Purging Process Data

LiveCycle provides a means to purge process data by using the LiveCycle Java API and web service API. Process data that is generated when a long-lived process is invoked can become too large, resulting in lower LiveCycle performance and the use of unnecessary disk space. It is good practice to purge process data when records are no longer necessary. For information about long-lived processes, see Understanding LiveCycle Processes.

When purging process data, you can purge a specific process or all processes that belong to a category defined in Workbench. For example, consider the processes shown in the following illustration.

View full size graphic

If you purge process data that corresponds to processes under the Samples - LiveCycle category, then all process data that belongs to the MortgageLoan - Prebuilt and SecureDocument processes is deleted. To purge data that belongs to a specific process, specify the name of the process. For example, you can purge process data that corresponds to the SecureDocument process (shown in the previous illustration). Optionally, when purging process data, you can define a filter expression that only purges data that conforms to the filter.

When purging data, it is possible to purge just that process or the process and its child processes. A child process is a process that was instantiated as part of another process execution (for example, the parent process).

Note: This topic discusses how to purge a specific process using a filter as opposed to purging processes that belong to a category.

Summary of steps

To purge process data, perform the following tasks:

  1. Include project files.

  2. Create a ProcessManager Client API object.

  3. Specify the filter that determines the data to purge.

  4. Perform the purge operation.

Include project files

Include necessary files in your development project. If you are creating a client application by using Java, include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services, make sure that you include the proxy files.

The following JAR files must be added to your project’s class path:

  • adobe-livecycle-client.jar

  • adobe-usermanager-client.jar

  • adobe-workflow-client-sdk.jar

  • adobe-utilities.jar (required if LiveCycle is deployed on JBoss)

  • jbossall-client.jar (required if LiveCycle is deployed on JBoss)

For information about the location of these JAR files, see Including LiveCycle Java library files.

Create a ProcessManager Client API object

To programmatically purge process data, you create a Process Management client object to use the Process Manager Service API.

Specify the filter that determines the data to purge

To create a filter that purges process data, specify three values:

  • The name of the process variable on which the filter is based.

  • The condition that you want to use (use a condition operator).

  • The value of the process variable.

The following condition operators can be used:

  • equal

  • not equal

  • less-than

  • less than or equal

  • greater than

  • greater than or equal

  • SQL LIKE

  • begins with text

  • ends with text

  • contains text

These operators are expressed as a ConditionEnum enumeration value. For example, to specify greater than, you use the following value ConditionEnum.GREATER_THAN.

Condition filters can be combined using logical filters (AndFilter and OrFilter) to build complex expressions. For example:

(approved=true | approved=yes) & date<'January 10, 2008' & customer ~ 'John Doe'

Using complex expressions is the only way to specify multiple process variables in one filter expression. The logical filters are created by using the AndFilter (PurgeFilter left, PurgeFilter right) or OrFilter (PurgeFilter left, PurgeFilter right) constructors, where left and right are other instances of a condition or logical filter.

Note: A filter is only used when purging data that corresponds to a specific process. If you are purging data that corresponds to processes belonging to a category, then a filter is not used.

Perform the purge operation

After you include required library files, create a ProcessManager Client API object, and optionally define a filter, you can purge process data. When purging process data, you can specify the minor and major version of the process and specify whether child process data should also purged.

See also

Purge process data using the Java API

Purge process data using the web service API

Including LiveCycle Java library files

Setting connection properties

LiveCycleProcess API Quick Starts

Invoking Human-Centric Long-Lived Processes.

Purge process data using the Java API

Purge process data by using the ProcessManager API (Java):

  1. Include project files

    Include client JAR files, such as adobe-workflow-client-sdk.jar, in your Java project’s class path.

  2. Create a ProcessManager Client API object

    • Create a ServiceClientFactory object that contains connection properties.

    • Create a ProcessManager object by using its constructor and passing a ServiceClientFactory object.

  3. Specify the filter that determines the data to purge

    Create a ConditionFilter object by using its constructor and passing the following values:

    • A string value that specifies the process variable on which the condition is based.

