assignee": "assignee",
            "status": "RUNNING"
          },
          {
            "id": "1",
            "name": "task1",
            "assignee": "assignee",
            "status": "COMPLETED"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

To optimize query performance, the GraphQL Query DataFetcher implementation will execute an extra query to get the total elements only if you have requested 'pages' or 'total' fields.

GraphQL Query Sorting

Sorting is supported on any field. Simply pass in an 'orderBy' argument with the value of ASC or DESC in the query field attribute. Here's an example of sorting by name for Task objects. If sort order is not specified and there is no field with default sort order provided, query data fetcher use the identity field for default sorting in order to avoid paging confusions.

For Example:

query {
  Tasks {
    select {
      id
      name(orderBy:DESC)
      assignee
      status
    }
  }
}

Will Return:

{
  "Tasks": {
    "select": [
      {
        "id": "5",
        "name": "task5",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "Completed"
      },
      {
        "id": "4",
        "name": "task4",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "Running"
      },
      {
        "id": "3",
        "name": "task3",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "Running"
      },
      {
        "id": "2",
        "name": "task2",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "Running"
      },
      {
        "id": "1",
        "name": "task1",
        "assignee": "assignee",
        "status": "Completed"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Variable Parameter Bindings

Just like a REST API, it is possible to pass arguments to an endpoint in a GraphQL API. By declaring the arguments in the query defintion, typechecking happens automatically. Each argument must be named with $ prefix, have a type. To use variable, simply reference it in any criteria expressions inside query statements. Each argument's value will be resolved during query execution pipeline.

{
   "query": "query($status: String!) {
      ProcessInstances(where: {
        OR: {
          status: { EQ: $status}
        }
      }) {
        select {
          processInstanceId
          status
          tasks(where: {status: {EQ: COMPLETED}}) {
            id
            name
            assignee
            status
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ",
   "variables":{"status":"RUNNING"}
}

GraphQL Query Performance

The Activiti GraphQL Data Fetcher implementation will build dynamic JPA fetch graph in order to minimize the number of queries executed against database in order to avoid 1+N lazy loading problems.

How to demo Activiti GraphQL Query API

The GraphiQL app browser can be used for simple testing. It provides schema documentation browser and query builder with auto-completion support, as well as parameter bindings.

Then, navigate to http://host/notifications/graphiql to load GraphiQL browser. Use hradmin or testadmin user to login.

The collapsed Docs panel can opened by clicking on the button in the upper right corner to expose current test schema models.

You can run GraphQL queries in the left pannel. Type the query and hit the run button. The results should come up in the middle panel. If your query has variables, there is a minimized panel at the bottom left. Simply click on this to expand, and type in your variables as a JSON string with quoted keys.

GraphQL Subscription API

Activiti Notifications GraphQL Query endpoint provides a universal mechanism to execute declarative queries using a complete and understandable schema description of the process instance, task and variable data that gives users the power to ask for exactly what they need in the shape they want. However, often times users want to get pushed updates from the server when data they care about changes. To support that, we are introducing support for GraphQL Subscriptions that offers real-time data updates with subscriptions and push data notifications in near real-time over WebSockets.

How it works

Notifications Service GraphQL Subscriptions implementation leverages Spring’s WebSocket Message Broker to provide real-time full duplex communication between client application and backend Notification service.

The root of GraphQL Subscription type provides engineEvents query field to subscribe to ProcessEngineNotification type:

type Subscription {
  engineEvents (
      serviceName : String, 
      appName : String, 
      processDefinitionKey : String,
      processInstanceId : String,
      businessKey : String 
  ) : ProcessEngineNotification
}

The ProcessEngineNotification type provides data fiels to specify any combination of EVENT_TYPES you may want to receive as part of the notifcation payload:

type ProcessEngineNotification {
    serviceName : String
    appName : String 
    processDefinitionKey : String 
    processInstanceId : String 
    businessKey : String 
    PROCESS_STARTED : [PROCESS_STARTED]
    PROCESS_COMPLETED : [PROCESS_COMPLETED]
    PROCESS_CREATED : [PROCESS_CREATED]
    PROCESS_CANCELLED : [PROCESS_CANCELLED]
    PROCESS_RESUMED : [PROCESS_RESUMED]
    PROCESS_SUSPENDED : [PROCESS_SUSPENDED]
    ACTIVITY_STARTED : [ACTIVITY_STARTED]
    ACTIVITY_CANCELLED : [ACTIVITY_CANCELLED]
    ACTIVITY_COMPLETED : [ACTIVITY_COMPLETED]
    VARIABLE_CREATED : [VARIABLE_CREATED]
    VARIABLE_UPDATED : [VARIABLE_UPDATED]
    VARIABLE_DELETED : [VARIABLE_DELETED]
    SEQUENCE_FLOW_TAKEN : [SEQUENCE_FLOW_TAKEN]
    TASK_CREATED : [TASK_CREATED]
    TASK_COMPLETED : [TASK_COMPLETED]
    TASK_ASSIGNED : [TASK_ASSIGNED]
    TASK_ACTIVATED : [TASK_ACTIVATED]
    TASK_SUSPENDED : [TASK_SUSPENDED]
    TASK_CANCELLED : [TASK_CANCELLED]
    INTEGRATION_REQUESTED : [INTEGRATION_REQUESTED]
    INTEGRATION_RESULT_RECEIVED : [INTEGRATION_RESULT_RECEIVED]
    TASK_CANDIDATE_USER_ADDED: [TASK_CANDIDATE_USER_ADDED]
    TASK_CANDIDATE_USER_REMOVED: [TASK_CANDIDATE_USER_REMOVED]
    TASK_CANDIDATE_GROUP_ADDED: [TASK_CANDIDATE_GROUP_ADDED]
    TASK_CANDIDATE_GROUP_REMOVED: [TASK_CANDIDATE_GROUP_REMOVED]
}

Each EVENT_TYPE defines its own unique attributes, i.e. PROCESS_STARTER event type defines the following fields:

type PROCESS_STARTED {
    serviceName : String
    serviceFullName : String
    serviceVersion : String
    serviceType : String
    appName : String
    appVersion : String
    entityId : String

    id : String
    timestamp : Long
    entity : ProcessInstanceType
    eventType : String

    nestedProcessDefinitionId : String
    nestedProcessInstanceId : String    
}

It also contains embedded entity field of type ProcessInstanceType having the following attributes:

type ProcessInstanceType {
    id : String
    parentId : String
    name : String
    description : String
    processDefinitionId : String
    processDefinitionKey : String
    processDefinitionVersion : Long
    businessKey: String
    initiator : String
    startDate : String
    status : String
}
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