    • A ConditionEnum value that specifies the condition operator. For example, specify ConditionEnum.GREATER_THAN to specify greater than.

    • A string value that specifies the value of the process variable.

  4. Perform the purge operation

    Perform the purge operation by invoking the ProcessManager object’s purgeProcess method and passing the following values:

    • A string value that specifies the name of the process to purge.

    • A short value that specifies the major version of the process.

    • A short value that specifies the minor version of the process.

    • An integer value that specifies the status of the process. Valid values are 1 which specifies to purge completed processes only; 2 which specifies to purge terminated processes only; 3 which specifies to purge both completed and terminated processes.

    • A long value that specifies the seconds defining the age of the process to purge. The process is purged if its completion time is less than or equal to the time calculated by subtracting the number of seconds specified by this value from the time when the purge started. For example, to purge processes completed a day ago, set this field to 86400 (number of seconds in a day).

    • A ConditionFilter object that represents the filter that is used to purge the process.

    • A Boolean value that specifies whether to delete child processes. Specify false to only delete just the parent process. In this situation, process data related to child processes are not deleted.

    Note: You can purge all processes that belong to a category by invoking the ProcessManager object’s purgeProcesses method.

See also

Purging Process Data

Quick Start (EJB mode): Purging process data using the Java API

Including LiveCycle Java library files

Setting connection properties.

Invoking Human-Centric Long-Lived Processes

Purge process data using the web service API

Purge process data by using the ProcessManager API (web service):

  1. Include project files

    • Create a Microsoft .NET client assembly that consumes the ProcessManagerService WSDL. To create a proxy object that lets you invoke purge data operations by using Base64 encoding, specify this WSDL definition: 

      http://localhost:8080/soap/services/ProcessManager?WSDL&lc_version=8.2.1.

      You must specify &lc_version=8.2.1 (or later) because the purge operation was added in LiveCycle 8.2.

    • Reference the Microsoft .NET client assembly.

  2. Create a ProcessManager Client API object

    • Using the Microsoft .NET client assembly, create a ProcessManagerService object by invoking its default constructor.

    • Set the ProcessManagerService object’s Credentials data member with a System.Net.NetworkCredential value that specifies the user name and password value.

  3. Specify the filter that determines the data to purge

    • Create a ConditionFilter object by using its constructor.

    • Specify the process variable on which the condition is based by assigning a string value to the ConditionFilter object’s variable data member.

    • Specify the condition operator by assigning a ConditionEnum value to the ConditionFilter object’s condition data member. For example, specify ConditionEnum.GREATER_THAN to specify greater than.

    • Specify the value of the process variable by assigning a string value to the ConditionFilter object’s value data member.

  4. Perform the purge operation

    Perform the purge operation by invoking the ProcessManagerService object’s purgeProcess method and passing the following values:

    • A string value that specifies the name of the process to purge.

    • A short value that specifies the major version of the process.

    • A Boolean value that specifies whether to use the previous value. Specify true.

    • A short value that specifies the minor version of the process.

    • A Boolean value that specifies whether to use the previous value. Specify true.

    • An integer value that specifies the status of the process. Valid values are 1 which specifies to purge completed processes only; 2 which specifies to purge terminated processes only; 3 which specifies to purge both completed and terminated processes.

    • A Boolean value that specifies whether to use the previous value. Specify true.

    • A long value that specifies the seconds defining the age of the process to purge. The process is purged if its completion time is less than or equal to the time calculated by subtracting the number of seconds specified by this value from the time when the purge started. For example, to purge processes completed a day ago, set this field to 86400 (number of seconds in a day).

    • A Boolean value that specifies whether to use the previous value. Specify true.

    • A ConditionFilter object that represents the filter that is used to purge the process.

    • A Boolean value that specifies whether to delete child processes. Specify false to only delete the parent process.

    • A Boolean value that specifies whether to use the previous value. Specify true.

See also

Purging Process Data

Quick Start (Base64): Purging process data using the web service API

Invoking LiveCycle using Base64 encoding

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